The household was getting back to normal. Phew! Paula and I nipped out briefly to Morrisons for last minute bits and pieces and I had the worst coffee for ages. The eggs Benedict sauce had split too, so not the most successful foray - and unusual for Morrisons.
Dave was definitely feeling a lot better so we piled into his new vehicle and down to a recently opened country park.
Mum came from a small mining village (Lambley) and all her male relatives would have worked down the pit at some stage, so Gedling Colliery is indelibly etched into our family history and also our own memories, as the coal trucks would rumble past our house night and day (or it seemed like it) and coal was a major resource of the area. Gedling colliery opened in 1899 and closed 100 years later. There were years when it was the first pit in the whole of the UK to mine 1,000,000 tons of coal. The slag heaps we could see from the surrounding roads are no longer and the whole area has been turned into Gedling Country Park, with couple of small lakes, several walking and bike tracks and a great view across the Trent plains. As a country park, there are thistles galore and a very natural looking area, plus other areas where trees have been planted. Opened just 8 weeks ago, this has added a very nice facility to the region and is a great example of extracting the underground resources then returning the land to a more natural state. A fair bit of the region’s wealth was based on coal as it was one of several large industries, employing 1,000’s of people. NZ anti-mining greenies take note.
Dave used the delay on his camera and sprinted back to give us a memorable pic of the four of us – and one of Dave sprinting. Paula was feeling a bit woozy and tired again (it is still less than a week since she was bowled over), so we didn’t stay too long and Paula returned home to resume a prone position for a couple of hours.
I picked up a couple more small items from Lidl then to Stewart, Manu and Noah for a final farewell – almost. Noah was in fancy dress mode - and the less said about his choice of costume, the better.
Back home for a final home cooked meal instead of going out as planned. Probably the only sensible decision. Dave ate a normal meal and Paula a tiny one. Poor Sue has had to work harder than usual this time, as traditionally, we’ll go out a few times for meals, either lunch or dinner. Pity we haven’t ever managed to persuade them to visit NZ, when we could at least return the hospitality.
Stewart called about 9pm with an envelope he wanted posting in the USA, trying to add to his ‘famous people’s autographs’ collection. He also gave me some pics of Noah’s party, which I may post later.
Bed 11pm and all ready now for the next leg.
Not the best of weeks overall, but it could have been so much worse. The saddest part was not being able to catch up with friends in Cambs, Sussex, Norfolk or even East Leake. My planned visit to the Heritage Museum at Gaydon had to be cancelled, so for the first time as far as I can remember, no ‘car stuff’. At this stage, we are not sure when we’ll be back and I’m sure that Paula probably dreads the day when I decide I want to return to the UK.
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