We have come to day seven of Hazel's holiday and tonight she goes back home. I can't lie, I am feeling quite sad because we have known each other for such a long time and our friendship is easy. I think I was about 21 when I met her that fateful night in Princes Street in Yeovil - that would have been 1981 and I had graduated from college and was working at Westland Aircraft and living in a flat in Yeovil with Gail Meecham. As it was the 80s Hazel appeared on a visit from London wearing a pink and purple ra-ra skirt and I thought she was soooooo cool. We cannot remember exactly how or when we became good friends but shortly afterwards when she was on holiday from teaching in London she would come and live with me rather than stay with her parents who lived nearby. 30 odd years and a million stories later here we are, still friends, still laughing about the same stupid stuff although now we find it that little bit harder to remember dates and places and names!
We had a rather lazy start to the day after our late night last night - it had been perfect - with great food and great company and the village at its very best - we really could not have asked for anything more. After an early morning swim we got ourselves organised for a walk into the village to pick up Kenny and to have coffee with Melanie and Simon and the girls. It was bright and breezy - quite pleasant but also quite unusual for this time of year - the weather really has been quite unsettled this week although it hasn't stopped us doing anything and had it been much warmer Hazel would not have been able to have stood sitting out in it - she will at least go home with a decent tan. Anyway, I digress, we three walked into the village. What looks to be Big Foots foal from last year is in the field next to the Scrimshankers. Although its water container had been kicked over it looks reasonably healthy and it is moved daily so it has fresh grazing and when the boys come to move him/her they bring fresh water.
It is a pleasant walk through the village although I confess to having a baggy head - I blame the sultry evenings and the zivania that we necked courtesy of Philippos last night! Hazel says she thinks that the village seems tidier and that there are more houses being done up than when she was here before and she may well be right as I think her last visit coincided with the Crisis which affected so many people here. There is the additional buggerance factor of the strange inheritance laws here which means that many of the seemingly abandoned properties are in fact owned by loads of family members which make it difficult for properties to be sold as anyone with a claim on the property has to agree.
We had a lovely hour or so with Simon, Melanie and the girls, Jasmine and Frances. The girls are delightful and so very different - little miss Frances (on the left) is going to be a force to be reckoned with as she gets older, she is sparky and super bright and beautiful and her sister Jasmine is also a cutie but seems more stoic and sensitive. They will go far as they have two super parents who want the very best for them both. Simon is due to be doing a one hundred kilometer run on the Roseland Pensinsula in Cornwall in memory of his dad in a couple of weeks time - it will take him through Portholland and past the memorial bench which will now have on display the plaque in memory of my father which will be in good company as it also remembers various family members including my grandad Ernle John Treguuna and my Gran Alberta Tregunna, my brother in law Richard Thomas. Unfortunately Simon has hurt his foot so he is uncertain as to whether he will be able to complete the run but we know that if he can he will and we wish him the best of luck.
After a very quiet day at home it was time for Hazel to pack up and go and we had arranged to call in and see Mum before going to the airport - Hazel was well impressed with the bungalow and it was nice for her to have a final chat with Mum before leaving. We got to the airport just before all the tourist buses so Hazel was able to check in straight away - after that her trip home went downhill as the flight was delayed and her prebooked and paid for seat double booked so she was asked to move. She arrived back in Bristol much later than anticipated.
The house seems strange without her - it is all a bit quiet but hopefully we will be together again soon.
We had a rather lazy start to the day after our late night last night - it had been perfect - with great food and great company and the village at its very best - we really could not have asked for anything more. After an early morning swim we got ourselves organised for a walk into the village to pick up Kenny and to have coffee with Melanie and Simon and the girls. It was bright and breezy - quite pleasant but also quite unusual for this time of year - the weather really has been quite unsettled this week although it hasn't stopped us doing anything and had it been much warmer Hazel would not have been able to have stood sitting out in it - she will at least go home with a decent tan. Anyway, I digress, we three walked into the village. What looks to be Big Foots foal from last year is in the field next to the Scrimshankers. Although its water container had been kicked over it looks reasonably healthy and it is moved daily so it has fresh grazing and when the boys come to move him/her they bring fresh water.
It is a pleasant walk through the village although I confess to having a baggy head - I blame the sultry evenings and the zivania that we necked courtesy of Philippos last night! Hazel says she thinks that the village seems tidier and that there are more houses being done up than when she was here before and she may well be right as I think her last visit coincided with the Crisis which affected so many people here. There is the additional buggerance factor of the strange inheritance laws here which means that many of the seemingly abandoned properties are in fact owned by loads of family members which make it difficult for properties to be sold as anyone with a claim on the property has to agree.
We had a lovely hour or so with Simon, Melanie and the girls, Jasmine and Frances. The girls are delightful and so very different - little miss Frances (on the left) is going to be a force to be reckoned with as she gets older, she is sparky and super bright and beautiful and her sister Jasmine is also a cutie but seems more stoic and sensitive. They will go far as they have two super parents who want the very best for them both. Simon is due to be doing a one hundred kilometer run on the Roseland Pensinsula in Cornwall in memory of his dad in a couple of weeks time - it will take him through Portholland and past the memorial bench which will now have on display the plaque in memory of my father which will be in good company as it also remembers various family members including my grandad Ernle John Treguuna and my Gran Alberta Tregunna, my brother in law Richard Thomas. Unfortunately Simon has hurt his foot so he is uncertain as to whether he will be able to complete the run but we know that if he can he will and we wish him the best of luck.
After a very quiet day at home it was time for Hazel to pack up and go and we had arranged to call in and see Mum before going to the airport - Hazel was well impressed with the bungalow and it was nice for her to have a final chat with Mum before leaving. We got to the airport just before all the tourist buses so Hazel was able to check in straight away - after that her trip home went downhill as the flight was delayed and her prebooked and paid for seat double booked so she was asked to move. She arrived back in Bristol much later than anticipated.
The house seems strange without her - it is all a bit quiet but hopefully we will be together again soon.
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