A LOVELY DAY IN BATH

I have been retired for seven years, but for the last 3 years of my working life went to work in Bath, going every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on the train - and I loved it.  The train travel, the people I worked with, being able to wander round Bath during my lunch hour - what’s not to like?  However, when the housing market took a downturn, I took voluntary redundancy and am now happily retired.  

I worked in a small team - we all got on very well - and became friends.  I have stayed in touch with several of my colleagues from work, and we meet occasionally, but I hadn’t seen Nikki, my boss, since I left, although Sarah (next to me) and I have met several times in Marlborough for a coffee and a chat.

Today we arranged to meet and had lunch together.  It was lovely to wander around before I met them and then to chat over a delicious lunch and catch up with what we had all been doing and to find out how our children (and grandchildren in my case) had grown.  It was also good to see Martin again and he seemed quite happy to be with three ladies!  I think if I said I would go back, there would be a job for me, but not sure Mr. HCB would like that and actually I’m not sure I would want to be getting up that early to go to work!

The Georgian spa city of Bath is Britain’s only World Heritage city with its distinctive warm honey-coloured buildings and has about 5,000 Listed Buildings, which are protected for their architectural merit.  The new Southgate Shopping Centre (bottom right) blends in very well - in fact, this was being built about 8 years ago and it was interesting to watch the work going on from the station platform while I was waiting to travel home.   

I love everything about Bath, the beautiful buildings, the parks, the street musicians, the wonderful kitchen shop in Quiet Street, the posh shops - and you know they are posh when you can’t see the prices - and I was pleased to see one of the many pigs that were littered around Bath when I was working there, still standing outside the Abbey.

All in all a great day so thanks to Sarah, Nikki and Martin for making time in their busy day to meet up - those years just rolled away.  It’s good to keep in touch on Facebook, but much better doing it in person - we must do it again sometime!  

Happiness is meeting old friends
     after a long time
          and feeling that nothing
               has changed -
except you are retired and they are still working!

P.S.  I even managed to stick to my Daniel Fast - I had butternut squash risotto with a green salad, but NO dessert and I only drank water!