Oh god, bad smells, ugh, you are so right. Every time we viewed this place they either had all the windows open, or it smelled of fish. I naively assumed they cooked a lot of fish. After we moved in it still smelled of fish, to the point where it was embarrassing, with an added over tone of tom cat pee. In desperation I washed every washable surface, and all painted walls down with bleach... but all that did was add a slightly chemical smell to the existing stink.
Eventually, the problem was traced to an innocuous square of carpet in the ambitiously named boot room aka hovel like porch. Apparently that was where the dogs sat to dry off after swimming in god knows what. The cat also, although perhaps not after swimming. I am unsure who to blame for the fleas, but they leapt literally knee high when I ripped up the carpet. Shudder.
Eco how's the tod doing? Any idea what it is/was? I'm hoping she's feeling better.
Plonky council tax, phone, tv licence, most importantly and wine for the new neighbours of the shared driveway fame. You want to keep them sweet for future driveway maintenance reasons 
. It's fun being old and responsible isn't it? Not!
As for us, well we're fine and dandy. I use the term we loosely. DH and the toddle are fine and dandy. Me I'm an old wreck. Went to the chemist for ear drops. Was sent straight to the surgery, where the receptionist took one look at me and found me a cancellation. Exactly how shit do you have to look for that to happen? Very is my guess, which is a tad depressing. i thought I looked ok in a pale and interesting kind of way. Long and short, I have a chest infection and my ear drum is about to burst. Nice. I hope it does so neatly and doesn't ooze everywhere in an unseemly fashion. Didn't someone's toddle have a burst eardrum earlier in the year? I feel they did, but I can't remember... but if so give them some cock cock and a hug from me as it f**king hurts!
So that's my whinge over. As you were everyone