Flat hunting, room tour, graduation

It's been a funny couple of days. Things do feel a lot quieter and calmer, with all the coursework out of the way, but I'm still pretty busy. I've been filling out endless forms for my course: health forms, CRB declarations, Primary School placement details. The worst was writing an email to the French police asking for a Criminal Record check. I don't even know what 'Criminal Record' is in French... It took quite some composing.

Yesterday Chris and I went flat viewing. We saw three places. For the curious, you can check them out here: http://www.samproperties.co.uk/2-bed.htm

The first one - Hathersage Road - was a write-off. We didn't even get to see inside because the agent had forgotten his key (classic...) but given the broken window and the fact that he was almost able to force the lock to show us inside, that was off the list.

Number two was stunning from the outside: a beautiful redbrick listed building on Swinton Grove. But once we got into the house and through the rather depressing corridor to the flat door we had more problems. Keys a plenty, but inside we were confronted by 10 up-ended sofas, littering the sitting room. As we squeezed past the excess furniture, we noticed that the flats had been created by putting up little pinboard walls because the building was listed, and the whole thing looked pretty shabby.

Finally, number 3 was a possibility. It was in a place called Plymouth Grove. New purpose built flats in good condition, and we were shown around by the caretaker rather than the slightly shambolic agent. Although it had 2 bedrooms, everything was a little bit pokey and it's right at the top of our budget, so we're going to hang on for a bit longer and see a few more before signing up for anything. The hunt continues next week!

This morning I went to my cousin's graduation (well, the drinks after the ceremony). He's been at Manchester Uni studying chemistry for 4 years and came away with a first class MChem for his troubles, so it was a good opportunity to celebrate all his hard work.

George and his proud parents

They have a long drive back to Pembrokeshire, so I came back to the flat in the pouring rain and have been sheltering here ever since, looking for flats and temping jobs (and occasionally sneaking in the odd chapter of Roald Dahl's book Boy which is utterly compelling and in places terrifying...).

It had occured to me, though, that you have no idea where I am living up here, so I thought I'd take some pictures to give you some idea of my current living circumstances. As I've explained in earlier posts, I've moved into Chris' room in his shared house, and therefore my stuff has had to squeeze in around all of his belongings for the time being.

The edges of his book shelves house my toiletries and bits and pieces. The bottom shelf is mine and mine alone (eager eyes might spot The complete works of Shakespeare and a Louie highligher).
Chris' desk is covered by his computer and my laptop, so I've had to seek alternative storage. The floor is currently my admin hub, covered in CVs, letters (thanks Laura!), university tick lists and scripts.

I've got half the wardrobe to put clothes in. See how the pole bends... We had to empty the whole thing and glue all the joints a couple of weeks ago, because it was getting dangerously wobbly. It leant forward away from the wall, and everytime I took something out it seems to loom over me as if awaiting an opportunity to lose its balance and flatten me. That wood glue sure showed you, huh, wardrobe?

And these are where the rest of my clothes huddle, in boxes in the corner. See how neatly I keep them all? Looking for clothes in the morning is a bit like swimming through fabric.

On the whole though, even with these slightly makeshift storage solutions, it is great being here. I LOVE eating with someone. We get up and have breakfast while watching BBC1, taking the piss out of the presenters over our porridge and toast, laughing as the poor weather presenter has to make an outside broadcast on a golf course full of waving, camera hungry tossers. We cook dinner together, or apart (when I say apart I mean Chris cooks, normally because I'm lazily watching telly. Ahem...) and share washing up. We talk about important things, or silly things, or we don't talk at all. It's actually nice to share.

Next week I'll take some more pictures of what the room and the house are like. I might even show you the petshop across the road!

I can't wait until we get our own flat and people can start visiting to see our place for themselves!