He's leaving home, bye, bye

Last weekend, after nearly 35 years of living with Mrs PBT's and I, son Matthew finally moved out of the family home. He'd been hinting and threatening to do so for a while, but last Saturday the big move began in earnest, leaving Eileen and I to experience being "empty nesters" for the first time. It hasn't quite sunk in yet, especially as he's been making regular car journeys back to Tonbridge, in order to pick up more of his clothes, and personal effects, but whilst it still seems a bit strange, I'm sure the pair of us will get used to it. 

Eileen in particular is enjoying not having to wait until almost 7pm, before serving up our evening meal, because with a 5.45pm lock-up of the hardware shop that Matthew manages, followed by a 45 minute drive back from East Grinstead, it was getting om for 7pm, before we were sitting down to eat. My commute, is a mere 15 minutes drive, and then that's only for three days a week. Matthew hasn't gone far, as he's only moved to nearby Southborough. It's not the posh part that he's gone to, and by that I mean the area bordering the common, instead he's relocated to a mixed residential area of the town, close to neighbouring High Brooms. He's moved in with Charlotte, his girlfriend of the past couple of years, so it's not as if he's suddenly jumped into it this relocation.

She's a nice girl, sensible and level headed, and with space in her rented flat for young Mr Bailey, I think the move will be good for the pair of them. It will certainly be good for Matthew, as it couldn't have been that much fun for him, shacked up with his aging "P's". Whilst he virtually had his own "wing" on the first floor of our house, with a reasonable sized bedroom, plus an en-suite bathroom, it was more than a little cramped at times. So whilst, obviously missing him - to a point, flying the nest will undoubtably do him good, and it will do the same for Mrs PBT's and I as well, especially after 35  years of us all living under the same roof. We shall see how things pan out, but the move will allow his mother and I both time and space to continue the clear out of our own junk, as well as his - a task I alluded to in the previous post. 

That's it, for the time being, apart from saying we've a family wedding to attend at the weekend. As is sometimes the way with weddings, this isn't an occasion that Eileen and I are looking forward to. Ask me why, the next time you see me and I might tell you the reason, but then again, I might not! I'm sure there will be other updates and further developments, as we go along, but for now it's high time that I signed off.