Moving on

I've booked Julia and whoever else she cares to bring along to come next week and start clearing out the sheds, the garage and the attic. Two birds with one stone: it'll keep her in work through December when the garden doesn't need attention and it'll allow us to think we're making some progress in moving house.

I hope to supervise at arms's length. I want people who aren't sentimentalists to plough through the junk and be ruthless with it.

The garage is full of paints and poisons which need to be bagged up and taken to some place where they can be safely and professionally destroyed. My father loved his chemicals; it's like Porton Down in there...