ABOUT US, AND THE SERVICES WE CAN PROVIDE.

WE HAVE BEEN RESIDENT IN THE VILLAGE NOW FOR 2 YEARS, THERE IS IAN, LESLEYANNE AND OUR DAUGHTER MELISA. WE DECIDED TO MOVE TO BULGARIA AFTER OUR HOUSE IN THE UK WAS BOUGHT BY THE LOCAL COUNCIL BY COMPULSORY PURCHASE AS IT WAS IN A REGENERATION AREA, THE ANNOYING THING ABOUT THIS WAS THAT WE HAD JUST SPENT THE PREVIOUS 3 YEARS RENOVATING IT, IT WAS A 5 STOREY VICTORIAN TERRACED HOUSE WITH 16 ROOMS, IT WAS LOSING OUR HOME THAT GAVE US THE IMPETUS TO MOVE ABROAD, SOMETHING WE HAD CONSIDERED BUT DIDNT EXPECT TO HAPPEN SO SOON.

WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST HOUSE HERE WITH THE AIM OF BUILDING A NEW ONE NEARER VARNA ON LAND WE HAD PURCHASED, HOWEVER THE VILLAGE QUICKLY EDGED ITS WAY INTO OUR LIVES, AND AS WE HAVE MANY FRIENDS HERE DECIDED TO STAY HERE. ALTHOUGH THE HOUSE WE BOUGHT HERE IN BULGARIA WAS LARGE BY BULGARIAN STANDARDS IT WASNT BIG ENOUGH SO WE DECIDED TO EXTEND. IN BULGARIA PROVIDING YOU HAVE THE BUILDINGS ON YOUR SKITSA (HOUSE PLAN) YOU CAN BUILD WITHOUT PLANNING PERMISSION ALTHOUGH THIS MAY BE CHANGING WITH SOME NEW LAWS BEING BROUGHT ABOUT SINCE THEIR ENTRY INTO THE EU.

THIS IS HOW THE HOUSE WE BOUGHT INITIALLY LOOKED. EVEN THOUGH WE KNEW IT NEEDED AN AWFUL LOT DOING TO IT, AS THE PREVIOUS OWNERS HADNT BOTHERED TO GIVE IT ANY TLC, (IN FACT ANYONE WHO KNOWS US WILL ALSO KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD IN THAT AREA, AND THEY ARE STILL ONGOING - I NEVER THOUGHT AN ENGLISH PERSON WOULD DO SO MANY BAD THINGS TO PEOPLE AND THINK THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT - YOU MIGHT THINK YOU COULD HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE LOCALS BUT NOT ONE OF YOUR OWN)

THE FIRST JOB WAS TO ADD A NEW LOUNGE AND KITCHEN EXTENSION, WHICH WE DID VERY QUICKLY, ADDING 60 SQ METRES ONTO THE BACK.

THIS IS WHEN I FOUND I HAD TO LEARN BULGARIAN VERY QUICKLY, AS NO ONE IN THE VILLAGE SPEAKS ANY ENGLISH, BUT I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR US ARE VERY LOYAL AND VERY HARDWORKING PEOPLE AND ARE PREPARED TO LEARN NEW WAYS OF DOING THINGS TO THAT WHICH THEY ARE USED TO.

THIS WAS THE BACK EXTENSION WHEN FINISHED, OUR NEXT PROJECT WAS THE BUILDING OF AN UPSTAIRS BEDROOM FOR MELISA, WE DECIDED TO DO AWAY WITH THE UPSTAIRS SITTING OUT AREA GIVING US THE SPACE TO ADD A NEW LARGER BEDROOOM.

FROM THE ABOVE PICTURE TO THE RIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE AREA USED AS A UPSTAIRS PATIO, WE DID NOT NEED OR USE THIS, SO DECIDED TO BUILD ANOTHER ROOM, AS SOMETIMES WE HAD MORE PEOPLE NEEDING ACCOMMODATING THAN WE HAD APPARTMENT SPACE AND IF ITS JUST A SINGLE PERSON WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THEM IN THE HOUSE.

AS THE BASE WAS ALREADY THERE, IT WAS EASY TO BUILD THE EXTRA ROOM, NO FOOTINGS OR ANYTHING REQUIRED.

DIDNT TURN OUT TOO BAD!! YOU CAN'T SEE THE JOIN. (lol)

THANK YOU EVERYONE

THE DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF THE VILLAGE PLAYSCHOOL WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE ENGLISH COMMUNITY IN THE VILLAGE, FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS WHICH HAVE ENABLED THE PURCHASE OF NEW TOYS FOR THE CHILDREN AND SAND FOR THE SANDPIT.