WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES...

The day in question is tuesday the 12th january.

This day started as a normal day,(apart from Matthew was off school poorly). The events that occurred are going to be hard to talk about butI feel need to be said to help us recover ,move forward and get on with our lives.

Around 10.15 am we had a power cut or so we thought , but having become aware of crackling noises in my craft room ceiling we knew something was very wrong. On inspection upstairs it became very clear from the smoke that our home was on fire.

I have been trained to work in emergency situations but this was different, this was personal.

After calling 999 the smoke very quickly became unbearable and we had only moments to save anything precious, of course Matthew was my top priority and I literally threw him out still with his slippers on !

It seemed like forever till the engines came but I'm sure time was moving differently for us as we just stood helpless and watched our family's home burn.

I have only great things to say about the emergency services and all 3 attended the scene although the police and ambulance were not needed,thank God.

We saw 3 changes in crews as the day wore on as they fought to extinguish the blaze and then remove all burnt and damaged timbers and belongings. It is quite surreal to see your belongings burnt and charred and heaped in a big pile on your front lawn.

By now the news was spreading and we made the local radio and the city paper.

We are so lucky to have my parents nearby and without their love, support and letting us move in with them, I don't know what we would have done without them.

The fire ravaged 5 rooms including ours and my daughters bedrooms , my craft room and the loft but the smoke and then the water have increased this damage further.

My craft room and bathroom.

In the days that followed I would like to thank our friends for all their help with packing and moving what remained, I couldn't have done it with out them physically or mentally as just re-entering our house brought on waves of nausea that were difficult to control.

Now 3 weeks on , we are settling in a rented house as we will be here for quite some time.

I can't deny that I relive our experience when I least expect it , but we have to move forward and go back to the every day , school , homework, laundry...

I will document our journey here but will continue to blog the everyday too