Unexpected events and old familiar places

Unexpected events and old familiar places

Sometimes a week turns out very different from expected… last week was such a week!  Following the news that Martha was not well enough to go to nursery (just as Tim returned to work) I found myself last Tuesday on an early train heading down the east coast, enjoying, as always, the sights of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Lindisfarne, Durham… all in glorious sunshine.

I had great fun with Martha that day and the next…

…then on Wednesday evening found myself smitten with the same vomiting bug which had kept her from nursery… so nurse became patient as I collapsed into bed at Tim and Hannah’s for 36 hours!  (Just rousing myself sufficiently for 90 minutes on Thursday to take part in a scheduled telephone Conference Call – although I am not sure that I contributed much and think I may have nodded off at one point… thankful it wasn’t a video link!)

Andrew joined me in Yorkshire on Thursday evening and on Saturday we continued south to fulfill an invitation to join in the celebrations for the tenth anniversary of Broadway Methodist Church, opened in 2008 when Andrew was minister in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent. The visit began with Andrew opening the Christmas Fayre on Saturday morning – great to see folk again (and pit our wits against our failing memories to recapture as many names as possible) and, of course, even better to see new folk involved too!

Since we left in 2010 the grounds have been developed into a lovely peaceful memorial garden, which I enjoyed.

We found some bargains at the Fayre – and some more in the afternoon at the pottery factory shops for which Stoke is famous!  Then, at the end of a long day and after a delicious meal with friends in the evening (my first for several days!) we retired to bed… and Andrew began to feel unwell…

…he is clearly made of sterner stuff than me and somehow (mind over matter!) managed to preach the next morning – with me leading parts of the service.  A special time.

Then 250 miles back north, me driving, Andrew sleeping and both hoping that we hadn’t left too many germs behind…  we may not be invited back!                                                                  Jill