Bear to Boot

Off to Hampstead to meet Mum. I got the earlier train, which turned out to have been a good idea as today's challenge was no direct train from Lewes to London.  I bumped into Mark at Lewes and we did part of the journey together, discussing AI and la poubelle, the French word for rubbish bin. I hopped off at Wivelsfield and caught a train that took me straight to West Hampstead Thameslink station, which was cool.

Climbed up to Hampstead talking to Anton, who is now recovering from home. He has to avoid over exertion till his operation. I told him about Katie, who I also heard from today, and her pal Lou, who has been allowed out of hospital. 

Mum on good form, and we cantered off to The Old White Bear and while there I booked her appointment for flu and covid jabs. There was a well travelled American woman on the table next to us, who we talked to lots. Mum also agreed a date for her to stay in Seaford with us soon, and enquired about the Parson at the bar, but the barmaid had no idea who she was talking about. 

Walked Mum to Hampstead, and I set off. Three hours from the platform at West Hampstead Thameslink to Seaford, where I arrived at 6:20 and hurried straight to the Boot, where I met Andy sitting at our reserved table, where two slightly drunk and belligerent women, who only moved after I pointed out we had reserved the table. This didn't make me very popular. 

After this dusty beginning, a delightful evening. I met Lorraine there, and Steve brought Freja with him as she is in town, and our new friends Laura and Adrian came too. Also Debbie and Delores and Carole, so it was a cheery evening. Melissa and Chris also said hello, as did Coílín who was in the pub celebrating with some of the dental nurses as one of them was going off to New Zealand next week at the start of a long travel adventure with her boyfriend. Talking to Delores and Andy about having a symbolic burning of selected things from the past on Halloween. Delores wanted to burn actual people, which is probably taking it too far.