I feel so relieved, like that proverbial huge weight lifted from my shoulders. I’ve had a good cry, and that helped too!

We’re looking at this as a positive step - it will give us more time to sort out the clutter and decided what will go to storage and what will stay with us. So, I can relax again; I might even start doing some of my hobbys again!!

Our insurance company employed a property-finding agency to find us a house to rent for 3 months. Today we went to view the house, liked it and asked to rent it.

Lots of phone calls later we’re told to go to the Letting Agents to collect some forms to fill out. Whilst there, my husband was asked if he was employed. He replied that it was a very “PC” comment and discriminatory - at which point the lady became very hostile and said that hubby was being aggressive, and she didn’t know if the landlord would want an aggressive person renting from him. Hubby went on to explain that he is employed, but is on long-term sick leave, for which he was receiving Incapacity Benefits. Apparently the landlord’s insurance prohibits him from renting to anyone on benefits. We’re hoping that as hubby is employed, that this won’t be a problem - though Ms Witch of the Lettings Agents might put her broomstick into the mire and cause us problems simply because she’s having a bad day

I can understand that it might be a financial risk, but our Insurance Company is paying all fees and rental, so our personal circumstances should not be an issue. Hubby is now worried that we might have lost the house - I feel like slitting my wrists, I just don’t know how much more I can take of this. It’s not the first time that we’ve been treated like vermin following the flood, which I would like to point out, WAS NOT OUR FAULT. WE DIDN’T FLOOD OUR HOME DELIBERATELY. WE DIDN’T ASK FOR ANY OF THIS.

On top of this we need references - now I perfectly understand the need for this, and it wouldn’t really be a problem apart from the fact that we’re anti-social gits who never see anyone, I’m agoraphobic and only know the Chemist and my GP, (oh, and Ed!!), and hubby is even more anti-social than I am - but he can at least give the name of one of his work mates as a reference. I’m stuck - Ed, any chance you’d be my referree??!!

The kids are so worried, because it’s obvious to them that something is wrong. I’m waiting for the phone to ring, to be told that we can no longer have the house because of a stupid misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding is this - hubby thought it was discriminatory to ask if he was employed. He had no idea it was to do with the houseowner’s insurance. The lady at the Lettings Agency has taken an immediate dislike to hubby, branding him aggressive. She’s within her rights to advise the houseowner not to rent to us - despite the fact that our insurance company would be paying for 6 months, whereas we only need the house for 3 months.

I don’t want to leave my house after this. I want to go to sleep for 6 months and wake up when it’s all over. I want my life back, my peace of mind and my sanity. I want my self esteem back, cos witches like Ms Letting’s Agents have a habit of making me feel small and unworthy.

I don’t want to do this any more

I’ve just been boogying with Take That (wish it was for real LOL), was a happy start to the new year for me.

I hope this year is a good one for all of us, and that Ed will come back to his blog

Maybe there’s a clue about the risk of flooding in the Council’s name ie *Vale* of White Horse.

The article didn’t read that the housing was a fait accompli to me but you probably know what’s really going on. It’s worth checking out the following:

Check out the plans for sewerage - a popular one for dragging out planning permission. Also, and you’d have to double-check this with Ed, I seem to remember that, with the appropriate support, he can get an Act of Parliament passed to protect the area. One was passed on a couple of acres where I used to live so it certainly can happen. That, and contact your MEP, who can enact a protection through the EU. Enlist the help of the local botanical and zoological experts. Luckily you’ve got plenty around your area . Finally, look up who sold the land and when in the past n years, and what was paid (through the Land Registry or get the local newspaper to help). Sometimes you can find interesting bits in the deeds…

Join the residents protest group, create a forum for them (if they haven’t already), look up other UK residents forums (loads of them) and see how they beat ‘them’. Get yourself and others elected on the council, write to Private Eye and ask them to look into it. Contact CPRE and other large orgs and see what they can do. All of this should have been ticked off by a residents group but sometimes they get nobbled, hence the forum, so that everyone has an easy opportunity to scrutinise what’s going on in their name.

Why aren’t they writing on here????

Better stop; sorry, I get carried away.

has ed quit??

Hubby dragged me to the doctor today, and I have tonsillitus. I have to rest, at least for the next week, so I have given myself permission to put off worrying about our house move for another week. But I can’t stop worrying about further flooding. There’s an item in today’s Wantage and Grove Herald (http://www.heraldseries.net/news/hswantagenews/display.var.1926470.0.airfield_plans_set_for_spring.php) basically saying that new housing WILL be built on Grove Airfield, and it’s a matter of “when” and not “if”. I’m devastated, though it was always inevitable, but I honestly feel like I’ve been hit in the stomach. Without housing on the airfield, there is a chance that we won’t be flooded again. Build hundreds of houses there, and it’s almost a certainty. I look at my house, at the state it’s in now, knowing that it’s going to be at least Easter before we will have our home back to normal, and the thought of having to go through all this again is more than I can bear.

I can be strong for my kids - I’m forever telling them that if we flood again, sobeit, we flood, we’ve survived this flood and we’ll survive another one. But deep inside, I’m bawling, cos I don’t want to ever go through this again, and I don’t want my kids to go through it again either. (pitiful moan over - for now )

Thanks for the mention of dizzy - I had seen his comments - I have been going onto Rejects daily, just haven’t felt much like posting - it’s cathartic posting here cos with Ed gone, it’s pretty much my blog now (sorry Ed, I’ll shut up if you promise to come back!!)

Awful news today with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, makes my problems seem pathetic by comparison

Did you see one of the roads in Dr Who was named ‘Donovan Street’? (Neat segue to this original blog!). I’m a big fan. Have you your kids been scared by any of the episodes?

PS you might want to comment on yesterday’s dizzythinks.net re the proposal for a mosque + call to prayers in East Oxford. No registration needed, use the ‘nickname’ option. If you’ve logged on recently to Webcameron Rejects ( webcameron.informe.com ) you’ll see Dizzy has lent a shoulder regarding the fiasco. A bit further down his blog you’ll see his comment about it all.

Final word (for your throat) - Benalyn.

How was your day? I hope it wasn’t as “dramatic” as mine