After much huffing and groans and a much needed extra pair of hands from my neighbour we finally plunged the piano into the front room.

And so there it stands. Black and beautiful. Glorious in its simplicity. Homey with its imperfection. I like it.

It was yesterday afternoon we trundled to Southend in Bertie the campervan to collect our musical instrument. We, being, Rob's dad Trevor, Rob himself and me. And as we pushed and heaved the old piano out onto the street I wondered if I was mad. Or at least on the road to madness. Since my Stroke I've done some odd things. But I won't dwell on that because it scares me. Will I one day run naked along the Ashingdon road? Or worse still, eat fried eggs willy nilly? Hey lets just hope that day never comes.We arrived at the shop and had a run in with a twit in an illegally parked white saloon. The sneer we got as we stopped alongside him was a cracker. 
"We need to stop here" I shouted out the window. This is a loading bay. And we are loading a piano real soon"
He begrudgingly inched away and we parked nicely.



Anyway the three of us rattled the piano out of the shop and steered it across a very busy road into the loading bay area where old Bertie with doors open wide awaited his latest passenger.
Oh Lord it was a so and so getting it inside. Luckily Rob is a gadget guy and produced a homemade ramp type thing. All we had to do was lift the piano onto the ramp and gently push it in.
After a lots of sweat had drizzled down our faces we drove the piano home. Getting it out of the campervan needed another pair of man hands so I asked the man who lives opposite if he could help.
He did so glady asking in between huffs and puffs how I was getting on since my near death Stroke.
"Yeah I'm ok thanks, Sorry can't remember your name"
He laughed and continued humping.

The piano now stands along the wall by the door opposite the bay window. Last night I frightened the cat by tickling the ivories with an awful offering of "Rock of Ages".
I feel this  latest find from a charity shop will prove to be great and beneficial.

Although I do not envisage evening recitals more afternoon annoyances...