So, here we are, seven weeks since we moved to Gorleston. Someone once said to me you should never start a sentence with so, but once a rebel always a rebel!

By Martin and Linda Wilkes

We arrived late on the Thursday having left our house in immaculate condition (our buyers words, not ours) to find our new home, shall we say, in need of some urgent cleaning (see picture 1 for the apparently clean oven!).  The master bedroom was, and remains, totally out of action for various reasons and other rooms, as a consequence are still not straight.  

However, with the exceptional help of our son and daughter in law who travelled up with us from Hertfordshire, the services of two professional cleaners, and the magnanimous efforts of our new minister, Mike, by Friday lunchtime when our furniture arrived we were at least able to see beyond the state of the house and find places to store the hundreds of boxes we brought with us. The cat decided that enough was enough and promptly disappeared upstairs whilst all the work was being done.

Seven weeks later we still have a garage half full of boxes but we do feel we are finally making inroads into the unpacking.  

We have become experts in obtaining quotes. So far we have had quotes for installing a lift (installation date 23 Sep) ; new windows (installation October); doing the building work needed (starting 1st week of Jan); some urgent landscape gardening (booked for early November); electrical work (urgent work completed and we will obtain a quote for the rest); and plumbing (waiting on a final quote to arrive but we hope to complete before the winter sets in). Yes, we have an awful lot of work to do here but are looking forward to it. 

We have had the pleasure of my family coming to see us, and also Graham and Melinda from St Mary’s who came up for a day, and even our estate agent friend, Peter and his daughter came for a weekend. We look forward to seeing as many of our old friends as possible in the near future. 

As for our fears about neighbours and church we have lovely new neighbours (although Martin’s drilling at 9:30 in the evening didn’t go down too well with them!) and we have begun to settle in to our new church. We will shortly be giving our testimony about how God was with us in the move in a Sunday morning service. We went to our first Home Group last Wednesday evening. Very different to the one we have left behind but also very welcoming. I have been asked to preach but strangely am finding it very difficult to write a sermon at the moment (prayers please) and we are both on the reading (and possibly prayer) rotas. 

To sign off, let me say how much we are enjoying the sea. We try to go to the promenade at least daily and when possible I try to do an hour’s walk each evening along the beach or if Linda feels able to join me then we do a shorter one together. 

We do miss everyone at St Mary’s, and our previous neighbours, but genuinely feel at home here. Well, that’s all for now. We do hope folk will follow the example of my sister and her family, and Graham and Melinda, and come and see us when you can. 

Martin and Linda.