under another sun

A secret trip today, Lorraine drove us off to Sheffield Park where we caught the bluebell railway as a late celebration of Pat’s birthday.   A strange world. The uncanniness of a station crawling with immaculately uniformed staff, elaborate station messages, warning you that a train was creeping into the station. Men, of course, but lots of women too.  We were there in plenty of time, so Lorraine, Pat and I made our way into a shed full of engines, which were being minutely observed by train lovers.  We boarded our train and squeezed around a table, and served by several cheery staff, two women and a man, who brought us pots of tea, and a stand of sandwiches cut in oblongs, and lots of little cakes, such as macaroons, and mini-eclairs and shortbread and fruit tarts and so on, plus there were two scones with cream and plum jam. I particularly enjoyed the scones.  Pat and Maureen having fun, against a backdrop of the green Sussex countryside chugging by. Also pass...

A breath of fresh air Not particularly relishing the idea of a cross country walk first thing. But soon cheered up when Anton and me set off: only a few weeks ago I would not have been able to even consider going for a hike. We decided to do the next section of our Ouse Way walk, and got the train to Haywards Heath, and then a taxi to the Sloop Inn where we'd got to way back in July. From there we plunged into woodland and through fields for the next 6 miles. Not a particularly long walk, but I didn't really feel like overdoing it on my first exercise for some time. Just great to be outside again. The sky was threatening rain all day but didn't deliver. The Autumn still being largely held at bay by this so-called Indian summer. Loads of pheasants about, and most places very green still. We passed the Bluebell Railway station, where we popped in for a cup of tea. It was their "Wizard Weekend", so the "skeleton" staff were all dressed in witches hats, and...