HS014
This is not an
account of a “normal day” for me as I had been in Oxford meeting up with
friends and I was travelling home to Hastings on Thurs 12th May.
It's probably too long for a diary entry and too much superfluous information,
but here it is.
Thursday 12th
May (Premier Inn Oxford)
Didn't sleep well last night. Woke early
looked out onto a grey sky over Premier Inn car park in Oxford. At least it's
not raining. Arrived on Monday and it rained hard Tuesday and Wednesday. Going
home today. Am here with seven of my closest friends.
We met partying over 40 years ago in London
when we were young mums. We began a walking group, in fact we have walked
through births, deaths, marriages, divorces and generally putting the world to
rights while covering most of the long
distance paths on the British Isles. Although now we don't all live close to
each other, three in Sussex, two in Kent and three in London, we rely on phone
calls and emails to keep in touch but it's so important for us to meet up
regularly, to walk and talk in equal measures. It's a real tonic to connect
with old friends.
On this particular trip we started as
eight. Jackie only stayed one night. Although she's in her seventies she is
still working part time at a jewellers in Croydon and had to get back to work.
After three days Phyll and Brenda went back to London. Phyll had a hospital
appointment she'd forgotten about…... senior moments are par for the course
now.
Thursday morning after breakfast Sue left
sharpish to collect her husband from respite care, three of us have caring
responsibilities, and Diane and her satnav started back to Eastbourne, that
left three of us Marilyn, Carole and me to make our way back home on public
transport.
Walked round the back streets of Oxford
to the bus station, stopped off at a couple of charity shops and a market and
enjoyed a coffee sitting in the sun. At midday we decided to get the Oxford
tube back to London, except it transpired that Carole and I were not booked
onto the Oxford tube as we thought but with another company instead... oops!
remember I told you about senior moments , so Marilyn travelled home alone.
These buses are so comfortable, chatted over the last few days, ate and dozed.
Realised I'd taken my sketch pad and never opened it.
Arrived in London from Oxford, what a
shock to the system , like a Breugle
painting on speed. Just missed the rush hour thankfully and arrived in
Hastings exhausted after five hours travelling. Bus home. Post on mat mostly
junk mail. Dropped my bag and made a cup of tea and went outside to look at the
sun on the sea and walk round the garden. Heaven. Always good to get home.
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