A few weeks ago, one of the national newspapers ran an article on the cheapest and most expensive properties in the country. I was pretty sure that my old flat in Washington could be seen in one of the pictures (of the cheapest property in the UK), but the angle was strange and I couldn’t be certain.

There’s now a similar feature, restricted to the North. And my old flat’s definitely in the picture (the one at the top, on the left).

I still shiver when I recall my bedroom (the overhang, above the walkway). The lack of insulation, and the fact that the room was suspended in the (cold) air, meant that it was always freezing. Still, it was a nice place to cool off in the summer after a bike ride (which inevitably included carrying the bike up four flights of stairs when the lift was out of order).

The flats are really cheap, but there’s an horrendous monthly service charge. I was pretty happy in that flat though, and I do miss my uncomplicated time there.