37. West London - House and Pet Sitting - Episode 1

After a few days of Daniel and Ellen generously putting us up (or putting up with us), we made our way to our first house/pet sit.

The day came soon enough and off we went to Greenford. Situated in West London, the town centre was not a patch on Clapham Common Daniel and Ellen's), hence the lack of photos.  It's a weird feeling rocking up to a stranger's home, spending a few minutes meeting the pet, getting to know the workings and idiosyncrasies of the dwelling.  Then suddenly we were on our own. 

The owner was on her way to Sweden for a week and we had the honour of looking after Bailey whom we christened 'Lord Bailey' having realised HE actually ran the house, and  influenced by the characters of 'Downton Abbey' we'd started watching on her Netflix account.

Lord Bailey is a 12-year-old black labrador who has a wonderfully calm and placid nature. He also made sure he let us know that any soft surfaces, i.e. couches or beds, were his domain. On one occasion as I was sitting on the couch he approached and stared me down. He calmly walked to the back door indicating he needed to go out. So, being the efficient dog sitter I am, I arose to let him out only, to have him bolt back to the couch and take my spot!

We walked Lord Bailey daily around parklands nearby and were greeted by many who knew him. This sign was at the entrance to the park. I love how the English know how to get the point across without sounding harsh.

Lord Bailey was sheer bloody-minded. We learned to keep him on the lead because he wouldn't return when called, unless it damn well suited him!

After spending many a night at an Air B & B, we realised how different it was compared to staying in someone's home. There is a lot more 'stuff' in homes! The two-storey house we stayed in was quite cosy compared to houses in Australia. So cosy that I couldn't work out if I was looking at a staircase or a ladder when negotiating the second floor. The woman who owned this place was a doctor/professor at a local university and had paperwork/stuff/clutter EVERYWHERE. There was not one flat surface available. There were papers, magazines, discarded envelopes and folders piled so high I'm sure she needed a permit. She threw nothing out, including broken kitchen knives! She reminded me of an immediate family member whose name I won't mention.

At the end of the 7 days, all had gone well. Lord Bailey was pleased with us and we parted company on wonderful terms (with the dog, Ros wasn't home yet) and duly received our five-star rating from the owner. I'm sure our score was based on some minor repairs and improvements to the house we'd done. (Max thought she wouldn't have even noticed). We then headed back to Clapham for a few days before heading to our next gig in Oxfordshire.