Happiness
Had a wonderful weekend up in Peterborough last weekend, to give ourselves a break from life and it's problems here.
Once again we only took one suitcase, although it was a larger one this time - Keris' fault for wanting us to take "Cat Attack". Ipswich to London was no hassle, nor was Kings Cross now that we know our way around. I love GNER trains. They are the most clean, the most comfortable, the best air conditioned and smoothest running that I've been on. And that from a confirmed Virgin devotee. The 45 minutes to Peterborough flew by and then we got a taxi out to the Premier Travel Inn at Hampton. If you ever want a place to stay in the area, they are good. Nice Brewer's Fayre restaurant next door. Friday night we settled in (which includes running extension leads round half the room for my CPAP machine), had a good 3-course meal in the restaurant and then striped off to our underclothes and lay on our beds reading. Yes, I laid and read a book. For a couple of hours. And it wasn't a Chalet School one either. I missed my friend Steve who I talk to daily normally, but coped with it.
We had our own breakfasts with us so set the alarm for 10am on Saturday, a rare treat for both of us to lay in at the same time. Did the morning things and packed the rucksacks for the day out. Ten minutes walk (at our speed) behind the PTI is Serpentine Green, a large shopping mall which has a Tesco Extra. We braved it to buy supplies of water and Lucozade Hydro for the room. So much easier than lugging it all with us. Got a taxi from there via the PTI to the City Centre and the Cathedral. And what a Cathedral! Long, high and enormously wide. Picked up details of services the next day and tramped all the way round the building. Would have loved to have spent more time in there, but feet were beginning to complain. Maybe if we go again I'll do a section a day or something. Visited the Cathedral shop and bought two bears for my aunt, one is a monk and one has a Cathedral t-shirt on. Found some good fridge magnets too. Ate in the litte cafe next door which used to be a chapel in the Cathedral Close. Nice fresh pressed apple juice. Did a bit more shopping for things we'd left behind then called a taxi to go out to Wherrington. BettaCars are a good firm, should you ever need one.
Lots of people were already assembled at The Mill House when we arrived which was a bit daunting, but our hosts were really pleased to see us again so soon. (Did I tell you about going up for the FFM gig? If I didn't and you want to know, ask and I'll do a back post.) We produced the said "Cat Attack" and had a fun game out on the grass. Some people managed to get round the board - some of us barely got out of our gardens. It was good to mix with people I'm usually too scared to approach. Was good to be mixing with folk when we are going to be so far away when we move. I'm thinking of purchasing a plot on a campsite so that people can come and visit us. Anyway, we stayed until after dark and everyone else had gone before venturing back to the PTI with Keris. He knew where it was - just didn't know where we were at one point. :) (I love my brother). Still, meant we got more time to spend together. Finished book number 1 that night.
Got woken up early by a brat upstairs running and jumping in it's bedroom. Parents were chasing it at one point, I think. Fumed for a while and then read. Breakfast was so late we didn't need lunch. Went back to the Cathedral for Choral Evensong. Cathedral choir was on holiday so the music was sung by an octet. I sat in the seat reserved for the Canon XVI. I doubt they have that many these days. The responses were by Rose and the Anthem was by Standford. Wonderful music reaching high into the roof and echoing back again. Stirred my soul enough to make me want to cry. I don't get enough music in my life. Would love to go back when the Cathedral Choir is there. I'm a purist, I've decided. I only really approve of all male voices in Cathedrals. I support the move to have girl choirs, but they're not right for me. Glorious time in the true sense of the word. Came back down to earth finding a taxi and returned to the PTI and thence to dinner. Had an Hawiain Prawn Cocktail, usual but with pineapple. Prawns and pineapple is good. Cucumber and pineapple is good. Steak with stilton and peppercorn sauce was good. Deserts they were low on because of the lunch-time crowd. Donna could only have fruit salad because she is on no wheat at the moment. Oh dear. They had offically run out of fruit salad and the things the team leader was suggesting instead. I forced myself to be light and gay about her suggestions. Eventually the manager got involved and he pinched some of the fruit salad that was destined for breakfast the next morning. Nice guy.
Monday got up, did our usual pack-it-straight-after-you-use-it routine and walked back to the Tescos to find lunch for the train. Found chicken pieces, coleslaw for Donna, pasta salad for me and some Free From muffins for Donna. Walked back, picked up the luggage (well, not literally in the case of the case) and checked out. Nice journey back with plenty of time to get across London so no need to feel rushed. Got home, Donna went to bed and I rushed to the computer. End of story.
Well not quite end of story. Yesterday I couldn't settle to a thing I was so tired and washed out. Today I'm doing things with renewed vigour and purpose. (And trying not to cry at the memory of it all.) I think it was a good idea to go.
Once again we only took one suitcase, although it was a larger one this time - Keris' fault for wanting us to take "Cat Attack". Ipswich to London was no hassle, nor was Kings Cross now that we know our way around. I love GNER trains. They are the most clean, the most comfortable, the best air conditioned and smoothest running that I've been on. And that from a confirmed Virgin devotee. The 45 minutes to Peterborough flew by and then we got a taxi out to the Premier Travel Inn at Hampton. If you ever want a place to stay in the area, they are good. Nice Brewer's Fayre restaurant next door. Friday night we settled in (which includes running extension leads round half the room for my CPAP machine), had a good 3-course meal in the restaurant and then striped off to our underclothes and lay on our beds reading. Yes, I laid and read a book. For a couple of hours. And it wasn't a Chalet School one either. I missed my friend Steve who I talk to daily normally, but coped with it.
We had our own breakfasts with us so set the alarm for 10am on Saturday, a rare treat for both of us to lay in at the same time. Did the morning things and packed the rucksacks for the day out. Ten minutes walk (at our speed) behind the PTI is Serpentine Green, a large shopping mall which has a Tesco Extra. We braved it to buy supplies of water and Lucozade Hydro for the room. So much easier than lugging it all with us. Got a taxi from there via the PTI to the City Centre and the Cathedral. And what a Cathedral! Long, high and enormously wide. Picked up details of services the next day and tramped all the way round the building. Would have loved to have spent more time in there, but feet were beginning to complain. Maybe if we go again I'll do a section a day or something. Visited the Cathedral shop and bought two bears for my aunt, one is a monk and one has a Cathedral t-shirt on. Found some good fridge magnets too. Ate in the litte cafe next door which used to be a chapel in the Cathedral Close. Nice fresh pressed apple juice. Did a bit more shopping for things we'd left behind then called a taxi to go out to Wherrington. BettaCars are a good firm, should you ever need one.
Lots of people were already assembled at The Mill House when we arrived which was a bit daunting, but our hosts were really pleased to see us again so soon. (Did I tell you about going up for the FFM gig? If I didn't and you want to know, ask and I'll do a back post.) We produced the said "Cat Attack" and had a fun game out on the grass. Some people managed to get round the board - some of us barely got out of our gardens. It was good to mix with people I'm usually too scared to approach. Was good to be mixing with folk when we are going to be so far away when we move. I'm thinking of purchasing a plot on a campsite so that people can come and visit us. Anyway, we stayed until after dark and everyone else had gone before venturing back to the PTI with Keris. He knew where it was - just didn't know where we were at one point. :) (I love my brother). Still, meant we got more time to spend together. Finished book number 1 that night.
Got woken up early by a brat upstairs running and jumping in it's bedroom. Parents were chasing it at one point, I think. Fumed for a while and then read. Breakfast was so late we didn't need lunch. Went back to the Cathedral for Choral Evensong. Cathedral choir was on holiday so the music was sung by an octet. I sat in the seat reserved for the Canon XVI. I doubt they have that many these days. The responses were by Rose and the Anthem was by Standford. Wonderful music reaching high into the roof and echoing back again. Stirred my soul enough to make me want to cry. I don't get enough music in my life. Would love to go back when the Cathedral Choir is there. I'm a purist, I've decided. I only really approve of all male voices in Cathedrals. I support the move to have girl choirs, but they're not right for me. Glorious time in the true sense of the word. Came back down to earth finding a taxi and returned to the PTI and thence to dinner. Had an Hawiain Prawn Cocktail, usual but with pineapple. Prawns and pineapple is good. Cucumber and pineapple is good. Steak with stilton and peppercorn sauce was good. Deserts they were low on because of the lunch-time crowd. Donna could only have fruit salad because she is on no wheat at the moment. Oh dear. They had offically run out of fruit salad and the things the team leader was suggesting instead. I forced myself to be light and gay about her suggestions. Eventually the manager got involved and he pinched some of the fruit salad that was destined for breakfast the next morning. Nice guy.
Monday got up, did our usual pack-it-straight-after-you-use-it routine and walked back to the Tescos to find lunch for the train. Found chicken pieces, coleslaw for Donna, pasta salad for me and some Free From muffins for Donna. Walked back, picked up the luggage (well, not literally in the case of the case) and checked out. Nice journey back with plenty of time to get across London so no need to feel rushed. Got home, Donna went to bed and I rushed to the computer. End of story.
Well not quite end of story. Yesterday I couldn't settle to a thing I was so tired and washed out. Today I'm doing things with renewed vigour and purpose. (And trying not to cry at the memory of it all.) I think it was a good idea to go.