It’s eight weeks now. I’m in London and carrying with me a photograph of my beautiful Manjula.
We don’t have access to Mysore Market and it’s wonderful selection of beautiful fragrant flowers.
Manjula did however love receiving roses and the local Sainsbury’s has obliged.
Manjula is, of course, in my thoughts, every single minute but I also especially remember her by placing her photo somewhere prominent and displaying flowers on the monthly anniversary of that Saturday morning when she died.
Madam English, as she’s known hereabouts is back from her BIG trip. We travelled the length and breadth of the country, for over six weeks, fitted VERY important family events in, had a reunion camp, got muddy in Wiltshire, met lots of Mysore Bed and Breakfast guests, spent a fortune and had a rare old time!
Thank you to the lovely people we know and love for making this such a super trip.
Presents (limited, of course, to sensible cost and numbers), include: spinners (mad craze in the west), nail varnish (highly sought after western quality), shiny things, and various other odds and sods are being distributed as I write. A really big hit for the guy who runs the veg shop (hi!) is Gordons Gin, from duty free. He’s paid for it (we’re not made of money, although many think, I am) and he’s ecstatic about the flavour, its clearly a notch above the local gin.
Well what a trip it was……
We’ve covered the North, South, East and West, wet old things in Yorkshire,
Dorset, Teesside, Tyneside, even Lancashire (there’s long-standing issues between Yorkshire and Lancashire), Derbyshire, Wiltshire, my son’s wedding to Alice,
sorry wrong photo (I’ll deservedly get into a lot of trouble for that!)
Madam English now knows why we Brits go on some much about the weather, we’ve had it all. She now knows about being prepared for it to change in a nano second, carrying endless clothing variations, layering and Hot Water Bottles when camping.
She’s so English, she has learned how to complain (Indians, generally not being big complainers and just tend to get on with it, really?) but still manages to have a great time.
we thank everyone… so much… for making this such a wonderful experience.
We’ve lost count of how many of our old and new friends, including so many Bed and Breakfast guests we’ve seen, met in London, visited their homes, bumped into at the music festival, its been superb…. and did we mention all the meals we’ve eaten….
all our photos (these and many more) are at the usual place at flickr
So what does Madam English think about the place?
How did Lucy manage with Eric?
Lipsmackin, thirst quenchin travel …..
…..in a plane, train, open top buses, flash rental car, over and underground, Thames boat trip, friend’s cars, chain ferry, tram, narrow boat, taxi,
and a three week road trip to see the sights of England and Wales, London.
Of which… There’s just too many sights to mention….
passing through Chesterfield, Dronfield, Huddersfield, Sheffield, cities that haven’t been fields for a very long time,
Hereford’s black and white houses from hundreds of years back, countryside of Dorset, Oxfordshire, Warwick, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Wiltshire, Wye Valley, Avon, Bath, steam fair carousel, Kingsclere, Hebden Bridge, ancient standing stones at Avebury and Stonehenge, the white horse, seaside at Swanage and Pool…. phew… no wonder I’m short of breath
burning up the roads or alternatively, gently chugging along whilst at times laboriously stepping up and down the canal,
…… glamping and camping, music festival, hills and dales, breathing in the history, basking in the sun, (amazingly, with very little rain Manjula reckons she brought the good weather), bee hives, art installations, museums, pubs, restaurants, restaurants and pubs, shops, shops, shops, markets, High Tea, Mummies,
so much walking Manj complains of aching legs, cycling (only one of us doing that) visiting old and new friends and family, restaurants, shops, political dialogue, (yes BREXIT was discussed and UKAOs)
’rounding’ as Manjula would call it and its a good job I took Gina’s advice ‘not to overdo it’ on reflection it was helluva lot.. who knows what’s racing around in Manjula’s brain 😉
meeting and staying with BnB guests, on sofas, beds, futon, air beds, camping, absorbing difference, chatting, shopping, eating out, appreciating it’s clean and green and above all and what really matters is ….
… meeting and sharing our time with wonderful, kind, patient, caring people.
As Manjula would often stop and exclaim…. Wow!
Thank you to you all for making this a special life time experience for Manjula.
The Grand Finale
It’s been a blissful mix of fun over five weeks. Well that’s my take on it anyway…
(Manjula’s perspective might become clearer after she’s settled back at home. I look forward to it! 😉 )
…. The last weekend was no exception, with time spent with Poppy (yes Ben and Alice did trust us to look after my granddaughter all on our own), dinner with Emma at Ben’s restaurant (carefully arranged so that he wasn’t actually working there …. doh!) 
and then on what was a our last public day a sunday ‘open house’ at our friend Angus and Gina’s in Brixton. 
If you weren’t there, we’re sorry to have missed you. It was a great event.
Manjula prepares for the final few days with a serious threading at some shop or other….
and we go down Oxford Street to meet Indian (yes, more Keralans’ sending money back home) and have one last double decker bus ride to take in the key attractions: Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square… you name it, we’ve done it.
Saturday was reserved for bonding with the ‘pop’ (aka Poppy the granddaughter). we went to the park, swung on swings, bathed in the paddling pool and made friends.
I was also called upon to do other duties!
and the grand finale: ‘open house’ at Angus and Gina’s in Brixton to say our fond farewells to friends old and new, family and …. guests from that ..
.. Bed and Breakfast.
at the event, we realised that Gina, Frances, Laura and me (Stephen) first met at University exactly 40 years ago!! blimey! 😉
How is that possible?
All this activity just allowed for one more day for a build up of sadness, a last meal with Angus, Gina and Frances to pack and prepare for the big trip, back home.
So that’s Manjula’s first BIG Trip out of India, we’re now back in Mysore and while Manjula gets to grips with what jet-lag is and I wonder
what’s next?
well I don’t know about you but I’m keen for her to share her insights from what she’s seen, heard and experienced and maybe then we can start thinking about a few more adventures.
London is such a cultured place!
our great friend Brian and his wife Leverney travelled down from Yorkshire for the day to treat us to High Tea at the British Museum followed by a look at the Exhibition: Krishna in the Garden of Assam (and in passing: one or two mummies taken into protective custody by the British Establishment)
The exhibition is well worth a visit and of course there is much much more to see at this wonderful institution.
As Brian and Leverney are two of the very few people I’ve actually met who voted for BREXIT we just had to cover politics over a couple of pints of beer. The conversation about the UKAOS (as I’ve started calling it) to leave the EU was illuminating. More later.
Manjula often teases me with reference to Krishna and the Gopi girls, so I was in for a little bit more today. It sort of relates to the fact I have one or two exes (three of which remain really good friends and Manjula has met during this trip)
The very next day another friend Victoria (no not an ex) treated us to a visit to Kew
this included the hive, which we’d heard about from Stephen, the bee man and cyclist, and regular visitor to Mysore Bed and Breakfast, check out his article
you’ll find him popping up all over the place.
so yet another collection of lovely memories for Manj
I wake alongside a babbling brook. It’s early and I can hear the trickling of the stream alongside my head. I quickly orientate myself. We must be camping although surely that’s planned for a few weeks later at the WOMAD festival.
It’s Poppy!
we’re staying at my eldest son and his partner Alice’s, who are my granddaughters mum and dad and therefore personal assistants.
Poppy has brought her potty to the living room alongside the futon (I.e. close to the floor) just to the side of my head to have her early morning pee 😉
So that’s me up, empty the potty, wash it out, welcome to Poppy’s world.
manjula manages to sneak a couple of extra hours sleep, her legs are aching after all the walking…..
by now Poppy is an animal! 😉
Manjula first impression of the UK……
its all about Shopping
and eating out…..
well it didn’t take long to find our first Indians at the corner shop near to Gina’s where we’re staying. Manjula can’t believe how many shops there are and seemingly constantly busy and she wonders does anyone eat at home?
Me and MYCycle 