Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 27 March 2022

Lovely day out today. I took a friend on a magical mystery tour of my youth. Started in Chertsey (grammar school), then along the river to Laleham (boarding school from eight to twelve), then to Shepperton (four houses built by my father, one of which we lived in). Then over the river to Walton on Thames where we visited another house I lived in as a child, then the church where I got married. Then a road formed from the grounds of a house where we had a flat - now about twenty houses! Then the final house I lived in, also in Walton on Thames, which has also been demolished and a massive house built on the plot. Then lunch at a pub where I used to work - delicious crab and prawn fish cakes with a pea puree and lots of chips ... my friend had something called a Nourish Dish - raw and roasted vegetables, lentils and falafel. We couldn't resist dessert - chocolate brownie for her and blueberry and apple crumble for me. Then on to Weybridge where I saw a house I lived in when I was married - looks almost exactly the same as when we lived there very many years ago! Then pointed out the church at Oatlands where Julie Andrews was married. Then finally home via Whiteley Village where my mother lived. I can almost see Annette looking on Google Earth and following our route! Although it was meant as a birthday treat for her, I had a wonderful day revisiting my youth - gosh, how things have changed! I think I might sleep well tonight - I'm shattered!

Hope everyone else has had a good day. The weather hasn't been up to much, although we had a brief glimpse of the sun, Forecast to be much colder tomorrow. Think I need to hibernate for a couple of days - if only!!!