Long weekend in England.

Three days after Titch left I too was on my way to the airport at Bordeaux for a long weekend in England. As I was only going to be away for 4 days I took the car up to the airport. The purpose of the trip was to go to a party to celebrate the 50th birthday of Pam, one of my henhouse friends. The henhouse is a group of 20 or so ladies who met on line 6 years ago due to a shared interest in smallholding and horticulture. Pam, who lives in East Sussex, recently bought, with the help of Jo another henhouser, several acres of pasture and woodland to grow fruit, veg and flowers. Pam has spent a year clearing and planting and the party was to be held there.
I flew to Luton where Ali, another henhouser met me. I have met Ali before at a previous henhouse gathering at Jo’s in Yorkshire. Ali lives in Northampton and on the way to her home we stopped off at a garden centre to meet up with Ros, yet another henhouser, who I had not met before. It was good to meet her and sit and chat over a cup of tea. Then we said goodbye to Ros and drove up to Ali’s where I met her hens and had a look around her garden. I had put in a special request for fish and chips and her husband, Andy, arrived with them after he had finished work. What a treat!
Next morning Ali and Andy packed up as we were to be camping and they kindly lent me a tent. It took about 3 hours from Northampton to Pam’s via the M1 and M25. Quite a culture shock for me as I am not used to traffic jams and busy roads!
When we arrived at Smithlands there were lots of Pam’s family and friends already there as well as Jackie ( henhouse) and Phil who had come from Wales. I had never met Pam before but after all the years that we have been on the henhouse I felt that I knew her well. After a welcome cup of tea Ali and Andy put up our tents. Soon the rest of the henhousers arrived, Jo and Simon, Laura and Peter and lastly Holly with her adorable cocker spaniel puppy. We set up a table close to our tents and drank champagne and had lunch. There was just one glitch! Ali had forgotten to pack the adaptor which we needed to blow up the airbeds! Ah well, I’ve slept on hard ground before so I can again - I have plenty of padding!!

Laura, Jackie and birthday girl Pam

The afternoon was spent talking but despite the fact that it was mid June - the 21st- it was quite chilly. There was a campfire going but so many people around it that we decided to despatch the men folk to collect wood and make us a fire too. That done the rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly. There were a lot of non-henhousers there - Pam’s family and friends- and in the early evening we all gathered together to toast Pam’s birthday. We had a look around the garden that Pam had made, what a lot she had achieved in just a year. The most spectacular plantings were of Sweet Williams, lots of them and some stunning coulour too.

Back to our campfire and the BBQ’s and more food came out. Ali cooked us a beautiful steak that had come from a Highland cow raised by Sue another henhouser and it was delicious. Lots more talking before the evening ended. Jackie and Phil and Jo and Simon were staying in a local B and B, Laura and Peter were off to stay in Brighton and Holly back to her home.
I went to my tent and zipped myself in and crawled into my sleeping bag and soon was as warm as toast. It was good lying there listening to the other people chatting and laughing as well as the sound of someone playing a flute. I slept reasonably well despite the hard ground, the worst thing was having to disentangle myself from the sleeping bag and undo the tent zips in the middle of the night to attend to a call of nature. Luckily Jo had given Pam, for her birthday, the hire of portable toilets which were much appreciated by everyone!
I was awake by 7 the next morning and got dressed and made my way to the fire which had been kept going all night. The kettle over it was boiling so I made myself a welcome cup of coffee. Pam was there with Jack, her grandson, so it gave me the opportunity to sit and have a good natter with her before too many people appeared. Ali cooked a wonderful breakfast, bacon and eggs which was much appreciated. Jo and Simon called in to ay goodbye and Ali and Andy packed up the tents and the car and we said our goodbyes to everyone.
We drove back to Northampton and in the evening I took Ali and Andy for a meal at their local pub. They had both looked after me so well and I hope that they will come over here one day so that I can reciprocate their hospitality.
Monday morning was an early start and Ali dropped me at the airport at 8am on her way to work in Luton. I was back home by 3.30pm after a wonderful weekend with some very good friends.