We’re hoping to get a heat pump installed later in the year. One of the pre-requisites is that we increase the depth of insulation in our loft. That means being able to get into the loft which given the amount of stuff in there is easier said than done. Some of the stuff is our stuff. Some of it is stuff that I brought back 12 years ago when I emptied my family home and couldn’t face sorting properly. We’ve been bringing down 2 or 3 boxes every weekend and sorting through things.

One of this weekend’s boxes included lots of old maps. I’ve taken photos of them all with the intention of listing them on eBay to see if anyone wants them before I throw them in the recycling pile. When I unfurled the Midlands and East Anglia Esso map I noticed that it had notes on it. They’re in Mum’s handwriting and I can only guess that they were things she’d scouted out for us to go and see during our week’s holiday there. This was our only family holiday staying in a B&B or Guest House. Mum and Dad had decided it would be good as I’d be able to meet other children and maybe play with them. This didn’t work out as I came down with Chicken Pox on the second day we were there and so I was regularly covered in calamine lotion and kept away from everyone else! I’m not sure how many of the places that Mum’s research had turned up we were able to do, but it was nice to stumble across her notes today.