t-p has re-emerged elsewhere.  Like her, I'm enjoying a summer break before going over the top again in September.

Right now I'm upstairs in my study (don't know whether to call it a fourth bedroom or not if I ever try to sell the house) while my piano is being tuned downstairs. I've heard worse music  . He says it will take about three hours and he wants £40. That doesn't seem bad for three hours' work. After using a tuning fork and some sort of electronic device we agreed that it's about a quarter-tone flat but he says he can bring it up to pitch.

Surely it can't be so easy?  I bought this house as a 4-bedroomed one.  It is rated as such for Council Tax and even though I have the smallest room as my office - it is big enough to take a double bed....would they come and inspect do you think?  Or, would they look back and see what the house was described as previously?

I know the feeling Mary.     This house is getting more and more crowded!  I already have one son returned after his divorce, plus the child and now it looks as though my newly-married son, his wife and my other grandson may be moving back as well due to work-related problems they have.  They have two houses, two mortgages. One is let out - but they think that financially they may have no choice but to let their existing property as, if they put it on the market, it may not sell quickly enough for them.  That would mean they'd ALL be back in here!  They would also have to bring their boxer dog and horror of horrors!!! their CAT.   Woe is me!  Let's hope they think of another alternative to all this and that it may not happen, because that would be 4 adults, two children, two boxer dogs and the dreaded feline (who would be after my lovely garden birds all the time) all filling up every available space in Millyland. 

Two houses, both let out, two mortgages and back living with Mum? Something seems a bit wacky to me here Milly.

I mean, at least with the cat you can just put a couple of bells on it... (at best two, sometimes they can silence one I'm told...)

grey owl lived in a log cabin to stop too many people moving in ?

I don't think "wacky" is really the word.    Thing is, they need the rents now to cover the mortgages.  They are going to put their house on the market but with the interest rates rising it may not go too quickly.  They are eventually going to move into their original first home (to avoid capital gains tax) but unfortunately they've just got new tenants in it 2 weeks ago, who have signed a 6-month lease, so they're stuck until the end of that. 

As to cats.  Well Mary you've been lucky.  I looked after aforementioned said cat whilst they were on holiday and they assured me that it had never in its life (and it's 14!) killed or even chased a bird.  As I posted on here at the time - it very quickly brought me a mangled starling.   

"I live out here, in the wilderness,with fresh air and nature while 'smart' people live in smog bound cities." - grey owl