andysworld!

Once upon a time, all great stories start this way, and this one is no different.

Many years ago, Andy & Lindsey bought a house in a small hamlet called Meltonby, located just on the outskirts of the bustling city life, where the pace of life slowed down, and nature had a way of becoming a more prominent feature of everyday living.

We had asked the sellers the usual questions you ask when buying a house — Is it a quiet place? Does it snow in the winter? And do you get snowed in?
The sellers assured us, “Oh, it’s quiet here, and it never snows, and we never get snowed in.”

We exchanged contracts and got the keys in July 2006. But the property needed a bit of work: maintenance, decorating, damp-proofing, and some urgent fixes. Oh, and the Fish House had to move in — a story all on its own!

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While carefully relocating tanks, checking filters, and making sure the fish were happily acclimatised to their new surroundings, I heard music drifting in the summer air. Parallel Worlds — the kind of tune that stops you in your tracks. At first, I thought someone had a great playlist on.

Then I noticed… it wasn’t being played.
It was being rehearsed.

I recognised the song straight away — it was by a band called Elliot Minor, who had supported McFly on tour in 2006. It was surreal, hearing that familiar melody not through speakers, but live, right there in the heart of Meltonby. The kind of unexpected discovery that made you feel like you’d moved into the middle of something quietly extraordinary.

I asked my neighbour about it, and all he could say was, “I think Tim’s kids are in a band!”

A few years later, Tim popped by to ask me to deal with some honey bee swarms that kept turning up at his property, and all became clear!

And a few years ago, I finally met Dan & Ed of Elliot Minor fame due to another swarm call. We spoke of the old days of Elliot Minor in the 20s, and they showed me the original drumkit lying dormant with cobwebs in the “barn.”

I asked them, “Would you ever reform?”
They replied, “NEVER!”

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Fast forward to 2025, and to my surprise, Elliot Minor have released new music — “HOW DOES IT FEEL” — on a 7-inch limited edition vinyl, and announced a 5-night tour called “Once In a Decade”.

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And as for the snow? Well, it does snow in Meltonby, and yes, we do get snowed in from time to time! That first winter, we had to walk 3 miles to the nearest town just to get supplies. It was an adventure of sorts — one that gave us a true sense of isolation and beauty in the winter months, even though it wasn’t quite what the sellers had promised!

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And as for quiet? Well, not when Elliot Minor are back! Their rehearsals and music are anything but subtle, and Meltonby suddenly became the least quiet place we had ever imagined — but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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So what other hidden mysteries did the sellers not tell us?
The answer, it seems, is that you never quite know what surprises await when you step into a new chapter of life. Whether it’s hidden musical talents, unexpected snowstorms, or the constant buzz of a new adventure, life in Meltonby has been full of them.

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