I also walked around the house snapping photos of the exterior, the grounds and surrounding area. The house is brick exterior with a tile roof. We don’t normally see tiled roofs in the U.S. and especially not thatch as I saw in wide use as I traveled.
The tile I was told lasts longer than the shingles we use in the states and I suppose it’s true as the material will probably stand up to abuse for a longer period. It had a small back yard which was easy to maintain so I went to the local hardware (their version of Home Depot) and purchased an electric lawn mower. I had not up to this point used an electric mower and it was the only option at the local store.
I was in the section inspecting the mowers and got the impression they were somewhat of a toy due to size. I asked the clerk if these things actually cut a lawn very well and she gave me this quizzical look. Of course, why would you ask was her reply. Well, this isn’t something you normally see in the states, everything is run by gas.
I suppose there are electric mowers, I’ve just never seen one. She finally convinced me it would be fine so I purchased it and proceeded back to the house. Turns out it did a great job and the trimmings went in a container specifically for yard waste as well. The Brits are much more into recycling that we are in America and I had a container for trash, yard waste, bottles and there was even a place down the street for large and toxic type waste.