This is an amazing story of an incredible woman. May Savidge owned a house in Hertfordshire but when there was a compulsory purchase order issued against it for a new development, she fought it. Eventually she had to give in so decided to buy a piece of land in Norfolk, dismantle the house and rebuild it in the new location.

You wouldn't believe that this was possible but it really happened.

May Savidge was nearing retirement when the compulsory purchase order was issued. She spent a few years fighting it, but when she finally conceded defeat, the rest of her life was spent rebuilding the house in Wells-next-the-Sea.

This account of the events and May's life was orginally published in 2009. It is written by May's niece by marriage, Christine Adams, and writer Michael McMahon.

It's a compelling read not just for the story of the house which is extraordinary in itself, but also in the details of May's life. 

She was a hoarder and though her diaries and letters provided fabulous material for the two writers documenting her story, she also retained every ticket stub, every receipt, every shopping list, every sweet wrapper. She didn't throw anything away. Sounds fascinating for anyone seeking to explore social history through past decades, but not so great if you inherited the house and had to work your way through her belongings, deciding what to keep and what to throw away.

This is a fantastic story where each revelation is more astonishing than the last. What an amazing woman - though her niece was pretty special too. I will undoubtedly read this again. Incredible.