Yesterday I had two thoughts that connected. When I sorted and cleared mum and dad’s there were a few bits that it was too hard to let go of at the time. One of these was a rather lovely antique chair. I think it might be Georgian. It’s delicate, perhaps a ladies chair and it sat in mum and dad’s in their hallway by the telephone. It’s in reasonable nick but the right arm keeps dislodging and the seat could do with re-strapping underneath. It has a lovely feel about it but I simply haven’t got the space in my new tiny place and it isn’t a practical chair. I checked with my sister and we agreed, a new home needed.
In my search, I discovered Betel https://www.betel.uk/ and they have a place not too far away at Hexham. Great, I thought ... just the job.
At the same time I had been reading of Marj and her mum’s situation ... https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/3025529637653449165 and feeling for them. It reminded me of my mum’s horrible hospital visit https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2212054131835667650

So my cunning plan hatched. I’d take the chair and then call by the village where Marj lives and leave a little gift either in the famous village shop or, perhaps find their doorstop!

Before heading off I thought I’d better ring and check the Betel place. The man who answered didn’t seem too interested, he didn’t even give me a chance to describe the chair or perhaps send a quick photo of it. I was nearly crying before I got to end the call. It’s ridiculous, isn’t it, objects are so laden. I had got the idea in my head that this rather lovely item that had probably been lovingly made so long ago and which had made its way into my parents home and soaked up the atmosphere of that hallway might just have a very small role to play in the restoration of a broken life and go on to make a bit of money for the cause and on to a new life. I frequently have problems with the way I would like the world to be and the way it really is.

I was about to abandon all plans and went to make a coffee. Ironically, the milk carton had split in the fridge and milk was spilt everywhere. I cleaned all of that up and decided to go ahead with the second part of the plan anyway, even though it felt a bit strange and I felt like a bit of a stalker, wandering around Marj’s village trying to work out which might be her house after finding the village shop closed, and the village was much bigger than I expected! Anyway, I struck lucky and inflicted myself unannounced on Marj and her mum and had a lovely afternoon before heading back home stopping for a bit of air at Walltown Crags on the way and finally heading down Hartside with the sun setting across the Cumbrian fells and the Solway.

Extra: Meanwhile, on this day, a.d.VI Id.Octobris 122 AD, the Roman soldier, Aurelius, also known by his pals, maculae temporis, was on the late watch on the Vallum as the sun was going down, passing the time wondering who might be stood on this spot on 10th October 2022 ...

Postscript... aaarrghhh ... I’ve just seen I’ve missed a holy well ... not that it sounds like there’s much to see ... I must have walked right over it ... https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=52031