It was Spring - a lovely Spring - warm and mellow with no east wind blowing and no remembrance of winter remaining. The trees were covered with virgin green and buds appeared everywhere, breaking into life, and song birds filled the air with music.

Two people were looking for a home - my mother and I!

We had keys to several houses and had inspected one or two. My mother had been a widow for five years and had sold her magnificent house and grounds in the country. One of her daughters had married; the other lived abroad as a companion to a Lady in Spain and her sons were spread across the world; three were married and two were travelling afar in Australia.

Her money had been dwindling away and she felt age was settling quickly, so she had to find somewhere where expenses would be low. She had come to London with me, her remaining daughter, who was to be her life’s companion.

We came across a house which seemed the very thing.

A little iron gate with red tiles along a path bought us to the entrance. Over the door was written ‘Braiside’ in gold lettering  

and the front door had red and other coloured glass panels.It was a nice little house - far smaller than anything we had ever occupied - in fact we had never entertained the thought of such a house, but now it appealed to both of us.

The hall was narrow and had rooms front and back which led out into a wonderful little garden secluded by a high fence which was thickly clad in ivy. The house itself was covered with this clinging green, and tiny blue flowers sprang from the earth and early primroses budded along the edge of the path. In the centre of the garden stood a lilac tree surrounded by a tiny lawn and two tubs stood on either side of the back door with rhododendrons just coming to life.

Inside, the rooms were square and covered in good lino, and in the first bedroom there were dressboards on the window ready for short curtains to hang from. It all looked as though it was waiting for the furniture to be brought in - so ready - almost holding out its hands to receive the entire contents and bring it alive.

We decided on the house and headed off to set the procedures in motion.