Sorry for the delay in getting something posted here.... Put it down to the snow and the unexpectedly chilly weather! It seemed that my arrival was timed just right, as it preceded the snow, yet I was greeted by bright sunshine. The flight even arrived a few minutes early at Heathrow, and travelling from the airport to central London was very straighforward by tube, though I was surprised at how many others were making the same journey - we were packed in like sardines!
A red double-decker bus from Kings' Cross then tookalong City Road to Wesley's Chapel, where I was to meet Ruth, a friend from days at The Abbey, whose volunteer shift in the museum was drawing to a close. To ward off the chill of the winter evening, we decided that a steaming bowl of soup would be in order, so we arranged to meet Ruth's daughter, Bryony, in a French bistro in St. Pancras' Station - now transformed into a cosmopolitan shopping destination, since becoming the Eurostar London terminal. Experiencing the aromas and tastes of French cuisine, we could almost imagine ourselves part of the Parisian scene!
Upon arriving in Ely, Cambridgeshire, the place of retirement of Ruth and husband Bern, we were quite surprised to discover everything covered with a dusting of snow - a dusting of snow which, by the morning, had turned into several inches of snow, transforming the green in front of 'Rehoboth' (R& B's house) into a winter wonderland! Plans to drive to Cambridge for some sightseeing went by the board, but the bright winter sunshine drew us oudoors, both for a walk around the neighbourhood to watch the local schoolkids enjoying the rare pleasure of playing in the snow, and to walk into the centre of Ely, to mail the last of Ruth's Christmas cards and to admire the illuminations along the High Street. Even though refreshed by a visit to Starbucks, we were still very happy to have Bern drive by to pick us up... A couple of 'cut-throat' games of nine-tile Scrabble after supper rounded out a very pleasant and relaxing day.
More bright wintry sunshine most of yesterday, which made the cross-country train journey from Ely to Leicester most enjoyable, first across the flat fens - reminiscent of the Canadian prairies on a very small scale - then throgh the undulating fox-hunting terrain of Rutland (smallest county) and Leicestershire, finally arriving only a few minutes late, at Leicester station, where I was met by cousin Gill, able to drive despite on-going issues after her summer knee replacement surgery. We drove to her sisters' home, in the village of Stoughton just outside Leicester, en route passing by the house which had been our grandmother's, where both Gill and I were born - some eighteen months apart. As we gathered around the table at Ann and Judith's, enjoying a 'proper' English tea, we all agreed that Granny Plum would have been very proud to see her four granddaughters carrying on that wonderful tradition!
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