Moving to Wiltshire nearly three years ago, I knew a grand total of four people in the county. You may question why I chose the county and I’ll be honest: property price. If I had purchased the same house in Reading (where I used to live), I would have paid more than double for it. Ridiculous!
So, a few visits to the lovely town of Calne and I was sold. Thankfully, so was my house in Reading. In August 2011, the move was on and I have never looked back. Fifteen years in a sprawling conurbation and now, rural Wiltshire life. Swapping built-up areas and frequently unfriendly residents in Berkshire for open spaces and the welcoming citizens of Wiltshire, what might have been considered as a ‘random move’ has certainly been a positive one.
Events of the last 24 hours have reminded me of this…. a visit to the collection office to pick up a special delivery was already planned and, returning to the office, I discovered I had again missed the postman – this time with two special delivery envelopes. So, I went in search of him so as not to have to wait until tomorrow or Monday! The first postman accosted was not the right one, nor was the second. Almost at the point of giving up, I managed to locate the third and correct postman who ran back to the post box (where he had stored the other bags on his delivery round) to extract my goodies! Would this have happened in Reading? Hell no!
Onward to a research day at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre with extremely helpful staff and other service users who, when chattering away over coffee breaks, shared knowledge, stories and ideas to further each other’s research efforts. Who knew about the Beta testing site where you can search for the will of a soldier who died while serving in the British armed forces between 1850 and 1986? At the moment, you have to search each year individually but I am guessing that might change if people share their thoughts on the Beta testing site – head on over and see what you can find. I have ordered a will – sadly my patience will be tested as I have to wait ten days for it to be available! – so we’ll see if my £6 is well spend at the end of the month.
