This week has been pretty rubbish for our neighbours. On Monday, their house caught fire.

The whole place is gone. There will be lots of rebuilding necessary. Right now they’re in a hotel which insurance will cover for 20 days, giving them an allowance of around £10 a day for food.

They don’t have much money. Their bank cards have been melted in the fire.

They don’t have any clothes. They are all fire damaged.

Their daughter doesn’t have any toys. They were all destroyed too.

It took the fire service an hour to put the fire out, and that’s it. Everything gone. They only had the things they were stood in – and the lady of the house didn’t even have shoes on initially.

Seeing someone’s possessions, home, disappear like that – it’s a big shock.

But people are trying to help every way they can. We have a GoFundMe set up which is giving them much needed cash to be able to do things. They can’t get to the bank as they’re having to sort out things in the house.

People have given clothes. They’re amazing people. Some still had tags on.

People have given toys and books. A friend locally works for a large toy company and has lots of new toys for the three year old daughter.

People have such amazingly big hearts, and it makes me so happy we can do something, as I feel so helpless with their situation. Working together something is coming together.

But it has made me think. Losing everything is something you never think will happen to you, but I’ve watched it happen to a friend and neighbour. I thought you’d just be able to pick up the jewellery and cards and be okay, but it’s the last thing you think about. Photos? Who can carry pages full of albums? You just want to be safe, it’s just things.

So yes, things have been busy here helping our friends and blogging has taken a back seat. But I’ll be catching up as best I can over the next week or two. If anyone can recommend a book which helps explain a house fire and loss to a three year old, please say.