‘A new home gave me a new lease of life’
Felicity Blades, 58, lives in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, with her husband, Nick, 61. They have three grown-up children.
‘Watching my grandchildren playing in the fields outside, I gaze out of our big picture window and sigh with contentment. It’s hard to believe Nick and I have been living here for under a year. Our new beginning was thoroughly unexpected but has been the making of our family.
We’d lived in our Cotswolds town house for 25 years and raised our children, Hollye, now 33, Jack, 30, and Bryony, 22, there, celebrating birthdays, exam results, jobs and everything else.
But, in 2013, my world changed when my mum was killed in a car accident. Suddenly, my contented, happy life collapsed and I woke each day in tears. A place that had once seemed so happy was now filled with heartache.
I’d never contemplated moving before; Nick and I had earned a good living running cafes and renovating houses, and with an abundance of friends and my mother nearby, we’d been part of the community. But with Mum gone, Jack in Australia, Bryony at university and Hollye in Bristol, a mum-of-two herself, it felt as though there was nothing to keep us there.
At first, Nick was reluctant. He adored the area. But he could see how much I was struggling. We agreed that if we were going to make a change, we needed something different.
Our Cotswolds home had a tiny garden and was overlooked by other houses. This time we wanted something large, with character and land. I didn’t think we’d ever find what we were looking for but, after searching online, I found the perfect house in minutes; a barn conversion 40 miles from Bristol, surrounded by fields. I caught a glimmer of excitement in Nick’s eyes, so I phoned the agent and arranged to see it the next day. The moment we stepped inside we knew it was right.
All the tension I had been carrying melted away, and walking from room to room, Nick and I felt our enthusiasm grow. It needed a lot of work, but Nick and I were no strangers to renovating houses and by the end of our viewing we made an offer, which was accepted.
As we packed up and said goodbye to our old house in November 2016, I had tears in my eyes. But I didn’t have second thoughts. Our family was tied up in the house and always would be, but it was time to make new memories.
Our home now has a huge garden and fields, so we can enjoy nature, and our dog, Archie, loves it. Plus I get to see the grandchildren whenever I want.
The kids were supportive, as were the friends we left behind. In fact, we now see pals even more! What were once kitchen suppers have become weekend feasts filled with laughter.
It’s been the change we needed, and I’ve had the opportunity to grieve for Mum. I never expected happiness to come after such tragedy but I’m living proof.’
‘I never expected happiness after such tragedy’