Friends

For the last week our time has been filled with happy chatting and catch-ups with friends. We started off in Worcester where B&D now live. We hadn't seen them for over 14 years so there was much to talk about. B has always been a wonderful role model for generous hospitality and organized cooking and we enjoyed our time with them very much. We attended their current church with them on Sunday morning - it was like old times!

Our next stop was in the wilds of Devon where L&K now live since retiring. Their daughter and ours were at school together many years ago and it was lovely to see all three of them so relaxed and enjoying country life. They live in a beautiful, spacious home with extensive views and have embraced their new life whole-heartedly.

We spent time with them walking along the coast and revelling in the stunning views and marvelling how well the mountain goats cling to the hill sides.

With many thanks and fond farewells we were off again, mostly on motorways ... M5, M4 and M25.

We avoided the M11 by stopping off for a break and cup of tea with P and it was great to see him. He and S now spend 6 months of each year in Australia but a little too far away from Melbourne for catching up.

V was at the window awaiting our arrival and lovingly welcomed us. She too has retired since we last saw her and looks years younger. Staying with her brought back many memories of shared times and as we walked down Maze Green Road that evening, I felt I was stepping further back in time with every footfall.

We met up with many dear friends who pleaded with us to stay longer ... hopefully next time (?). We parted feeling overwhelmed by the warmth of the loving welcome we had received.

Our next stop was with our dear friend G. We have seen him several times over recent years and always feel so much at home as he too welcomes us generously.

We set off one day with G to walk along part of the beautiful north Norfolk coast. It was bleak and windy - perfect weather for walking then lunching at the old pub in the village (formally an old smugglers' inn). The area is a bird sanctuary, so wild and unspoilt with gorgeous rays of sunlight streaming through the grey cloud cover.


Other than walking, this would be my preferred method of arriving at the old inn and obviously the owners agree!

Later that night discussions were held as to our next move. We cancelled our time in Shropshire (basically too many volunteers for the weekend) and decided to stay in the Peak District as G and John were going to walk the hills - then cancelled because of the weather forecast; then our next choice was a craft course in the Brecon Beacons for me while John spent time in the book shops of Hay-on-Wye - that too was cancelled because too many pulled out of the course and it couldn't run; finally we settled upon Norfolk, have booked a cottage and we are to leave kind G in a few hours but have since heard of the forecast there - snow and ice showers from the Arctic and North Pole. If we can't get through we'll turn back to spend further time with G.

We're having a marvellous holiday but finding our days are passing quickly now.

Thanks for the e-mails we've received, we do appreciate them.