My new beginning in life as a pensioner in Labasheeda, County Clare is going well, despite a few hiccups (pipe leaks, warped ceilings, collapsed patio roof…a bit more of a burp, that one). As my friend, Lesley, said houses just seem to know when someone new moves in and they take the opportunity to demand attention! Anyway, as a result, we have discovered neighbours, and young tradesmen who have willingly come to our rescue. It seems Labasheeda and its local townlands are full of young skilled plumbers, electricians and carpenters, all of whom are total sweethearts.

Despite all these hiccups, I feel like I’m still on holiday. This last bank holiday weekend was my birthday weekend. We took Aine and Roisin for coffee and then lunch at Vandaleur in Kilrush and played games in the walled garden, and bought yet another glorious rose bush. On the day itself, Jerry and myself, walked Doughmore Bay and enjoyed the Mafia Cats at the jazz festival over lunch in Morriseys, Doonbeg and then the whole family came for lunch on Sunday where we sprawled, ate, played, walked and snoozed…as is appropriate for OAP birthday celebrations.

The house is lovely, light and very comfortable. Our books are organised, our kitchen is in place, and our pictures are hung. We have a resident fox in the garden and my new birthday toy (a trail camera given to me by Joe) enables me to keep a close(d) eye on him at night. Fortunately, our other neighbours are happy to greet us during the daylight hours… it is rather nice to be able to pop next door to the Charm Bee café run by Ruth at weekends for a coffee, cake and a chat with anyone who is there. I have met and greeted so many people on my little local walks through the village with Pops that I have now got confused as to who is who…but that comes with the OAP territory, I guess, and people are very understanding when I get it all wrong!

One of the other pleasures is being able to swim at the Labasheeda Quay when the tide is high on the Estuary. Roisin got me a lovely dry robe (blue and pink) for my birthday, so I can amble down to the quay, stride into the water, swim across the bay, and be back in the shower in no time. Oh, and one of the delights of the house is a water solar heating system that when the sun shines, heats our water. At first, we couldn’t understand how we had hot water as neither the boiler nor immersion was on…then our young sweetheart plumber confirmed it…the old 90s solar panels for the water works! However, you do need the sunshine.

Another pleasure is Kilrush town. I love its wide streets, its small lanes, and its shops. We’ve spent a lot of time in Gleesons and Brew, hardware stores and the giant warehouse of a Tesco where we buy our favourite Syrah wine! And Little Gems has lovely clothes and jewellery. And Vandaleur Gardens is a fab place to walk, meander and while away the hours. I like the Kilrush marina too and the town has nice cafes. Jellyfish, next to Banner Books, has fabulous jellyfish lights and I can recommend its Spanish eggs and potatoes. And the Potter’s Hand has a lovely outside and does a mean spicy Indian soup and excellent toasties. I have yet to try Beag as it’s been closed for a few days.

So, enough beginner’s enthusiasm for the moment. Onward and upward, and may the wind be at your back!