Ex-RN seeking accommodation Truro to St Austell

Hello!

My name is Mick Gillingham, originally from Watford, and, at a fairly fit 75 years, I am a long time exRoyal Navy Chief Petty Officer. On leaving Her Majesty’s Navy in 1988, I spent time in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Oman), then a short lived and wonderful but failed love affair in Germany, before finally returning to UK for good (or “Grew Up” as my sister will tell you!) in 2000.

I worked for Ntl (cable television) before redundancy in 2002, where I took a total career change becoming the Manager at the Flamstead M6 Diesel Truck Stop at the bottom of my street, retiring proper in 2014 - well sort of, because I found a lovely little job making wooden frames for silk screen printing - until an altercation with a bench saw me lose half my left hand middle digit - fortunately it was the top half! I then had what was the best job in the world - delivering flowers for two days a week - It was like being Father Christmas, dishing out joy all year round but without going down any chimney’s! I gave that up to realise a long standing wish to come and live here in Cornwall.

So in March 2021, I happily lived in an annexe in Kilkhampton, but one day I had an Estate Agent just walk in with two prospective buyers to view, and that’s when I was told due to ill health my Landlords were selling up to move to a more mobility friendly bungalow somewhere Guildford way to be near their Daughter while I moved on to a lovely old farmhouse in Creed, near Grampound.

But alas that was out of the frying pan into the fire as my new landlord, an ex Royal Marine called Marcel, had re-kindled his love for an ex-girlfriend now living in Rochester and - yep you guessed it - he moved to Kent to be with Kelly, while I moved to this beautiful location in Caerhays - own bathroom, large bedroom in a grand house, alongside a river, gorgeous garden, workshop and garage - thought I’d died and gone to heaven as I tidied up the workshop and carried out various jobs around the place.

But I cannot stay here forever, and I am now seeking accommodation near friends in and around St Austell.

In Flamstead my abode for the previous 20 years had been a delightful old Almshouse in the village of Flamstead near St Albans - it is also small so I am well used to bedsit type living and with my Royal Navy background, shipshape and Bristol fashion are an embedded part of my make up.

My interests are Wandering around (more of an ambler than rambler!), spot of gardening, can put a shelf or two up if need be, without it falling down the moment someone slams a door, writing, reading (le’ Carre’ to la’ Plant), listening to the radio, a pint or two down the pub, eating out - and chatting!

A non-smoker, I like to think I get on with pretty much anybody, with a jovial and jocular character that makes it easy for me to make friends.
Thank you so much for reading this - Mick Gillingham.