Asbestos

There is no asbestos in our current house. We know this because we have, at great expense, employed a contractor to come and test it for us. We also know this because the house is less than 20 years old, and whatever you may think about the 1980s, no one was using asbestos as a building material then. The fact that we have had to go through this expensive rigmarole is, of course, indicative of the housebuying process in England which is one of many things we will not be sorry to leave behind us.

By contrast, we have in the last week, tied up the deal to buy our house in Canada with hardly a problem - the house inspection took a couple of days to reach us for various reasons, and thanks to having to read it in an airport lounge, I can't guarantee that I gave it quite as much attention as I ought to have, but fortunately there are two of us paying attention to it, and everything has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. We have also, during the process, become friends with the people selling us the house - at least, that's how it feels - and I can't help thinking that this is a much better way of doing business.

Although the strange custom of not ncluding tax in things is beginning to grate - we still don't know exactly how much we are paying for this house because it is not at all clear whether we have to pay tax on top of the agreed price, and if so, how much.

All will become clear.

The cats are also sorted out, although I can't make the name of the company transporting them stick in my head, with the unfortunate side effect that I am convinced they are flying with 80s poodle-rock band Air Supply.

And I cracked, and booked us into the Fairmont hotel at Vancouver Airport for our first night in Canada, because I think we'll probably need a little pampering by then.

More, sporadically, as I get it