Messymascot's faith in humanity and ginger safe haven

[fandjango]

Cricket is on …. But I need to watch the start of the GP So it’s flicking channels day

 

[fandjango]

Just googled it. Boboli Gardens.

I’ve never been to Florence !!!! Call myself an artist !! B

 

[Barnfred 55]

Whenever you want to open up about the conversation, we are here for you ?

Right here goes. Yesterday morning my neighbour was taking me to the supermarket. I was telling him about some troubles I am having cancelling my mobile contract with Tesco mobile. They are trying to get an extra 2 months payments out of me. It only amounts to £20 and I'm just going to pay it to save the hassle, but its the principle that galls me, Anyway, he said, "I'm going to add to your woes". Oh dear.

Basically, I'm renting from him as you know, and I've learned to understand that renting put's you in the precarious position of not being in control. I'm always concerned that he may decide to put the rent up, or even worse, decide to sell the property. The property situation down here is dire with hundreds chasing every single property that comes up to rent, which over the last 2 years has pushed up property prices and rentals enormously. If I had to move out of this property it is highly likely that I wouldn't find anywhere else down here and would have little choice but to return to Liverpool.

My current situation is that I'm living in a 6 bed detached house in one of the most sought after villages in Cornwall, plus being band F the council tax and utility bills are also extortionate. I also now just have my own pension income coming in, which will improve in 4 and a bit years when I get my state pension too(hopefully). The terms we negotiated when we moved in nearly 3 years ago were very generous, mainly because he agreed a low rent if we paid him cash, and I think he also really wanted us as tenants and neighbours. He vets all potential new tenants personally. But rental values have gone up a lot since then, and his own circumstances have changed (although he doesn't know I know) in that the property is now owned by his son who is not a 40% tax payer like him. So the cash aspect of our arrangement is not worth as much as it was previously. Plus, like everybody else, their own everyday costs are going up. He could probably market the property for triple what I'm paying him currently and it would likely be snapped up pretty quickly.

So, if I'm honest, I've been half expecting the conversation that ensued to take place sooner or later. My main concern was that he had decided to sell up. He has sold 2 properties in our close since I've been here and, at current value, he could easily fetch £800k for this one. But thankfully it appears that he isn't looking to sell at the moment, but is looking to up my rent by 25%,, which in monetary terms is quite substantial. In reality, this is still very generous and he could easily achieve double this in the market.

I've thought about the impact of this a lot over the last 24 hours. In essence, my situation hasn't changed much, apart from my short term living costs going up. I already knew that this house was going to be too expensive for me in the longer term, not to mention being far too much house for my needs. I'd made a decision to stay here for this year before deciding on my long term future. If it was going to be in Cornwall, then I was going to have to find something more appropriate to my needs and my financial position. If I was unable to, then I would return to Liverpool. That is still the case. Indeed, probably my best hope in staying down here is to move into one of my neighbours flats that he owns in Penryn. I don't particularly want to move out of the village, but in practical terms living in Penryn in probably much more suited to me given that I don't drive. It's a nice town, lots of pubs and restaurants and takeaways and supermarkets, and is adjacent to Falmouth where there is even more going on. He also mentioned that he's expecting one of his tenants to give him notice that he's moving out as he's getting quite elderly and unable to care for himself, so there may be an opportunity come up in the next few months. So I'm feeling a bit more comfortable about the situation than I was yesterday.

As an aside, the two of us are going out for the day tomorrow in his classic open top Jag, and we're going for lunch to a place called Sam's On the beach, which is a local restaurant specialising in seafood. We're having the bouillabaisse for 2, which apparently needs to be ordered in advance and is a real feast. He hasn't been there since he went with his old mum, who must have died at least 5 years ago. I hope he's paying as I've just googled it and it ain't cheap. lolI'm really looking forward to it actually.

Hope you all have a good day. Been cloudy down here this morning but it's brightened up now. having a prawn salad for lunch and then I think I might go for a walk this afternoon and maybe have a pint outside the pub on the way back.

 

[Barnfred 55]

I’ve never been to Florence !!!! Call myself an artist !! B

I've been there 4 times but never been to any of the galleries either. Because it takes a good 4/5 hours of travelling to get there and back from Livorno, you only ever get about 6 hours to see the place, and you'd probably need that just to see one of the galleries to do it justice. An old friend went to the Uffizi and said it was brilliant.

 

[anjelikaferrett]

Right here goes. Yesterday morning my neighbour was taking me to the supermarket. I was telling him about some troubles I am having cancelling my mobile contract with Tesco mobile. They are trying to get an extra 2 months payments out of me. It only amounts to £20 and I'm just going to pay it to save the hassle, but its the principle that galls me, Anyway, he said, "I'm going to add to your woes". Oh dear.

Basically, I'm renting from him as you know, and I've learned to understand that renting put's you in the precarious position of not being in control. I'm always concerned that he may decide to put the rent up, or even worse, decide to sell the property. The property situation down here is dire with hundreds chasing every single property that comes up to rent, which over the last 2 years has pushed up property prices and rentals enormously. If I had to move out of this property it is highly likely that I wouldn't find anywhere else down here and would have little choice but to return to Liverpool.

My current situation is that I'm living in a 6 bed detached house in one of the most sought after villages in Cornwall, plus being band F the council tax and utility bills are also extortionate. I also now just have my own pension income coming in, which will improve in 4 and a bit years when I get my state pension too(hopefully). The terms we negotiated when we moved in nearly 3 years ago were very generous, mainly because he agreed a low rent if we paid him cash, and I think he also really wanted us as tenants and neighbours. He vets all potential new tenants personally. But rental values have gone up a lot since then, and his own circumstances have changed (although he doesn't know I know) in that the property is now owned by his son who is not a 40% tax payer like him. So the cash aspect of our arrangement is not worth as much as it was previously. Plus, like everybody else, their own everyday costs are going up. He could probably market the property for triple what I'm paying him currently and it would likely be snapped up pretty quickly.

So, if I'm honest, I've been half expecting the conversation that ensued to take place sooner or later. My main concern was that he had decided to sell up. He has sold 2 properties in our close since I've been here and, at current value, he could easily fetch £800k for this one. But thankfully it appears that he isn't looking to sell at the moment, but is looking to up my rent by 25%,, which in monetary terms is quite substantial. In reality, this is still very generous and he could easily achieve double this in the market.

I've thought about the impact of this a lot over the last 24 hours. In essence, my situation hasn't changed much, apart from my short term living costs going up. I already knew that this house was going to be too expensive for me in the longer term, not to mention being far too much house for my needs. I'd made a decision to stay here for this year before deciding on my long term future. If it was going to be in Cornwall, then I was going to have to find something more appropriate to my needs and my financial position. If I was unable to, then I would return to Liverpool. That is still the case. Indeed, probably my best hope in staying down here is to move into one of my neighbours flats that he owns in Penryn. I don't particularly want to move out of the village, but in practical terms living in Penryn in probably much more suited to me given that I don't drive. It's a nice town, lots of pubs and restaurants and takeaways and supermarkets, and is adjacent to Falmouth where there is even more going on. He also mentioned that he's expecting one of his tenants to give him notice that he's moving out as he's getting quite elderly and unable to care for himself, so there may be an opportunity come up in the next few months. So I'm feeling a bit more comfortable about the situation than I was yesterday.

As an aside, the two of us are going out for the day tomorrow in his classic open top Jag, and we're going for lunch to a place called Sam's On the beach, which is a local restaurant specialising in seafood. We're having the bouillabaisse for 2, which apparently needs to be ordered in advance and is a real feast. He hasn't been there since he went with his old mum, who must have died at least 5 years ago. I hope he's paying as I've just googled it and it ain't cheap. lolI'm really looking forward to it actually.

Hope you all have a good day. Been cloudy down here this morning but it's brightened up now. having a prawn salad for lunch and then I think I might go for a walk this afternoon and maybe have a pint outside the pub on the way back.

That's a bummer. I can see how you thought it was coming and I appreciate that you have probably been underpaying but I bet your rent isn't cheap. 25% is a lot of money - especially when prices/utilities are going up so much. Penryn sounds lovely but you would also be moving away from your friends which might make it a bit lonely for you at first. Would he be open to negotiation. Saves him the hassle of finding new tenants, he knows you, you're a good tenant.

Hope you have a good lunch. I've never had bouillabaisse, would like to try it though - definitely my kind of thing. On a completely cheaper scale I've just Iceland's Habanero Chicken wings. They were pretty good - nice kick to them. You would probably like them.

 

[anjelikaferrett]

Hello all. It's been really cloudy this morning and a bit chilly. It's also very windy, and has been for the last two days. I repotted the tomatoes yesterday and left them outside. They visibly wilted. I think it was all a bit too much for them. Repotting, wind, not as warm as the bedroom windowsill. Anyway I brought them back inside and they seem to have cheered up considerably. No longer wilting and back on the windowsill. As I type the sun has just come out. If the wind drops I might have a sit outside.

Oldest child is at Download Festival this weekend, which in my day used to be Monsters Of Rock. Kiss and Iron Maiden were two of the headliners this year so it doesn't look like much has changed! I haven't heard from him so assuming all is well. He's been waiting two years for this to come back.

I'm back at work tomorrow and I'll have to put in a full week. First time for about three weeks. No more planned days off until July 19th which is when I go to see the ODI at Durham - England v South Africa.

Have a lovely Sunday folks x

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Right here goes. Yesterday morning my neighbour was taking me to the supermarket. I was telling him about some troubles I am having cancelling my mobile contract with Tesco mobile. They are trying to get an extra 2 months payments out of me. It only amounts to £20 and I'm just going to pay it to save the hassle, but its the principle that galls me, Anyway, he said, "I'm going to add to your woes". Oh dear.

Basically, I'm renting from him as you know, and I've learned to understand that renting put's you in the precarious position of not being in control. I'm always concerned that he may decide to put the rent up, or even worse, decide to sell the property. The property situation down here is dire with hundreds chasing every single property that comes up to rent, which over the last 2 years has pushed up property prices and rentals enormously. If I had to move out of this property it is highly likely that I wouldn't find anywhere else down here and would have little choice but to return to Liverpool.

My current situation is that I'm living in a 6 bed detached house in one of the most sought after villages in Cornwall, plus being band F the council tax and utility bills are also extortionate. I also now just have my own pension income coming in, which will improve in 4 and a bit years when I get my state pension too(hopefully). The terms we negotiated when we moved in nearly 3 years ago were very generous, mainly because he agreed a low rent if we paid him cash, and I think he also really wanted us as tenants and neighbours. He vets all potential new tenants personally. But rental values have gone up a lot since then, and his own circumstances have changed (although he doesn't know I know) in that the property is now owned by his son who is not a 40% tax payer like him. So the cash aspect of our arrangement is not worth as much as it was previously. Plus, like everybody else, their own everyday costs are going up. He could probably market the property for triple what I'm paying him currently and it would likely be snapped up pretty quickly.

So, if I'm honest, I've been half expecting the conversation that ensued to take place sooner or later. My main concern was that he had decided to sell up. He has sold 2 properties in our close since I've been here and, at current value, he could easily fetch £800k for this one. But thankfully it appears that he isn't looking to sell at the moment, but is looking to up my rent by 25%,, which in monetary terms is quite substantial. In reality, this is still very generous and he could easily achieve double this in the market.

I've thought about the impact of this a lot over the last 24 hours. In essence, my situation hasn't changed much, apart from my short term living costs going up. I already knew that this house was going to be too expensive for me in the longer term, not to mention being far too much house for my needs. I'd made a decision to stay here for this year before deciding on my long term future. If it was going to be in Cornwall, then I was going to have to find something more appropriate to my needs and my financial position. If I was unable to, then I would return to Liverpool. That is still the case. Indeed, probably my best hope in staying down here is to move into one of my neighbours flats that he owns in Penryn. I don't particularly want to move out of the village, but in practical terms living in Penryn in probably much more suited to me given that I don't drive. It's a nice town, lots of pubs and restaurants and takeaways and supermarkets, and is adjacent to Falmouth where there is even more going on. He also mentioned that he's expecting one of his tenants to give him notice that he's moving out as he's getting quite elderly and unable to care for himself, so there may be an opportunity come up in the next few months. So I'm feeling a bit more comfortable about the situation than I was yesterday.

As an aside, the two of us are going out for the day tomorrow in his classic open top Jag, and we're going for lunch to a place called Sam's On the beach, which is a local restaurant specialising in seafood. We're having the bouillabaisse for 2, which apparently needs to be ordered in advance and is a real feast. He hasn't been there since he went with his old mum, who must have died at least 5 years ago. I hope he's paying as I've just googled it and it ain't cheap. lolI'm really looking forward to it actually.

Hope you all have a good day. Been cloudy down here this morning but it's brightened up now. having a prawn salad for lunch and then I think I might go for a walk this afternoon and maybe have a pint outside the pub on the way back.

Thanks for sharing and I'm sorry you are now having to deal with this concern with your rental. Like Ange said that's a substantial increase even if it is a lot less of what he could be charging, is this rate to go up immediately? Also how far is Penryn from where you are currently residing, I looked and it seems about 18 minutes, right? While unfair that this is happening, it seems this is something you had already been expecting so at least it didn't take you by surprise. It also seems your landlord has been thoughtful about how this could impact you as it shows on his intention of raising the rent price only 25% (even if it is a lot, is less than what he could charge), and his offering of you getting one of his flat rentals at
Penryn, plus he is taking you out to lunch tomorrow so he clearly likes you, but as a businessman he also has to do what's best for his own interests and that of his family. While I'm sure it is going to be difficult to make this transition and moving away from your friends, I would also look at this move as a potential opportunity to meet new people and getting to live in what looks to be another charming town in Cornwall.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Good morning beautiful people. Having a lazy morning after my busy day yesterday but the sun is shining and my garden really needs some caring today, before my mum and the rest of the family gets here.

@blue1948 I hope your overcast morning has turned into a sunny day. Btw, how long are your days at the moment?

@anjelikaferrett and @Gwladysover I do hope it makes a difference, we can't continue living with this fear of getting killed by gun violence. Even yesterday at the DC rally a moron decided to yell he was armed while they were having a minute of silence, causing people to freak out and run for safety. It was just a hoax, the asshole got arrested not long after but it cause so much fear and panic among the people that were there. Here in America we are all living in the edge, it is rubbish?

@fandjango I hope you exterminated that fly, nothing it irritates and disgust me more than flies. I try to not kill any living beings but flies, flees, and ticks get no compassion from me. Btw, Granada looks like a town I would want to visit Thanks for sharing the pics.

@Barnfred 55 is your mint growing crazily? your mojitos sound very tasty and stiff, just the way I like them lol I'll be making my own sugar syrup and I also put a splash of sparkling water to mine. I can't wait to have a cocktail later today after my gardening.

@Terrarian so glad the sun is shining your way, I bet Daisy is also enjoying it. Btw, I had nothing to do about the golliwog ?

@jazzy as always you are working hard to raise more money to pay the Vet bills. Your dedication to this cause it really is remarkable ??

@Methuselah we still haven't heard from you, please let us know that you are okay. Starting to be concerned of your silence. Sending much love to you and Ms. M

Have a wonderful afternoon peeps. Xxx

 

[Barnfred 55]

Good morning beautiful people. Having a lazy morning after my busy day yesterday but the sun is shining and my garden really needs some caring today, before my mum and the rest of the family gets here.

@blue1948 I hope your overcast morning has turned into a sunny day. Btw, how long are your days at the moment?

@anjelikaferrett and @Gwladysover I do hope it makes a difference, we can't continue living with this fear of getting killed by gun violence. Even yesterday at the DC rally a moron decided to yell he was armed while they were having a minute of silence, causing people to freak out and run for safety. It was just a hoax, the asshole got arrested not long after but it cause so much fear and panic among the people that were there. Here in America we are all living in the edge, it is rubbish?

@fandjango I hope you exterminated that fly, nothing it irritates and disgust me more than flies. I try to not kill any living beings but flies, flees, and ticks get no compassion from me. Btw, Granada looks like a town I would want to visit Thanks for sharing the pics.

@Barnfred 55 is your mint growing crazily? your mojitos sound very tasty and stiff, just the way I like them lol I'll be making my own sugar syrup and I also put a splash of sparkling water to mine. I can't wait to have a cocktail later today after my gardening.

@Terrarian so glad the sun is shining your way, I bet Daisy is also enjoying it. Btw, I had nothing to do about the golliwog ?

@jazzy as always you are working hard to raise more money to pay the Vet bills. Your dedication to this cause it really is remarkable ??

@Methuselah we still haven't heard from you, please let us know that you are okay. Starting to be concerned of your silence. Sending much love to you and Ms. M

Have a wonderful afternoon peeps. Xxx

Yeah I put soda water in mine too. About equal amount to alcohol/syrup. I grow the mint in a pot otherwise it takes over as you say. It's like a weed, but a weed that tastes nice.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Yeah I put soda water in mine too. About equal amount to alcohol/syrup. I grow the mint in a pot otherwise it takes over as you say. It's like a weed, but a weed that tastes nice.

Then our mojitos are equally delicious ? my mint is also in a pot and it is trying to take over it. At the moment is a battle of the plants between the mint and the lavender, the parsley has already lost it.

View attachment 169744

 

[Barnfred 55]

That's a bummer. I can see how you thought it was coming and I appreciate that you have probably been underpaying but I bet your rent isn't cheap. 25% is a lot of money - especially when prices/utilities are going up so much. Penryn sounds lovely but you would also be moving away from your friends which might make it a bit lonely for you at first. Would he be open to negotiation. Saves him the hassle of finding new tenants, he knows you, you're a good tenant.

Hope you have a good lunch. I've never had bouillabaisse, would like to try it though - definitely my kind of thing. On a completely cheaper scale I've just Iceland's Habanero Chicken wings. They were pretty good - nice kick to them. You would probably like them.

He can be a bit of a weird chap my neighbour. His idea of negotiation is he comes up with a figure in his head and then you agree on it. He hates selling anything for less than what he's paid out on something. For instance he's decided to sell his boat after this summer. He'll be asking what he paid and subsequently spent on it (which is substantial) and if it doesn't sell then he'll just keep it and use it again next summer.

In fairness what he's asking for is reasonable, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he had already been talked down a bit by his wife, who's decision making us more driven by emotions than business, if that makes sense. She may also have talked him out of selling and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the property go on the market as soon as I vacate it.

I will just go with the flow. I can afford it in the short term plus he needs to give me 2 months notice and we haven't started proper "negotiations" yet. He's just given me the heads up and I'll negotiate with his son and daughter what he's already decided. So it possibly won't kick in until Sept/Oct.

 

[Gwladysover]

He can be a bit of a weird chap my neighbour. His idea of negotiation is he comes up with a figure in his head and then you agree on it. He hates selling anything for less than what he's paid out on something. For instance he's decided to sell his boat after this summer. He'll be asking what he paid and subsequently spent on it (which is substantial) and if it doesn't sell then he'll just keep it and use it again next summer.

In fairness what he's asking for is reasonable, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he had already been talked down a bit by his wife, who's decision making us more driven by emotions than business, if that makes sense. She may also have talked him out of selling and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the property go on the market as soon as I vacate it.

I will just go with the flow. I can afford it in the short term plus he needs to give me 2 months notice and we haven't started proper "negotiations" yet. He's just given me the heads up and I'll negotiate with his son and daughter what he's already decided. So it possibly won't kick in until Sept/Oct.

Going with the flow seems the sensible thing to do at the moment. No need to make any decisions until the details are known. You already had an inkling that changes were on the cards and have now been forewarned so it won’t come as a bolt from the blue. In the meantime enjoy your time in your lovely house and surroundings.

 

[Gwladysover]

@Sassy Colombian beggars belief that someone would shout out they are armed at an anti-gun rally. What a cretin. Hopefully the law will come down on him hard. You made your voices heard though and that’s the main thing.

 

[jazzy]

Right here goes. Yesterday morning my neighbour was taking me to the supermarket. I was telling him about some troubles I am having cancelling my mobile contract with Tesco mobile. They are trying to get an extra 2 months payments out of me. It only amounts to £20 and I'm just going to pay it to save the hassle, but its the principle that galls me, Anyway, he said, "I'm going to add to your woes". Oh dear.

Basically, I'm renting from him as you know, and I've learned to understand that renting put's you in the precarious position of not being in control. I'm always concerned that he may decide to put the rent up, or even worse, decide to sell the property. The property situation down here is dire with hundreds chasing every single property that comes up to rent, which over the last 2 years has pushed up property prices and rentals enormously. If I had to move out of this property it is highly likely that I wouldn't find anywhere else down here and would have little choice but to return to Liverpool.

My current situation is that I'm living in a 6 bed detached house in one of the most sought after villages in Cornwall, plus being band F the council tax and utility bills are also extortionate. I also now just have my own pension income coming in, which will improve in 4 and a bit years when I get my state pension too(hopefully). The terms we negotiated when we moved in nearly 3 years ago were very generous, mainly because he agreed a low rent if we paid him cash, and I think he also really wanted us as tenants and neighbours. He vets all potential new tenants personally. But rental values have gone up a lot since then, and his own circumstances have changed (although he doesn't know I know) in that the property is now owned by his son who is not a 40% tax payer like him. So the cash aspect of our arrangement is not worth as much as it was previously. Plus, like everybody else, their own everyday costs are going up. He could probably market the property for triple what I'm paying him currently and it would likely be snapped up pretty quickly.

So, if I'm honest, I've been half expecting the conversation that ensued to take place sooner or later. My main concern was that he had decided to sell up. He has sold 2 properties in our close since I've been here and, at current value, he could easily fetch £800k for this one. But thankfully it appears that he isn't looking to sell at the moment, but is looking to up my rent by 25%,, which in monetary terms is quite substantial. In reality, this is still very generous and he could easily achieve double this in the market.

I've thought about the impact of this a lot over the last 24 hours. In essence, my situation hasn't changed much, apart from my short term living costs going up. I already knew that this house was going to be too expensive for me in the longer term, not to mention being far too much house for my needs. I'd made a decision to stay here for this year before deciding on my long term future. If it was going to be in Cornwall, then I was going to have to find something more appropriate to my needs and my financial position. If I was unable to, then I would return to Liverpool. That is still the case. Indeed, probably my best hope in staying down here is to move into one of my neighbours flats that he owns in Penryn. I don't particularly want to move out of the village, but in practical terms living in Penryn in probably much more suited to me given that I don't drive. It's a nice town, lots of pubs and restaurants and takeaways and supermarkets, and is adjacent to Falmouth where there is even more going on. He also mentioned that he's expecting one of his tenants to give him notice that he's moving out as he's getting quite elderly and unable to care for himself, so there may be an opportunity come up in the next few months. So I'm feeling a bit more comfortable about the situation than I was yesterday.

As an aside, the two of us are going out for the day tomorrow in his classic open top Jag, and we're going for lunch to a place called Sam's On the beach, which is a local restaurant specialising in seafood. We're having the bouillabaisse for 2, which apparently needs to be ordered in advance and is a real feast. He hasn't been there since he went with his old mum, who must have died at least 5 years ago. I hope he's paying as I've just googled it and it ain't cheap. lolI'm really looking forward to it actually.

Hope you all have a good day. Been cloudy down here this morning but it's brightened up now. having a prawn salad for lunch and then I think I might go for a walk this afternoon and maybe have a pint outside the pub on the way back.

Hope things work out for you down there mate , no doubt we will chat about it later.

 

[jazzy]

Right here goes. Yesterday morning my neighbour was taking me to the supermarket. I was telling him about some troubles I am having cancelling my mobile contract with Tesco mobile. They are trying to get an extra 2 months payments out of me. It only amounts to £20 and I'm just going to pay it to save the hassle, but its the principle that galls me, Anyway, he said, "I'm going to add to your woes". Oh dear.

Basically, I'm renting from him as you know, and I've learned to understand that renting put's you in the precarious position of not being in control. I'm always concerned that he may decide to put the rent up, or even worse, decide to sell the property. The property situation down here is dire with hundreds chasing every single property that comes up to rent, which over the last 2 years has pushed up property prices and rentals enormously. If I had to move out of this property it is highly likely that I wouldn't find anywhere else down here and would have little choice but to return to Liverpool.

My current situation is that I'm living in a 6 bed detached house in one of the most sought after villages in Cornwall, plus being band F the council tax and utility bills are also extortionate. I also now just have my own pension income coming in, which will improve in 4 and a bit years when I get my state pension too(hopefully). The terms we negotiated when we moved in nearly 3 years ago were very generous, mainly because he agreed a low rent if we paid him cash, and I think he also really wanted us as tenants and neighbours. He vets all potential new tenants personally. But rental values have gone up a lot since then, and his own circumstances have changed (although he doesn't know I know) in that the property is now owned by his son who is not a 40% tax payer like him. So the cash aspect of our arrangement is not worth as much as it was previously. Plus, like everybody else, their own everyday costs are going up. He could probably market the property for triple what I'm paying him currently and it would likely be snapped up pretty quickly.

So, if I'm honest, I've been half expecting the conversation that ensued to take place sooner or later. My main concern was that he had decided to sell up. He has sold 2 properties in our close since I've been here and, at current value, he could easily fetch £800k for this one. But thankfully it appears that he isn't looking to sell at the moment, but is looking to up my rent by 25%,, which in monetary terms is quite substantial. In reality, this is still very generous and he could easily achieve double this in the market.

I've thought about the impact of this a lot over the last 24 hours. In essence, my situation hasn't changed much, apart from my short term living costs going up. I already knew that this house was going to be too expensive for me in the longer term, not to mention being far too much house for my needs. I'd made a decision to stay here for this year before deciding on my long term future. If it was going to be in Cornwall, then I was going to have to find something more appropriate to my needs and my financial position. If I was unable to, then I would return to Liverpool. That is still the case. Indeed, probably my best hope in staying down here is to move into one of my neighbours flats that he owns in Penryn. I don't particularly want to move out of the village, but in practical terms living in Penryn in probably much more suited to me given that I don't drive. It's a nice town, lots of pubs and restaurants and takeaways and supermarkets, and is adjacent to Falmouth where there is even more going on. He also mentioned that he's expecting one of his tenants to give him notice that he's moving out as he's getting quite elderly and unable to care for himself, so there may be an opportunity come up in the next few months. So I'm feeling a bit more comfortable about the situation than I was yesterday.

As an aside, the two of us are going out for the day tomorrow in his classic open top Jag, and we're going for lunch to a place called Sam's On the beach, which is a local restaurant specialising in seafood. We're having the bouillabaisse for 2, which apparently needs to be ordered in advance and is a real feast. He hasn't been there since he went with his old mum, who must have died at least 5 years ago. I hope he's paying as I've just googled it and it ain't cheap. lolI'm really looking forward to it actually.

Hope you all have a good day. Been cloudy down here this morning but it's brightened up now. having a prawn salad for lunch and then I think I might go for a walk this afternoon and maybe have a pint outside the pub on the way back.

Bouillbaise is wonderful. The best I ever had was in Marseille , truly fantastic.

The French put garlic and mustard mayonaise in it , I was reluctant at first by man it's great.