Reunited

From time to time over the last two years I have mentioned in passing some friends of old (rather than old friends) the last time on Father's birthday and twice, Blips of birthday presents which I see every day, one being next to the coffee machine, the other in the living room and favourite of the animals. The carpet has now, after 24 years of loyal service, been banned from the sitting room and moved to my study. The frayed ends, the various holes, the faded colours and above all memories live on. Kate sent me a photo on Fathers day this year, taken on the evening I was given the carpet. The last time I saw the family was on 2nd September 1990, the day after that photo!

When the children were over, we talked about the family. Kate had been trying to track down daughter Anna and I was preparing to send a letter to father, at the latest in December, but Kate said they had moved, she didn't know where. Jonathan and Anna are the same age and all three were at school together for a short time. So as not to embarrass Jonathan I won't mention it was a girls only school as his male friends will cry "foul/insider trading" in his later teenager dealings with the girls. (The main school where Kate was, also had a nursery school where boys were allowed particularly if theý had sister's at the school)

Today as the eyes slowly opened thanks to the 3rd cup of breakfast coffee, I googled using Anna's (nee) name but also adding father's name which given they are the same, is a rather illogical step but it produced a result, of all places on Youtube. Passed the possibility on to Kate who researched further and within a couple of hours we were reunited (Facebook) friends.

Was funny getting the friend request from Anna "Do you remember me? As if I could ever forget this very special if relatively short part of my life. I could even tell Anna where she was on this very day 25 years ago (in the Bay of Biscay or near Gibraltar about to land tomorrow in Malaga.)

Made my day although I couldn't do much in the way of communicating, on my mobile via FB, with Anna who herself was somehere in foreign parts on holiday. I was in the middle of a horse field clearing up some of the branches and stumps of the tree son-in-law Barry had recently cut down. Had left some branches for the horses to gnaw on - they often like tree bark.

In the coming months hope to catch up on last 24 years. I wish I was better at it. I still need to catch up with Monique, Uli, Tom ........... At least I can claim they know what I am up to but I suspect most have put my Blip on their banned web site lists, fed up with all the blurb......

PS It was a tick warmer and dry all day!!! Might get to 20°C at weekend and that in August! In pre-internet days, the school holidays were in the hot days of August so that the children could work on the farms helping with the harvest. The weather changes must be the work of the Anti Child Labour movement.