Have you ever fancied a large couch in your entrance hall?

Today was moving day. We had concerns about 2 items, the American Fridge/Freezer - could we move it, and the large, no, huge 3 seater leather settee, would it fit in the house?

We were up early, excited to be able to finally go and fetch the van and start loading it up. On the way, Neil got an attack of the giggles - just thinking about this settee sitting on the outside patio because we wouldn't be able to get it into the house.

On the way back, Neil drove the van and following on behind - I got an attack of the giggles. Never mind 'would it fit in the house' - I wasn't even sure it would fit on the van!

We were grateful to see the faces of our friends arrive soon after we returned home with the van and the first item to be loaded was the settee.

And it went in! Stage 1 complete.

Next the big fridge/freezer was emptied and moved and success, it too went in - good omens so far.

We packed more furniture in until the van was full and closed the door. Over the weekend we expect to make about 4 trips, but today was all the big heavy stuff, the stuff we needed help with, the stuff we were grateful for the help from our friends.

An hour later we were up at the house and all the stuff was off the van except those 2 items.

First we unloaded the fridge - it came off easier than expected and we wheeled it in through the front door. Once in the entrance hall we spun it through 90 degrees to wheel it through the lounge door and onto the kitchen. It didn't go through. 'Back it up', they cried and we all pulled it back into the hallway and looked. The handles were stopping it from going through. 'Try it with the doors opened,' so once more we all pushed and pulled and it just fit through, onwards to the kitchen which has double doors and it gently slipped into the space by the window which had been left purposefully for it.

One down, one to go.

Finally, the settee was loaded off the van. The puzzling started - how to get it through the main door - it was too high and too wide. A bit of tilting,twisting, bit more lowering and pushing and it went through - just. We turned it through 90 degrees ready for the lounge door and that's where it stuck.

'Take the feet off' came the cry and I duly obliged.

Still stuck.

'Take the door off' was the next suggestion and very soon the door was off it's hinges and against my newly painted wall.

Still stuck.

We all put the settee down while we thought about options. The cushions don't remove, the arms don't remove. We have no patio doors and all the windows have reja bars concreted into the walls. We only have one door in and the entrance hall is not large enough for us to leave the settee there.

They day was becoming a problem.

The next cry made me shudder -'pass me the large hacksaw'