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The sun returned today. This set us up nicely for our trawl through local solicitors in order to find one acceptable to the Family Building Society and willing to witness our signatures on the Mortgage Deed and the Declaration of Understanding.
Starting off at Milford on Sea we hit the jackpot with Dagless and Whitlock. Almost.
For these forays Jackie remained in the car while I tested the ground. This firm were willing, but they only had one Partner. The lenders insisted on two. I therefore decided to phone Garry, our mortgage advisor to see if he could find a way around this. There was no signal. When, a little later, there was one, Garry was on answerphone. I left a message.
Returning to our car I had the opportunity to envy groups of carefree folk enjoying the sunshine on the green.
We drove round to the GP surgery to collect a prescription. A spider sunbathed in the car park. It was then that I remembered Anansi. Was this creature a good omen?
We decided to hedge our bets, and try more solicitors in New Milton.
Outside Roger Cobb’s farmhouse on the coast road, a string of starlings seemed prepared to take off on a murmuration.
Neither Dixon & Stewart
nor Heppenstalls were prepared to witness the signatures, because this would suggest that they had advised us, which they hadn’t.
I was about to enter a third legal establishment when Garry rang me back with the news that a firm with only one Partner was acceptable to the lender. Monogamy rules. Back we went to Milford on Sea where we made an appointment for the witnessing, to take place on 18th.
We had definitely earned a brunch at the Beach Hut Café at Friars Cliff.
Sunlight slashed the ocean,
and was borne by the waves
onto the beach where people walked their lolloping dogs and the red seaweed has almost disappeared.
One canine was keener to get to the water than was its owner.
On leaving the car, I had carried my camera, lenses, and the mortgage paperwork in a hessian supermarket bag. When I had finished taking the beach shots I didn’t have the bag. Thinking I must have put it down somewhere, I retraced my steps up to the carpark. The bag was nowhere to be seen. Back down the slopes and the steps towards the café I trudged.
Then I noticed Jackie, clearly wondering where I had got to.
Then I noticed what she was clutching. Having removed the camera I had handed her the bag. I was definitely losing the plot.
Suddenly I recovered my appetite. Now we could enjoy our brunch.
As we left the café I watched a young man allowing a little boy to be adventurous on a rocky breakwater while keeping a safe closeness.
It was definitely a day for ice creams. Despite his expression in this photograph the concerned gentleman shared his companions’ pleasure at the picture.
Another couple struggled a bit with the breeze.
Only a couple of days ago I had been told that I needed to send the report of the mortgage valuation of the house to the solicitors. The final task of the day was to return home, place this, with a covering letter, in an envelope and post it to the manager of the solicitors in Stockport, by recorded delivery. This involved a second trip to New Milton. At least it means I will know when they have received it, and they won’t get away with pretending it had arrived later.
This evening we dined on a spicy stuffed crust pizza and fresh salad, with which I drank Mendoza Parra Alta malbec 2016.