So, the phone rings and my Mum asks "random I know but do you want to come on a coach trip?"
There is something about going on a coach trip that makes me feel like a child again. Memories of School trips and long car journeys. Singing silly songs and playing 'yellow car' which remains to this day and to my children's amusement the only game I get really competitive about.
So sweets and drinks for the journey packed and we arrive in Greenford at 8.15 to pick up the coach.
My sister Jo is so ridiculously excited that she arrived at Marylebone for her train over half an hour early....the shops weren't even open!
The trip has been organised by North Greenford Residents Association and is to the Vale of Evesham - For an Asparagus experience! Not somewhere I had ever thought I'd be going and if you gave me a map and a couple of days I probably still couldn't tell you where it is other than in the Cotswolds where we went to the beautiful Barnsley House Spa a few years ago.
But hey, a day out with my Mum and Sister is never to be missed and I know in advance that I am in for a day of much giggling which is always good for the soul.
I had it all planned to make a break for the back seat of the bus to take up my old School day residency as Queen Bee, the best place to hold court with my friends, pull faces and blow kisses to the drivers behind and make general mischief. Unfortunately we had been allocated seats already so I had to remind myself that I am actually 45yrs not 14yrs! As it is it is 50 Shades of Grey and I may as well have been 14yrs old as Jo and I were the youngest on the coach by far.
The itinerary is to drive to the country park to meet our guide for the day and then on to the Fleece Inn which was built in 1400, became a public House in 1848 and stayed in the Byrd family until 1977 when it was left to the National Trust. We were given a talk by the owner about its colourful history, complete with ghost stories and the like. The fireplace has 3 white witch circles to stop evil spirits from entering but the pub is haunted by the last owner who likes to move things about.
Then on to the market town of Evesham for lunch where we got something from a lovely bakery and went and found a beautiful little sun trap down by the river Avon. We walked back to the coach eating a punnet of the sweetest English strawberries. Heaven in a punnet. Simple pleasures are sometimes the best.
But hey, a day out with my Mum and Sister is never to be missed and I know in advance that I am in for a day of much giggling which is always good for the soul.
I had it all planned to make a break for the back seat of the bus to take up my old School day residency as Queen Bee, the best place to hold court with my friends, pull faces and blow kisses to the drivers behind and make general mischief. Unfortunately we had been allocated seats already so I had to remind myself that I am actually 45yrs not 14yrs! As it is it is 50 Shades of Grey and I may as well have been 14yrs old as Jo and I were the youngest on the coach by far.
The itinerary is to drive to the country park to meet our guide for the day and then on to the Fleece Inn which was built in 1400, became a public House in 1848 and stayed in the Byrd family until 1977 when it was left to the National Trust. We were given a talk by the owner about its colourful history, complete with ghost stories and the like. The fireplace has 3 white witch circles to stop evil spirits from entering but the pub is haunted by the last owner who likes to move things about.
Then on to the market town of Evesham for lunch where we got something from a lovely bakery and went and found a beautiful little sun trap down by the river Avon. We walked back to the coach eating a punnet of the sweetest English strawberries. Heaven in a punnet. Simple pleasures are sometimes the best.
We then enjoyed a short tour of the Vale villages before arriving at Revels Asparagus Farm where we stood in a field and had a short talk from the Farmer and bought goodies, green and purple asparagus amongst other things to take home. There was supposed to be a cookery demonstration but it had been canceled much to our disappointment. We then stopped off at Evesham Country Park and Garden Centre again to drop the guide back before setting home.
The people sat behind us were a constant source of entertainment and had obviously been hit hard with a stupid stick. They got louder and stupider as the day rolled on mainly because for them it was one long pub crawl. Some of the stuff they were coming out with was comedy gold but I suspect you would have to have been there. Jo and I only had to look at each other to be in fits, tears rolling.
The weather was glorious all day and with the sun streaming through the window we both had a 45 min snooze.
The best part of the trip though was just spending time with my sister on the coach. We chatted and laughed and sometimes sat quiet. It is lovely to be with someone who you are such a part of that the silences are as comfortable as the laughter. She is my best friend.
She is very naughty though when she points to the man next to me and says "look at his hairy ears!" which made me snort!
She reminded me of the time we were on a coach up to Durham as teens visiting family and for some reason weren't sitting next to each other. She decided to launch a ham roll up the bus for me to catch....there was a problem right there as I am inherently clumsy but she threw it like a girl anyway and hit someone on the back of the head with it. We have coach trip form!
The best thing is tomorrow I get to do it all over again but by train not coach when I go to her house in Primrose Hill for the High St fair with friends and family. I am blessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment