The Week St Mary's Methodist coffee morning was brilliant. We passed the chapel/hall on the way into the village, in the rain after the closed pub, and It wasn't until Ish worked out it was actually Thursday that we decided to go back to check it out - result. Another cycling touring couple, Scots & Dutch, travelling from Harwich to Lands End were already there, lots of discussion of routes, places camping vs B&B. They met in a kibbutz in Israel after university, and went back to live in Holland, 30 years ago. But the gems were the locals - mostly old folk, apparently something else on this week or there would have been more. One younger guy, born in Reading, moved to the village from Gloucester 15 years ago, after a breakdown - a great story, involving a gardening business, Morrisons and now an EBay dealer, having quit his job after an interview with the company psych in which he was advised to change his life! Do what you can while you can... He was welcomed and supported by the village, and loved it. Another lady came from Muswell Hill, having married a Cornishman met while staying with an aunt in the Land Army, moved back later - her son born in Cornwall now proud to be Cornish! The Zimmer frame lady had just moved a few weeks ago to the village, sheltered housing, from somewhere near. All so friendly and welcoming. All those lives...
The Canadians met in Mousehole - keen cyclists in Canada and the U.S., extolling the virtues of NA cycle trips. They were in England for the first time, for three weeks and keen to know of other places they should visit. Incredibly, bumped into them in St Ives the following day, where he leapt out in front of me and Bill demanding our papers, just as we were descending a hill on a blind hairpin bend, and stopped in the middle of the road! Bonkers, but well-meant.
No comments:
Post a Comment