Now that my two weeks stay in England is nearly over, it is
time for Blog number 2. I have had a good time relaxing, mostly in Ashstead
with Janice Schultz, galavanting around visiting friends and family, site-seeing
and planning the finer details of my trip. It was a good idea to stay put for a
while after the exhaustion of packing away my life at home into boxes and spare
cupboards!
Here are some highlights:
AN EMBARRASSING MOMENT … We left Johannesburg late, because
some toilets were blocked. After two hours waiting on the tarmac, they were
still blocked, so the pilot decided to leave anyway! We arrived late which wasn’t
a problem – other than that we had been on the plane for nearly 13 hours. I took
the coach to Victoria Station and that was also a long trip. When we stopped, I
collected my luggage from the hold under the bus and then realised that I had
left my laptop on the bus! When I managed to get back in, I found it was gone!
SO… I ran into the building shouting that someone had stolen my laptop – really
shouting! As I kept running, I became aware of something bumping my hip…yes, my
laptop! I must have shrunk to the size of a hobbit and I turned and fled
outside – to find my suitcases abandoned on the tarmac, but luckily still
there!
THE BIG WALK …. This was scheduled for the first Friday I was
in the UK. Fortunately, my friends persuaded me that it would have been very
foolhardy to walk 50 kms at the start of such a big trip. I am very proud of
Rosie Davies, the girl with whom I boarded in 2003, who made it, BUT the sight
of her poor foot convinced me that I made the right decision. I’ll attach a pic
of her poor foot! I am going to give the money I raised to CHOC in East London
and I sincerely hope that my donors understand.
SOME LOVELY SITE-SEEING …. I spent some time in the
wonderful British Museum…getting ready for Greece and Egypt… always fascinating
and I haven’t been there since 2003. Janice and I spent some time admiring the
World War One exhibition in the Imperial War Museum – also wonderfully full of
information and detail and so well displayed. Yesterday, we spent the day at
Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn. What a beautiful castle and what
spectacular grounds. In addition, it was a special ‘40s weekend and many
visitors had dressed the part! They were even offering ‘40s dance lessons.
CATCHING UP WITH “OLD” FRIENDS
It has been great spending time with Janice Schultz and she
has kindly let me use her dining room table as my “office”! we are looking
forward to a lovely trip to Egypt in November – a dream we have shared for over
30 years! Watch us barge down the Nile! I also spent time with Gill and Rosie
Davies, back in my old room in Pyrford, Surrey – I stayed with them when I taught
here in 2003. I travelled to Buxted to visit Trish Lavine, one of my best
friends from school and university and we had a good catch-up and a lovely walk
in the countryside. I took the coach to Bath to visit another special friend,
also from the start of high school in 1971, Grace Cooper, and her husband,
Howard. I stayed with them in their daughter and son-in-law’s Grade 2 listed
coach-house conversion. I could just imagine Darcy (I wish!) coming along the
road on his steed! We spent some time in beautiful Bath and went into the abbey
too. It was great to catch up with Jackie Tuson, originally from Harare , and
Zili Ziqubu, originally from Pietermaritzburg – both teaching friends at Woking
High. It is amazing how some friendships truly do stand the test of time.
CATCHING UP WITH FAMILY … I spent a lovely day in Brighton
catching up with my sister, Maria, just back from Riyadh, and her children,
Patrick and Angela. Brighton is so pretty and we had a good time wandering
through the lanes, eating good vegetarian food and walking on the pier! That is
until a greedy seagull dive-bombed my head, stole the flake out of my ice cream
cone and pushed my face into my ice cream! Patrick had his camera out to
capture my shock! I'll try to get the pic from Whatsapp. No – I wasn’t eating with my face, as my daughters like to
say!
WHAT NEXT?... Now I have to re-pack neatly and tomorrow
morning I shall go to Heathrow airport and fly to Madrid via Brussels where I shall
spend the night and await the arrival of my friend, Jenny Gillanders, so we can
continue to Seville and spend five days in Spain followed by five days in the
south of France. It is going to be exciting and challenging….especially finding
our accommodation, which has mostly been booked through airbnb, a site I highly
recommend. So, I shall sign off and continue from Spain. Viva l’Espagna!
Thanks for reading my blog and to so many of
you who, I know, are praying for our safety and peace.
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