Wednesday, 4th. February 2026

Someone is having home improvements done, with the sound of machine tools echoing around the cul-de-sac. It could be repairs, but I suspect improvements. Something I can only dream of. I shall enjoy my property search this morning and hopefully remain positive, despite having found little of promise in recent months.

I found a nice-looking flat in Saltash last week – in Cornwall and facing towards Plymouth across the Tamar. The rent was only slightly less than here but it would be less expensive to run. It was designed on Hygge lines, a Danish/Norwegian concept; the word describing a cozy contented mood. The idea appeals to me, as does the Scandinavian minimalism and comfort of interiors. I should have given it a look, but it would have meant a journey of over three hours there and back on public transport – on the off-chance.

I would enjoy living in Cornwall. At the end of the day I am a celt at heart, with a strong sense of place. Devon and Cornwall is where I feel at home. It is the landscape that I feel part of, as if there is a remnant in me of the old Dumnonii tribe that used to inhabit these parts. Now I’m getting maudlin; perhaps I need to warm up the espresso machine…