A busy moving weekend.

March 15, 2026 SFLeave a comment

Thank you to the two teams who moved the furniture and plants this weekend.

We also mustn’t forget the weeks of shifting that led up to this.

Thanks guys, sterling work.

It’s sixteen years, this is the place I’ve lived the longest in my 69 years.

Manjula and I created a wonderful home that we were proud to share with thousands of guests from around the world.

I’ll share more memories (there’s hundreds on this blog) but for now here’s our move from Siddarthanagar to Vijayanagar, a thirty minute journey from one side of Mysore to the other.

Today we shifted our potted plants, yesterday it was furniture.

Our great friend Sally

March 12, 2026 SFLeave a comment

Visited years ago and since then see each year in U.K. and Mysore

Great story

Well done Sally.

What a team.

February 22, 2026February 22, 2026 SFLeave a comment

No not this one …. (See footnote for notes about the photo) …

I mean … today’s team.

For the third Sunday in a row … Naveen, Deepak, Akram, Farak, Sowbaghya, and the team leader: Florian have been shifting parcels and furniture to the new house.

Thanks to our great team we’re getting ready take over the new house by the end of March

Foot factoid

But what about that photograph from the early 90s?

This is part of our team when Jill and I managed Disability Services in Kirklees in Yorkshire, in the early 90s.

It’s an example of our fearless coordinators.

There’s more here.

They came to work in shorts to do the can-can, suggesting that I was pushing rules to the limit by wearing my shorts to work. Great that they were confident to take the piss out of their boss.

We did work on creating an inclusive culture.

We’re in between…

February 20, 2026 SFLeave a comment

This place and the other.

Almost complete bareness vying with the rooms we’ll preserve for a few more weeks.

So what next?

February 15, 2026 SFLeave a comment

We’re about to move into a new house.

It’s been a challenge at times with over ten years grieving after Manjula’s diagnosis.

But first MAnjula and our team has continued to do good

Welcoming guests to our home, helping them to love India in their own sweet way

Supporting young people through …

Sponsoring Kaveri and Naveen’s education

Creating innovative events with NGOs and schools within our community for nearly 200 young people

Gifting bicycles, almost 50 since we got engaged

Regular reflective space meetings at mysore BnB for individuals and groups of young people

So what next?

We’re moving house and will relaunch (rooms will continue to be available later in the year). Do check http://www.manjulasmysore.in

We’ve committed to supporting Naveen through college and will offer work at the BnB

Our immediate priority will be to sell the art ( ( MAnjula was right, I collected too much) and the money will go towards our next goals in supporting young people (and maybe some more elders.)

Watch this space ..

Kaveri has now skated for three years.

February 15, 2026 SFLeave a comment

More for sale

February 14, 2026 SFLeave a comment

First move.

February 8, 2026 SFLeave a comment

Into the new house.

Shifting Manjula’s library to our new house. The team were fab.

Manjula loved the joke

After acknowledging a job well done —— we realised the light switch was trapped behind the shelves.

Celebrating later at home.

Factoid

We opened Manjula’s library after her spirit left for its search.

She’d joked that my constantly bringing books home would lead to her setting up the house as a library when I stop guiding tours at age 75.

So as we never reached there together I set it up in her memory

And now it’s the first bit to establish itself at the new house.

Today : cycle tour, dogs, hanging out

February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 SFLeave a comment

After getting up at 4am to try and sort out the new house agreement, I had fun with the Brits (Charles and Rosie) on a cycle tour, hung out with Luka and Gingee in the drive, and Satish kindly rode my Enfield to be fixed.

I’m beginning to wonder if the first bike accident (a twit coming towards me on the wrong side of the road and round a corner on the ring road! ) — was exacerbated by my tiredness from lack of sleep.

That’s why I was — this and most mornings — awake before four.

The dogs need more contact time and to learn how to behave outside their yard. So we’re bonding and I’m watching carefully (occasionally bossing them) so they don’t chew everything in reach.