Lesson 1 – never drive to and from Tut Narth unless it's strictly necessary. Which it sort of was this time as we couldn't plan which time train we would get, once H had had his 3 monthly blood tests (and a very overdue one-weekend-home-off-the-boat haircut!)
So it was a joyous 6 hours up and 6.5 hours back in our car, which still smells rather mingingly of white spirit from a recent mishap – good job the people at the other end make it more than worth it!
Hence I had 2 nights with the lovely David & Mandy on the outskirts of Harrogate, catching up, over-eating as ever, stroking Macey and even sitting out in some unexpected sunshine playing Uno with a couple of G&Ts and some fast-disappearing bowls of nuts. Mr H triumphant this time.
H stayed on for night 3 and I headed off to see Sarah Hutton at her new Yorkshire pad an hour away in Terrington. Really great to have some proper time to see her huge house and gardens, replete with fruit trees, a giant pond, a summer house and even a couple of hennies in a hen house. And more importantly to be able to chat for aaaages, such a treat.
We wandered off to check out the nearby sheep field as a farmer neighbour was away and had asked Sarah to make sure no sheep were stuck the fence or having a problem. Otto the lab was remarkably good not chasing them, instead ferreting out various pheasants hiding in the long grass on the way. Sarah below – 'holding' her house. Neil was fab, ferrying out pots of tea & biscuits and knocking out a rousing breakfast (partly care of the hens, nice) on Monday morning.
Even had the chance to meet Libbi, darling daughter number 2, who had decided on a whim to go to Thailand for 2 months, throwing Sarah & Neil into a few days of tailspin as they helped her to prepare for her first big trip abroad, on her tod. Luckily it meant she could take a photo of dinner before her departure!
A v nice weekend despite the hours on grey motorways – here's to Libbi's fab time in Thailand, exactly as I enjoyed at her age about 100 years ago… x