Homeward Bound to Blighty

 Losing Rosie Lee so unexpectedly had thrown me into a slump, I missed her dreadfully, and I suspect Tricksie Treat did, in her way, too. We would both sat together on the sofa, and drew comfort form the warmth of each other's bodies as we contemplated quietly together. So I was totally unprepared for my next 'life shock', losing my job of 22 years. Mike had begun the 'meeting' talking of the new direction the company was taking, and it gradually dawned on me that I wasn't going to be part of this. He didn't tell me directly, I had to actually ask if he was letting me go. He preferred to say it was a mutual agreement, but that was obviously not working for me. He told me that, I had helped build the company, was part of the fabric, was a family member, and loved, yet I couldn't be part of the tribe any longer. I later found out that a much younger member, who had strong marketing skills, but no screen printing artistic skills, was joining the team, so the guy I'd hired to help in the art department, was effectively taking my place. 

To add another punch to the gut, I had booked a trip to England, and was now going there, with no idea if it would be my last trip for many years, or if I'd see my mother ever again, or if I could actually really afford to go. Of course I had to go, but it wasn't with my usual joy and excitement. So, I'd had 2 of my 3 strikes of bad luck, and was very apprehensive of when the third would hammer home. I didn't have long to wait. The flight to England was uneventful, but gladly quicker than previous flights, only 6 hours and 38 minutes. I picked up my Nissan Juke, and immediately made for Maidstone, where I'd be meeting my bestie, Sally. We hugged and hugged, then walked about town, catching up over coffee, then we both drove to where my Vrbo room was. It had begun pouring with rain, but as this is expected in England, it didn't cause any anxiety. But trying to get into the room did. There was supposed to be parking and an access code to the house. In short, I spent over 2 hours with Vrbo customer service, gained access to a filthy bedroom and bathroom, which had not been cleaned, and am still fighting for my money back. Sally, had brilliantly booked another hotel room for me for the 3 days I was in Maidstone, while I was on the phone with Vrbo, so I had somewhere to go. I took many photos before we drove to the new hotel room, but had no time for a shower before meeting friends at the pub. This Vrbo would be my 3rd strike of bad luck, I wanted no more. Never use vrbo.com. They are horrendous.

We had a superb evening, catching up on each other's news, laughing over memories, and just relaxing. I think this was the first time I'd let go in weeks. I posted a photo of us on Facebook, and was immediately sent one back from some of the crew at The Tavern, who had started early and were 5 hours behind us. I so wished both of the groups could meet.

We left the pub, and it was still raining heavily. yet Sally and I were starving, and managed to find a kebab shop open. We had always had kebabs in our biker days after a night at The London Tavern, and I think this one was the first in nearly 40 years. I was ready for bed, and extremely grateful that Sally had driven. She dropped me off, and would return the next morning, when we'd have breakfast with Cathy and Phil at The Beefeater, very conveniently attached to my hotel.

This was a great start to the day, the breakfast was amazing. A breakfast made to order, with the mushrooms tasting as though they'd been picked that morning. It was so lovely to spend some time with Cathy and Phil, such old friends, but really, I view them as family. But as usual, my time in Maidstone is always a whirlwind, and so, after breakfast, it was over to see a different Phil, from my early Post Office career days, who had moved into a new flat. I presented him with some U.S. fig rolls, which are his favorite biscuits. I haven't heard back about those, but expect they fell way short of the English version, or he would have raved about them. So sad I didn't get a photo of him, but we had a lovely time chatting and laughing, admiring his new residence, and quaffing stellar cups of tea, which came from Morrisons teabags, a few boxes of which were purchased days later. We even met his sister for the first time; all these years, and we never knew he had one!

And then it was back over to the other side of town, where we met Ginny and Ali at a pub, but chose to drink coffee, as we were all still feeling the effects from the previous night. But the coffee was amazing, as was the time spent with these wonderful ladies. We came up with a term for our afternoon conversation, Sex, Drugs, and Sausage Rolls, which sent us off into fits of giggles again. I'm sure we had the most fun of everyone in the pub that day.

I had read online that the British coins, when the backs were arranged, made the Royal Arms, link here.

so we all emptied our purses, rummaging through our collective coins until we found all that made up the shield.  Then it was goodbyes again, sad ones, since I didn't know when I'd next be able to return, but if I'm able to find a job and keep my home, then they will be coming over, as well as Mike and Jennie from the night before. They have all invited me to stay with them too, the next time I'm able to come over.

Sally and I then went for a spin in the countryside. Sally was amazing for the few days I was in Maidstone, refusing to let me do any driving, and to be honest, I was extremely grateful. I haven't had one good night's sleep since losing my job, and am constantly tired, so having a break from driving was very welcome. We cruised around country lanes, past village greens, old pubs we used to frequent, and stopped when we saw a country store lit up. Amazed that one was still open on a Sunday evening, we rushed inside, to be greeted with a counter, stocked with piles of homemade pies, sandwiches and cakes. With watering mouths, we walked up and down, before making our choices. I chose a steak and Stilton pie, and a prawn mayonnaise sandwich for later. Sally stocked up with goodies to take home, and then we popped into the pub next door for a quick drink, before she dropped me off at the hotel for the night. Pure exhaustion gave me a great night's sleep, a relief to be unconscious for a solid 6 hours.