Sunday 9 October 2022

Our Bijou Home.


A little guided tour around our tiny home. It's small but has everything we require (other than a decent sized garden), I would like a mini veg' patch. By the way, I didn't tidy-up.


Looking out from our sitting room window.


The very basic kitchen.


Dining area and handkerchief sized patio. Billy lives under the table.


Lady M's sofa.


My sofa.


Upstairs are two bedrooms and a bathroom. That's it, you don't get much more bijou than that!

 

56 comments:

  1. I like small houses. Yours is very beautiful. My house looks even smaller and also has everything I need.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are some very old houses opposite us that are really tiny; old fisherman's cottages.

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Perfect for us; other than the garden.

      Delete
    2. Rachel, it's early Sunday morning. No doubt a perfect time (mind still fresh and uncluttered) to philosophize. To kick matters off I put forward the notion that there is no such thing as "perfect".

      U

      Delete
  3. Your Brighton abode may be small but it's perfectly formed. At the risk of gushing, I love those typically English bay windows and their wide sills.

    To me space is one of the luxuries of life. But it's just that - a luxury. Not a necessity. As E.F. Schumacher said, albeit in a different context, "Small is beautiful". Wonder what his shoe size was.

    What I'd like to know (dare I ask) in what formation are Lady M's sofa and yours? Side by side, on a ninety degrees angle, opposite each other?

    Billy's preferred spot (under the dining table) made me smile. Sometimes it's good to know where (and when) to take cover. Peace and quiet never go amiss.

    On a commercial note, Cro, not that you'd forget: You have won the postcode lottery in Brighton. A bit like your old friend in Bath. Enjoy.

    U

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our sofas face each other. Two sword lengths apart.

      Delete
  4. Mine is more bijou, but I don't have a bedroom juliette balcony. The Dog has four permanent beds and all carpetted spaces.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The little balcony is nice. I was standing there this morning at 5.45 am when a big Fire Engine went down the road in the wrong direction (we're one way). I wonder what they were up to?

      Delete
  5. It looks pretty tidy to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I could have plumped the cushions, or tidied the sofas, but frankly.....

      Delete
  6. It would suit me. Lovely. Don't forget to mention the convienience of having shops nearby and a park. I live in a one bedroom flat but it has all I need. I've been here 5 years and don't regret moving from my house.I couldn't manage my garden.Here , I have a park with lovely old trees just across the road Also the bus stop is right outside.We do have lovely communal gardens here which I pay for the upkeep in my rent. We have to adapt don't we.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We too have communal gardens for which we pay an annual fee. We also have a locked private 'secret' garden that we never visit. We can't be bothered.

      Delete
  7. I forgot to mention, you have the beach and sea too! Everything!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's really not much we don't have. I would take more advantage, but I've begun to have dodgy legs, and can't walk as far as I'd like.

      Delete
  8. Replies
    1. I have no idea. People don't measure in terms of Sq Metres here.

      Delete
  9. Civilised living. Bijou as opposed to tiny house. We have plenty of the latter here. Our old house was half of that. Not quite the same chic though

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We look out on the backs of some very small houses. My wife rented one when she was a student, and now laughs at how miniscule it was.

      Delete
  10. If that's a handkerchief sized patio, you must have an enormous hooter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's about 8ft by 12ft. My proboscis is considerable smaller.

      Delete
  11. It looks nice and comfortable and don't most people in England live in a two up and two down house? The difference with yours is its location. I will now revisit and examine the art work on the walls.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Done. I am not so keen on your dining room overhead lantern lighting.

      Delete
    2. The shade comes under the heading of 'Cheep-n-Cheerful'. I'm not keen on overhead lighting. Our house in France is 'two up-n-two down' with additions.

      Delete
  12. Compact living in the great location of Brighton is ideal in many ways. That said, I'd miss the garden too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the lack of a garden is the only real problem.

      Delete
  13. Billy has a stylish cover with a view near a food source. Genius.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very nice. I love the windows and all the light.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is very light, but only from front and back.

      Delete
  15. Looks comfy, about the size we are in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've done big fancy houses, this is all we now need.

      Delete
  16. It's very lovely in spite of the kitchen being about as small as mine here. I like the separate sofas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Luckily I'm not someone who needs a huge kitchen to work in. I'm fine with what I have.

      Delete
  17. Neat! I would be lost without a decent garden though

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's a shame that it's not much bigger, but most of central Brighton is the same.

      Delete
  18. It looks just perfect and I wouldn't say that kitchen is very basic either, you should see mine!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi, I read your blog about the Gypsy Caravan and Pud Cumpsty. She was my aunt. My late moms (Pops Cumpsty) sister. Did you ever visit their family home (and dentist!) in Oswestry?

    ReplyDelete
  20. PS I dropped a line to a whatsapp number linked to your account, but I'm not sure if it was your whatapp or a hackers? You never know these days! ...Anyway, I wanted to say hello, as my brother found your story about the Gypsy Wagon that mentions our aunt Pud Cumpsty. It was quite a surprise to find it. Thanks for sharing the story. Did you meet any of Puds family by any chance? Her father, my Grandpop was a dentist, with a menagerie of animals. Never a dull moment at the Cumpsty household from the stories I've heard! Best wishes, Dee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a wonderful surprise to find your comment.
      Yes, Pud and my mother bought the caravan together, and also shared a Velocette motor bike. They were great friends. I did meet her in France when she visited with her husband. We spent an evening together at a local restaurant. My cousin Stephen bought the old dentistry equipment (which I believe was foot operated) and had it shipped to Canada, where it is now in a museum. Stephen, sadly, was later murdered out there.
      My mother always spoke so fondly about Pud, I imagine they got up to all sorts of mischief together.
      Thank you for visiting here, I shall look at my WhatsApp page to see if you found the right one!
      Very best wishes.

      Delete
    2. Lovely to hear back from you! I did get a very short “ok, thank you” reply from the whatapp number that was linked to your message board on a Google thread, but your reply on here seemed more fitting, so it was probably some kind of hacker 😫 Anyway, great to hear from you, my brother will be pleased too. I do remember my mother “Pops Cumpsty” telling me about Muriel (Puds) Motorbike. I didn’t know the full story re your Mother sharing it with her. Or maybe I forgot?! It’s interesting to know that Grandpops dental equipment wound up in a museum! How fascinating! I’d love to go and see it sometime. I do have a vague memory of a molar pulled out by it. Not one of my favourite memories! So sorry to hear that your cousin Steve was murdered in Canada. Was it during a house robbery by any chance? I remember my mother telling me about some relatives or family friends who had immigrated to Canada or the US, and sadly the husband was killed during a house robbery. Dreadful!
      I’d be happy to hear back from you on here, and/ or feel free to drop me an email if you’d like to stay in touch. I’m currently back in Oswestry living, so it’d be lovely to meet up if you’re ever in these parts! I think my email address is on my page (created to say hello to you, although I may get in a bit of blogging at some point!) but I’ll put it here too; deeee leeee at g mail dot com
      But all joined up in a usual email format, I wrote it like that because some bots don’t like email adds being shared Etc… Well, lovely to meet the son of my aunt Muriel (Pud’s) best friend! Have a great week! Best Wishes, Dee :)

      Delete
    3. p.s. How on earth did you find my page about the Gypsy Caravan? Or even find me?

      Delete
    4. Hi Cro, I did send a reply to your previous message, but it seems to have disappeared 🙃 My oldest brother Steve found your blog by chance while googling info on Romany Gypsies, it’s one of his interests… He was surprised to read about Pud Cumpsty, and instantly realised it was our Aunt Muriel. He took screenshots and showed them to me, but the screenshots were missing page info, so I later googled Gypsy wagons (or something similar) and found your blog! I couldn’t see any contact info to say hello, so I joined the page! In my last message I mentioned my mother telling me about Puds motorbike, I’m sure she would have mentioned her friend (your mother) too. Also she mentioned a family friend being killed in Canada or the US by robbers. Very sad. Thanks for the update on Grandpops dental equipment. I would love to go see it. It removed one of my molars as a kid. Not a favourite memory. It’s great to hear from you. I think my email address is on my page if you want to stay in touch? Best Wishes, Dee.

      Delete
    5. Yes, poor Steve (who was a brilliant doctor) was killed in his home by a young neighbour who was looking for drugs. Sadly one of his daughters witnessed the whole thing. Steve was stabbed 15 times. I never heard what happened to his assailant. Steve was born and bred in Oswestry. He was Stephen Lowe.

      Delete
    6. If your brother is interested, there's a picture of me at our first home in France, sitting on the steps of a Gypsy caravan. If he looks for 'Gypsy Cro' in the white search strip, top left on my page, he should find it.

      Delete
    7. Thanks, I’ll tell him! Coincidentally my grandmother on my fathers side was from a Romany Gypsy family, so I’m interested too! It’s just my brother Steve is virtually a Gypsologist! Although he had a different grandmother, as he was from my mother’s first marriage. 🙃

      Delete
    8. …By the way, do you happen to know the name of the museum that Grandpop’s equipment went to? If not, do you know the name of the place in Canada where it was? I plan on visiting Canada again at some point, so I may well drop by!

      Delete
    9. No I don't know, but it is probably near Vancouver where he lived. You could Email his widow; she should know. She is Linda Lowe ldlowe@gmail.com

      Delete
  21. Thanks Cro, I just dropped her a line, but the email bounced back stating incorrect email address (or words to that effect)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Try again. The first letter is L for Linda, I wonder if you wrote I for India.

      Delete
  22. Hi Cro, no, I simply clicked on what you wrote and it created an email address link. I didn’t change anything. Maybe I should try writing it out myself? Should there be a D in there? (After her first initial)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm afraid I gave you the wrong address; I've just re-checked. it should be....

      ldlowe3@gmail.com Sorry!

      Delete
    2. Thank you. I’ll try again 👍

      Delete
  23. Hi Cro, I bumped into Muriel “Pud’s” daughter in town a couples of days ago and told her about your article, she said it was very interesting. I told her I’m hoping to find out the museum where grandpop’s dental equipment went to. Hopefully I’ll get to see it on my next trip to Canada! I did drop your cousin Linda Lowe a line, but have yet to hear back. It’s probably in the junk file! Ha! Oh well, at least I have a clue that it’s probably in Vancouver… Best Wishes, Dee :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope she replies, and with the answer you're looking for. Do pass on my best wishes to Muriel if you see her again. She won't know who I am but the fact that my Mum and her Mum were best friends is enough.

      Delete
    2. Will do. I was thinking the same. It feels kind of special that your Mum’s were best friends. I got mixed up in writing her name though, it’s Adrienne, I meant to say Muriel “pud’s” daughter Adrienne. She actually looks a lot like Muriel though! I’ll attach a photo collage of Muriel with her two sisters, and the three daughters of the sisters (including me) if I can. You’ll see what I mean. Best Wishes, Dee

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...