JDog Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 The end of an era. The house has sixty boxes full and counting. Furniture is not where it should be and is serving no useful purpose. My outside office has thirty boxes plus bags of various sizes marked with code words such as ‘rotary’, ‘decoys’, ‘cradles’ etc. The gun cabinet is empty. The garden is full of tables and chairs and lots of pots containing some of my wife’s favourite plants. Sadly my much admired Wisteria, Vitis and C. montana will not be packed up. The dogs are unsettled. Yes we are moving house. We came to the Lincolnshire Wolds for the very best of reasons. Both of our Mothers were widowed and not well and we didn’t fancy the delights of the M1 and M18 every Friday and Sunday. So we left our nice house, loads of friends and in my case clients who were willing to pay my rates for half a brain and a pair of secateurs to be close to them. Within two years they had both died which was inconsiderate of them. The limbo was fine by me. The house is great, I love this countryside and I managed to find some places to shoot pigeons, I joined a game shooting syndicate, the dogs loved it so everything was rosy in JDog’s garden. This was not the case with my wife who never settled here. She has gradually worn me down over the last few years with the truism that we should be nearer our children and possible grandchildren (the thought of being a first time grandfather in my seventies is appalling). The catalyst for agreeing to move happened this summer. We were at a party in the Cotswolds and at the end of a happy, dancy, boozy evening I was approached separately by two old friends. Both were intoxicated, both gave me a smelly breath hug and both said they loved me. I believed them. Others that evening hadn’t gone quite that far but left me with the distinct and unfamiliar feeling of being appreciated. On the way back to where we were staying I told my wife that if she wanted to move back to the Cotswolds she should get the house on the market. She was taken aback, so much so that she had an immediate need for some of those Tenor Ladies panty liners, or Pi$$ing pants as I call them. The house went on the market the following week. The first people round offered the asking price even before the house tour had finished. This was either because we had undervalued the place or, and I would like to think it is this option, that they could see what great value the house was compared to the one in Kent which they were selling. Off back to the Cotswolds the following week to find somewhere to live. We looked at eight properties on the hottest day of the year and I was ready to give up when an Agent rang to say a house sale had fallen through and would we like to look that evening. This is the house we bought. The purchase completes on the 22nd November. Which brings me to last Friday evening when GingerCat and his wife, Jacko, MightyMariner and Clodhopper and I met in a country pub to say our goodbyes. Agaman was unable to join us which was a shame. These chaps have indulged an old man and come out pigeon shooting with me a lot over the past seven years and we have had some great times together. I value their friendship greatly and I will miss them unless they dare venture to the Cotswolds for a holiday. My tales of putting a rotary out in any old field on any crop at any time of year and shooting a hundred pigeons seemed to stir their interest. JDog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Welcome back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Good for you. I hope all goes as you both would wish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Good to see you posting again and hope your move to a lovely part of the country will be all you and your wife hoped for, good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 when you were living down souff we had rip-roaring tales of pigeon shooting with pics............these i hope will resume.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Welcome back 👍 hope you remember to take your snowdrops with you 😂😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spr1985 Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 @JDog nice to see you back on the forum, hopefully not just a one off 👍🏻. I hope the move completes in a timely fashion and goes smoothly for you and your wife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Well pleased for you and your wife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Welcome back to the forum, which I sincerely hope is not just a final farewell, as we all enjoyed your self-deprecating writing style, the humour of which was sometimes lost on some. I wish you and your wife the very best for the future. To be near to those close family members is something to be cherished with hopefully many more memories to be made. Please continue with your posts, once you are settled, as the details of your exploits afield with photos were always greatly appreciated and were found most amusing. OB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 hope all goes well for you,and you find shooting there again .all the best to you and your wife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 14 minutes ago, mossy835 said: hope all goes well for you,and you find shooting there again .all the best to you and your wife. just you wait ...he will be posting in off topic.....wanting people to give him shooting in return for doing a bit of pest control...can travel with dog BASC....blah blah blah.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
del.gue Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 We are moving before xmas. So i know how the upheaval works. Dont fear becoming a grandparent. I have one daughter and never imagined having grand kids. Then out of the blue, at the height of covid, my daughter and partner presented me with my gorgeous grand daughter. Game changer. All the best for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 3 hours ago, JDog said: She has gradually worn me down over the last few years with the truism that we should be nearer our children and possible grandchildren (the thought of being a first time grandfather in my seventies is appalling Has to be a winner being near your family, you'll always find pigeons, and think of the fun you'll have in a new garden. Never known someone become a Grandparent and not love it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agriv8 Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Jdog . Life changes happen and a happy wife tend to lead to a happy life. grab hold of it the chance to be near your possible grandchildren it will be a game changer ! And besides think of all the mischief you can get up to blame the grand kids. The next generation may well turn out to be willing volunteers in the hide ! Soon get them shooting with a .410. my dad is now flanking in with my youngest and is loving the company and having someone to assist! finally you do know you’re allowed to come back and visit now and again Agriv8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 2 minutes ago, Agriv8 said: Jdog . Life changes happen and a happy wife tend to lead to a happy life. grab hold of it the chance to be near your possible grandchildren it will be a game changer ! And besides think of all the mischief you can get up to blame the grand kids. The next generation may well turn out to be willing volunteers in the hide ! Soon get them shooting with a .410. my dad is now flanking in with my youngest and is loving the company and having someone to assist! finally you do know you’re allowed to come back and visit now and again Agriv8 fer chrusts sake dont tell him that....all we need now is motty melb3 ...zapp........and everything will be back to normal.....i dont do normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Hello, good luck with your new venture JD, the Cotswolds are lovely and I hope your both be happy there , 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Good luck with the new house. I dread the day as I love it here but it's coming soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Good luck with the move, it sounds like you are going home.👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedward Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 All the very best to you and yours, cheers, Tedward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 The great thing with grandchildren is that you can get up to all sorts of mischief with them .... and hand them back at the end of the day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Hello JDog, all the best with your move, I don't know where you are moving to in the Cotswolds, but I am sure you will find some shooting easy enough, When you have settled in give me a shout, my son is a keeper on a game shoot near Tetbury, so I am in that area a fair bit of my time, welcome back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 It was a strange moment meeting jdog in a bar at night, normally (as my wife points out sniggering) it's in far away gateways and laybys off the beaten track. It was however reminiscent of how we first met some years ago. Where those years have quite gone I don't know as my eldest is now 6 and has a younger sister to misbehave with. Neither existed the first time he shouted "its a doddler" and watched me miss with a smirk on his face. All the best with the move and hopefully you'll get unpacked before Christmas. Make sure the spare room is sorted too as I fancy a 100+ day on some easy pigeons to see if the legend of the cotswolds is true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clodhopper Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 I first met JDog a little over 4 years ago via this forum. Our shared love of pigeon shooting developed into a strong friendship and led us into sharing different sporting forays from game shooting to tench fishing and one very special day walking up teal on the marsh land of east Lincolnshire. As my work changed I had less and less time to chase pigeons but still managed weekly conversations with him discuss lines I had seen, where I thought the birds may be and generally get my fix of pigeon shooting. A more generous and knowledgeable person you would be hard pressed to find. I wish both him and his wife all the best with their move to pigeon Nirvana and echo the statements of others in the hope that his encounters with the greatest quarry on these isles are regaled on the forum again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 JDog thanks for the information concerning your return to the Cotswolds, with your future attacks on the hoards of pigeons it may spook a few up to the Midlands. Good luck with the move and I hope it all goes we. I downsized eighteen months ago and even with a 10X2mtr Man Cave still can’t find all that I want. This was the final move of the plan and last years hot summer certainly tested the freezers and three fans in the garage but I’m working on that. I wish you and yours all the best and look forward to your reports in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled Posted November 21, 2022 Report Share Posted November 21, 2022 Good luck with the move JDog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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