Starting Out

We've hardly had time to stop and take a breath since we got here. We had a great flight, slept well and arrived fresh on Thursday morning. Maureen and John had us at the Campervan shop before lunch. There was a big choice, none perfect of course, but in the end we based our decision on the simplicity of setting up the bed. I'm sure that it will take on great importance as the trip progresses. Some of the campervans were quite smart looking but the beds were awful. Ours is a bit of an ugly duckling but the bed is great! We went back on Friday , paid for it , and collected it on Saturday and set off to Henley for John Holmes' birthday party.(David used to flat with John and was his best man many years ago) All this campervan stuff was interspersed with walks down to the Hastings seafront, munching on whelks (refused the jellied eels)and drinks in the local pubs. Steven (David's nephew)his wife, Shona and their son Sam were staying with Maureen also so it was a houseful and lots of eating and drinking of wine.
The weather has been brilliant (until today), so the picnic at Henley was lovely. Very English, including a trip on the river on an umpire's boat. A meal in Henley that night and then back to the Holmes's at Speen, near High Wycombe. Up early in the morning for a walk around the local countryside. Again brilliant weather, so David could be hard to drag away at the end of this sojourn. Enjoyed a very British afternoon tea party in slightly dodgy weather(thank goodness) with all the Holmes's local friends.
Next morning set off south again to meet up with Pauline Cremer, an old friend of Auntie June's who provided a 'home away from home' for the Beale girls during our OE's in England. We had a great lunch at a pub in the Ashdown Forest and a good catchup on all the gossip, which Pauline is very good at. Spent the evening with Feralyn and Jonathon, David's niece and their brood of young children. Simon, David's nephew was there also. Good to catch up and see how the children are growing.
A quiet day at Hastings today, the weather is truly English now. Lousy! But we have been happy to spend the day raiding Maureen's house to fit out the campervan. Off to London tomorrow to see Rozy Winstone(Le Couteur).
The big event tonight is that Katie is arriving back from Italy where she has been with a schoolfriend. It is the first time we have seen her since January. it sems that her phone has run out, so we have no idea when she is getting here, but we are very excited.