June brought an easing of lockdown and a chance to catch up with family members – in particular, my grandson, much missed and with noticeably more words! The weather took a bit of a nosedive for his visit, with strong winds blowing in and only brief glimpses of the sun, but we still got out for some local walks.

I was lucky enough to get a 2-hour window of sunshine on the afternoon of my birthday, allowing a socially distanced tea party in the garden with my book group, after a morning when it was cool enough to wear a coat!

I discovered that my favourite garden in the area – Goodnestone Park – had opened, meaning there was chance to see it looking its June best on a sunny day. No tea and cake of course – those with foresight took a picnic.

And I walked again by the sea from Ramsgate to Broadstairs and back, under striking blue skies, and on the local paths around the fields.

By the middle of June, I had my moving date at the end of the month. I’d had an offer accepted on a property the day before lockdown, so had been playing a waiting game ever since. Moving out was rather similar to moving in – the temperature soared and we had the hottest spell that we’d had for some time. I was sad to say goodbye to my country cottage, but excited to move to the seaside – one road back from the seafront (top), yet with peaceful countryside at the end of the road.

Moving felt like a relatively normal, if stressful, event, with exchange and completion just a day apart. I was rather hindered by not being able to have a clear out, with the charity shops closed and tip visits restricted so I’ve had to bring rather more with me than I would have liked. But it is still an abnormal time – most obvious when I’ve needed to venture into a shop, where queueing, restricted numbers and hand-sanitiser are the order of the day. Once more, I wonder what next month will bring – with a bit of luck, my summer holiday: a trip to France for a long weekend.