Apologies..

Pam and Peter

(It seems your picture somehow evaporated into thin air, before I could post it.... Sorry!)

A Trip Down Memory Lane...

This past week was a real trip down Memory Lane, as I visited with a number of friends of decidedly long-standing!
My trip started in Reading, where I attended The Abbey School, more than fifty years ago!! I stayed overnight with the Pages - Janey (Beeston) and Mike. Janey not only attended The Abbey, where we overlapped for a number of years, but she spent many more years there, on staff. Mike attended Reading School, where he was in the same year as my brother, Jim.


Janey and Mike


My next overnighter was at the home of Pam (Smith) and Peter Hemment, in Guildford. A few years ago, Pam and Peter came to BC, so were able to visit me in Sidney-by-the-Sea, at that time.
Pam also attended The Abbey, but I knew her before those days. She lived quite near me, on Upper Warren Avenue, and for some time we were part of the same Brownie pack, meeting in Highmoor Hall each week. I remembered that, for a while, I was in the 'Imp' six -" ...quick and quiet as any shrimps"!

Also living in Guildford are Roger and Venetia Howes. Roger attended Reading School, as well, and his sisters, Jackie and Penny , attended The Abbey. Over the years, all members of the families Howes and Wilkie became great friends, often getting together on weekends. Rog and I were remembering some of the punting trips us 'youngsters' enjoyed together and how the punt was often so loaded that we were in danger of being soaked by the wash from any motorboat that didn't slow down sufficiently when passing us...



Roger and Venetia


A relatively short train ride from Guildford brought me to Waterloo Station, in London, where I was scheduled to meet Maggie (Boys) Fletcher under the clock! Everything went according to plan and my next overnighter was spent at the home of Maggie and Philip, in Camberwell. Maggie and Philip visited me, while they were on a trip to BC, in 2003. Maggie's and my years at Portsmouth College of Education (then known as Portsmouth Training College) overlapped, so it was time for me to change gears, from schoolfriends to college friends, to try to recall some of those names eluding us!

Maggie and Philip

It was SO good to be able to spend time with so many 'old' friends, all in such a short space of time...
A HUGE bouquet of thanks to you all, for opening your hearts and homes to me, during my extended travels!

Time to Move On.....

...from Bournemouth.

I have to admit that I'm taking a little poetic licence today, as this shot of the sun rising over the rooftops of Bournemouth was in fact taken at the end of last week! Anyway, you get the idea....

It is now several hours since sunrise and I'm just about to make my way to the train station to start my cross-country journey to Reading, via Southampton and Basingstoke. My seaside sojourn has sped by! I have been able to get together with a number of friends, as well as have the opportunity to explore the area by foot, bike, bus, train and car! I have been blessed with dry weather, some hot sunshine, blustery winds and mild temperatures, so that has been amazing for early October...

I shall be staying tonight with friends in Reading (where I went to school) then tomorrow night in Guildford, on to London and Ely, then criss-cross the country to Cornwall - I think - before returning to Chipping Sodbury. No date set for my return to Canada.

Hope all you Canadians out there had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend; we have SO much for which to be thankful, haven't we? Must say, I missed that turkey dinner - now I'll have to wait until Christmas...or perhaps, American Thanksgiving??! Thanks for all the Thanksgiving greetings, and for those who sent news of your doings, plus comments on mine - I think there is some way comments can be made on the blog page itself, so shall have to look into that....

Biking, Busing - but No Time for the Steam Train!

Another blustery day, but thanks to the trusty 'Townie', I made it from one end of the promenade to the other - and back again ! - in a couple of hours... Although the way looks clear in the picture (note Bournemouth Pier in the background) riding was made decidedly hazardous in places. Quantities of sand had been blown up on to the promenade, forming 'drifts' of varying sizes.... I was glad that a helmet came with the bike, but thankfully I wasn't thrown from my 'steed', even when negotiating some quite significant drifts!





(Still don't have the hang of how to move these pictures around and place them exactly where I'd like them to be. It seems that sometimes 'drag and drop' works, whereas other times it doesn't, so you'll just have to take things as they come!)

When I arrived at the Sandbanks end of the promenade, the kitesurfers were once again out in full - even more of them today it
being Saturday...

After my somewhat energetic couple of hours, battling a pretty strong headwind for half the time, I was ready to sit and let someone else do the work. A ride to Swanage on the open-top bus seemed just the thing, but given the windiness of the day, I was glad that the top deck of the bus had the front part closed in! Our route took us along the cliff-top, above where I had pedalled earlier, bringing me once again to Sandbanks.

Here the bus drove on to the chain ferry, which took us across from Poole Bay.......



.......to Studland Bay.





The bus, with its passengers still aboard, continued on its merry way, through narrow lanes and open heathland....


.....to Swanage....




..where there was just time to nip onto the station platform, where 'Thomas, the Tank Engine'
was all steamed up and ready to take an eager group of steam enthusiasts on a nostalgic ride.
No time for me to join that group, as within moments, I was on another bus, en route for Poole and Bournemouth....




.....via Corfe Castle, plus other picturesque places along the way. All in all, a day well spent!

(A note of thanks to those who have commented and/or sent e-mails. I really appreciate receiving them and hearing all your news, but do apologize for not having replied to them yet. that is definitely on my 'to do' list!)

A Beautiful Day for Exploring - and Another Visit...

Owing to the weather today being decidedly blustery, Plan B had to come into play. Plan A had been to rent a bike and pedal along the waterfront. However, the weather was definitely more suited to windsurfing, kitesurfing or sailing - and these enthusiasts were out in full force! - so my exploring was done on foot. I meandered through the Old Town and along the Quay, soaking in the sunshine, savouring the sea breezes and enjoying the interesting sights along the way.


Here I encounter Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout Movement.


One of several picturesque pubs along the waterfront - Portsmouth Hoy!

More waterfront buildings.

A short bus ride from Poole to Broadstone brought me to the home of Pat, another friend of long-standing. She taught at The Abbey Junior School during my last two years in the senior school. We sat in her lovely sunny conservatory, which overlooks the colourful garden, sipping coffee and tea, and catching up on each other's lives. A very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours!

Some Visits to Remember!

Jackie and I have been friends for 57 years - since we first met at The Abbey!!

Jackie's daughter, Halli, and her two boys : Ptolemy (almost 4) & Inigo (7).


Jackie's son, Christian and ...


... sons Jody (6) & ...


... Jamie (4).

Two Memorable Meals - and Some Very Hot Wheels!!

Taking turns......

....at stirring....

.....the fondue pot - in our Haute Nendaz 'home'!

The fondue - served with lots of salad - was superb!

When we visited the Swiss village of Gruyere, famous for the cheese of the same name,
we picked up the mix from which our fondue was created - and it certainly exceeded our expectations, both for flavour and quantity!
(Stay tuned for pictures of the village of Gruyeres itself....)

Lunch yesterday in a wonderful New Forest location,


....with college friend, Jane, and our PE tutor, Zelda, also exceeded expectations....

but nothing left to show, except the smiles on our faces.......

Then, it was on to Zelda's HOT WHEELS........

First, open up the roof....

.......then, enjoy the October sunshine!

(Of course I couldn't resist the invitation to see how it felt to be in the driver's seat!!!)