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 to Greenford we went. Situated in West London, the town centre was not a patch on Clapham Common (where Daniel and Ellen reside). Hence the lack of photos of the surroundings. It's a weird feeling rocking up to someone's place whom you have never met before, spending a few minutes meeting the pet, getting to know the workings and idiosyncracies of the dwelling and presto! 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' soon after realising HE actually ran the house... and we were influenced by the characters of 'Downton Abbey' which we had started watching after we realised the owner had a Netflix account.


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 ie couches or beds, were his domain. On one occasion, I was sitting on the couch watching him approach me and staring me down. He calmly walked to the back door indicating he needed to go out. So, being the efficient dog sitter I am, I got up straight away to let him out only to see him quickly run back to the couch and take my spot!

We walked Lord Bailey daily in and around parklands nearby and were greeted by many a person 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.


After spending many a night at an Air B & B, we realised how different it was compared to staying in someone's actual house. 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 wanting to get to the next level. The woman who owned this place was a doctor/professor at a local university and had paperwork EVERYWHERE. It made us smile as there was not one flat surface available to put anything down. There were papers, magazines, discarded envelopes, and folders piled so high I'm sure she had to apply to the council for a permit... She threw nothing out including broken kitchen knives! She reminded me of a mother I have whose name I won't mention...
At the end of the 7 days, it seemed all went well. Lord Bailey was pleased with us and we parted company on wonderful terms having received our five-star rating from the owner. I'm sure our score was such as we did some minor repairs and improvements to the house. We then headed back to Clapham for a few days before heading to our next gig in Oxfordshire...

Comments

  1. MaxineApril 26, 2023 at 8:38 AM

    Lord Bailey of Greenford

    ReplyDelete
  2. KayeApril 26, 2023 at 10:12 AM

    Fabulous. Well done both x

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApril 26, 2023 at 10:27 AM

    i love this story, I was in the house with you, seeing the clutter, but the character, oh the character, xx thanks for sharing, I'll have to find the downtown abbey shows - have never watched them xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 26, 2023 at 11:26 PM

    Love your doggie tails...Kath

    ReplyDelete
  5. Joy KilleenApril 27, 2023 at 12:38 AM

    Sounds fun, love your adventures Take care xxoo

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousApril 27, 2023 at 6:04 AM

    I'm starting to appreciate dogs now. My friend has a white fluffy thing that has hair..not fur. His name is Bear. He gets so excited when I say hello....and immediately starts humping my leg...I felt quite special until I found out that he does it with everyone!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mary Lawrence April 27, 2023 at 10:31 AM

    Oh my goodness! Lord Bailey looks positively divine! Love the update and already looking forward to the next chapter. Thank you. 😊

    ReplyDelete
  8. vivApril 27, 2023 at 12:17 PM

    You know that saying- dogs are the best people! Clever as Lord Bailey! Where to next guys?

    ReplyDelete
  9. LeanneApril 27, 2023 at 10:47 PM

    How fabulous... well done you two. xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. NataliaApril 29, 2023 at 3:27 AM

    I need one of those signs in Steven’s room 🤣

    ReplyDelete

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