We were loading up the car on Easter Saturday, ready to disappear to the Lakes, when Paul, the youthful owner of the Mudhut, stopped us. He was, he said, thinking of putting students into the Mudhut from August/September. Fine, said we, and disappeared off for our jolly walks.
Some days later the Estate Agent rang up and asked if she could come around to suss the place out as a potential student let. Fine, said we -- ordinarily I would clean fit to burst before a visit from the Estate Agent, but our squalor is as nothing compared with student squalor. Anyway, round she came and toured the house, escorted by The Builder. It seems that in her opinion the box room is much too small to house a student. This has caused considerable mirth amongst those I know who are, have been or live as students who think it's more than adequate (for a reduced room rate)!! It seemed the idea of student accommodation was to be abandoned.
A day or so later she rang back to say that the owner had been thinking and, rather than us signing the usual six months lease when it came up for renewal (you will gather from this that we haven't told them yet that we are intending to move out) he wanted us to commit to a 12 month lease to "regularise" the situation. This is very unusual in English renting circles (six month leases, followed by a monthly agreement are "regular") and we demurred. Strongly.
Then on Saturday we had two letters from the agency. One enquired whether we intended to sign a six months agreement, go to a monthly agreement or to terminate the agreement. The other was a letter saying that, as we were not willing to sign a 12 month lease the owner was intending to serve us notice to quit and would we please signal our agreement to leave by the time the lease expires.
Wonder which letter they really want us to act on?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! So far we have completely ignored both of them. Once we have the keys to the new house in our paws I shall go around and tell them what I think about all of this.
Although actually I won't, because really I think it's very funny. And quite ironic. But I shan't tell them any of that. Grin!!
On another matter. If the nation choked on its cornflakes when it woke up one morning to the news that John Major had once had an affair with Edwina Curry, it was positively put off its cornflakes when it woke to the news yesterday that John Prescott had been having an affair with a secretary. (For those who don't know who he is, think Kim Beaseley). I may never look a cornflake in the face ever again!!
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