21st May 2020

2009 was a really difficult year, losing Jasper and then Garfield. They were our kids, my boys. We had had them since they were a couple of months old, from a rescue centre. There had been a mother cat and 6 kittens, they were the only 2 who survived. We had already chosen a cat (Felix) from the centre and I had seen the 2 brothers when I went to pick him up. They were so cute and had had such a sad start to life I just couldn’t resist them! So Hales and me discussed it and even though we hadn’t wanted or planned on more cats we took them!

Back to Cyprus 2009. I think the only way i got through losing the boys was that I was still working hard, Hales support and having Cookie as well. I knew Hales was not happy where we were so I had started cautiously looking around to see what other rental properties were about. I was out working one day doing my pools and I was at a pool and the customer was there on holiday. We obviously got talking and he asked me if I knew any good property management companies as he was thinking of renting his villa out for a few years as he knew he wouldn’t be able to visit it much with having other commitments.

I had obviously been cleaning his pool for a couple of years as it was one of the pools I had bought with the business, so I was quite friendly with him and his family. It was one of my favourite pools and his villa was one that I classed as a dream villa. Basically something I would have only dreamed about having to live in and very likely way way out of my price range to rent!

We got talking and I mentioned to him that we were looking for a new place to rent, and that I was pretty confident that Hales would love the place. So he asked me how much I was hoping to pay monthly to rent his place, and to my absolute surprise he said he would be happy with the amount I had said! So we both agreed to discuss it with our wives. I’m fairly sure that when Hales saw the place, even before she had lookedvround it due had said yes straight away! It was the sort of place I would have never dreamed of living in my life! So we sat down with the owners, agreed on the rental arrangements and on a date for us to move in!