Beth and I started out our "new" life together here in our (rented) dream cottage, with our horses on the field next to it stable across the road, lovely views all round 15 years ago. I found Mudcat! Then nine years ago along came Danny so things changed a bit, well quite a bit really, but everything has been good, too good I suppose.

Although the cottage was wet, damp, mouldy walls, windows about to fall out we love it here and paid a moderate rent as I helped the landlady by trying to keep it standing and habitable, which was fair enough. 15 years and never a day late with the rent!

Then one week ago came the eviction notice from an agent we have never dealt with before, telling us that the landlady wanted the cottage for a member of her family, which we knew then and have since had confirmed, is a load of crap. It turns out that the daughter has taken over affairs from her mother (the landlady) and wants to gut the place, refurbish and charge three times the rent.

This is fair enough, and we thought maybe one day it might happen, but after fifteen years and becoming good friends of the family you'd think they could have least told the truth.

Trouble is now, I am 70 next Monday on a pension, Danny is 9 in three weeks, we have to uproot him from everything, he's lost his car he drives round the field, his school mates when we move, his piano teacher he loves, his tenor horn he plays in the school band, it's gonna be harder for him than any of us.

We now have to look for a place at market rent level which is way beyond our means so the future is looking bleak, however, after the shock and getting down to reality, I said to Danny that we can do whatever we want and live wherever we want to now, so where would he like to move to. He straight away came back and said America!!!! (he has been greatly influenced by his John Deere American Farmer Game, and American Long Haul Trucking Game)the power of computers. His next choice was Yorkshire, so we have decided to make a complete break and head for North Yorkshire where Beth has most of her family.

The only good thing at the moment is that we will stay with her sister temporarily who lives in Whitby, and we move in there on Saturday 21st August while we search for somewhere.

Sorry I have ranted on a bit, but it's only a fraction of what's going round in my head at the moment, anyway, I suppse all things happen for a reason!

whb