Toto, I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore

So, our packing gallops apace, the young lad we've hired is clearing the stinging nettle (and several other stinging plants) from the garden area, the house is being painted, the drive gate is being made higher to keep the Princess in, and we're installing a new shower. Moving day is next Tuesday, which leaves us three days to make things right here at the old place before the inspection to determine how much of our deposit we get back.

We've been looking for a new gym. Thought we'd found one that was extremely well priced and a bike ride away from the new digs. Except, apparently, the equipment is substandard. So, we're looking again. The fitness facilities in Hinckley, if they're good don't include a pool, and if they include a pool, have less than ideal weight training and stretching areas. We may end up driving to south Leicester to find one that suits.

We've located the grocers and services and such. So, as I said, things are moving along.

Here's the thing. We don't know where we'll actually be living. Osbaston is, according to every map I've found, in Leicestershire. The post code, however, is a Warwickshire post code.

Leicestershire Northwest - salmony pink line is the border, fuschia arrow is the village

Warwickshire Northeast - salmony pink line is the border, fuschia arrow is the village

The fuschia arrows, on both maps, are well within Leicestershire, but we have a Warwickshire post code. I called the Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council offices, because we will still be in Hinckley & Bosworth and it is firmly ensconced in Leicestershire. Our borough council offices told me yesterday that because of the post code, the borough boundary crosses county lines. !!!!What???!!! That's just plain messed up. So, I checked the maps again. No, I am not going insane. According to everything I can find (including the Leicestershire Parishes and the Leicestershire County Council websites), we are going to be living in Leicestershire. But the post office says we're in Warwickshire and they must be right.

This morning, I called the Leicestershire County Council offices. The lady on the switchboard kindly looked it up. According to her list, Osbaston is firmly in Leicestershire. We're in Hinckley & Bosworth borough, so we must be in Leicestershire. "Except Hinckley & Bosworth told me that their boundary crosses county lines." She didn't quite know what to make of that, but very patiently double-checked. "No, Osbaston is on my list," she told me, "but I'm only at switchboard." That's good enough for me, I thought to myself.

Now, you might be asking yourselves why this is so important. Firstly, our GP's office is trying to use it as a reason to cut us from their roster. "Osbaston is in Warwickshire, so we can't cover you," they told my sweetie - despite the fact that I have now twice been told that Osbaston is just barely within their catchment area, and our GP himself assured us that it was still part of their area. Secondly, I wanted to be able to tell you all where we now live, give you an address and such. Thirdly, it offends my delicate, logical, sensibilities to know for a fact I live in one county, but be told by everyone who sees our post code that I don't.  I think it's sent me over the edge. I almost devolved into hysterical laughter when I was talking to the nice lady at the Leicestershire County Council offices this morning. I'm certain she thought I was mad.

I have a feeling that at some point in the distant past, Osbaston was in Warwickshire - recently enough that it had a post code assigned to it. But somewhere along the line, the county borders were redrawn (it's happened as recently as 2001 in other areas of the county so far as I can find) and they just didn't bother reassigning post codes. Interestingly, our post code starts with 'CV' which is Coventry. Now, you might think that means that Coventry is in Warwickshire ... but it doesn't. It used to be (in fact the map of Warwickshire has a huge indent in it where Coventry is), but it isn't anymore. Still the Warwickshire post code has a Coventry prefix.

In other news, I'm still a non-smoker. The NHS woman I'm working with is very proud of me, as is my sweetheart. That doesn't mean I don't have raging cravings periodically that leave me in tears of frustration depending on my mood. The scarf I'm knitting is growing by leaps and bounds, and I take a lot of deep breaths. But I haven't given in. I don't intend to give in. But there are times when it's mighty tempting.

Mum & Bob in Nanpantan at Bluebell time

Bluebells in spring in Nanpantan

I do intend to talk more about our visit with my folks and I've updated flick'r to some extent - I believe up to our visit to Stonehenge. Just been taken up by the move. And these last 24 hours, by where the heck I actually will be living as of next Tuesday!

Really, we aren't in Kansas anymore.