This is George ..

C & N are have gone Hen partying this weekend as the wedding looms ever closer.

First thing I popped up to see Rich who has just had a small op. I just wanted to make sure he was ok with out his beloved N. He was.

So today hmm looks like rain ..perhaps I will head west today so I jumped on the A41 & drove to Ambrosden & from there on to Merton where we have some distant relations living. I visited Birdie in the graveyard - she died in 2010 and also looked at the older Crawford family tomb. Earlier I had parked up on Merton Road & saw a chap stride by purposely. Who did I find in the church but this chap who's name is George who was on a pilgrimage visiting lots local churches. He'd started at Bicester & heading towards Islip. This was his 3rd church stop. We chatted & I told him tha I could guess which church he would visit next and that if he was there when I got there I would buy him a pint in the pub opposite. Well I visited the relations who I hadn't seen for 2 or 3 years and enjoyed a cup of tea with them before leaving for Charlton on Otmoor.

Here I headed straight for the church & guess who was in there but George, who was eating a sandwich & drinking some tea out of a flask. We chatted some more but there was bad news as the pub wasn't open ! We parted company there as he was heading for Oddington & I was headed for yet more relations. Here I enjoyed a cup of coffee with Mags who again I hadn't seen for a few years. I left after a while & went back the way I had come but visited Ambrosden Church which I had never been to before. This church was locked & I didn't have the energy to go & get the key from the vicarage so after a few shots I left for home.

Well I intended going straight home but I diverted to Bullingdon Prison for a quick look..hmmm hopefully that high wall will keep them in ! Then I turned the wrong way & headed towards Brill where I stopped on Muswell Hill for some shots looking West. From there I went Chilton, Chearsley, Cuddington then on to Budgens to get some beer & chocolate which I dropped in at Richards. He was pleased then I headed home & got in at about 1630 where Merlot was waiting for his lunch....

Cool grey day walked thru one shower but nothing much.

By the way George was originally from Manchester but now lives in Carlisle. He is staying locally at a B&B and likes nothing more than to back pack around the countryside enjoying every church he visits.He has been walking for quite a lot of his life as before he retired he was a postman. He was very knowledgeable about different aspects of the churches and was particularly impressed with the Rood Screen at Charlton Church which he said was probably carved by a London man (somebody Gibbons) he was also enthusiastic about the piscine/s which is in a good state. I asked him if he recorded all his visits somehow in a diary perhaps or journal or just marking the OS map or taking pictures & he said that he never had. I raved about the simplicity of modern digital cameras and I left him thinking whether he should buy one !

Oh one more thing - I took several shots of George & when I looked at them here at home I noticed that there wered round white circles floating in the air. I know a lot of people would say that these are orbs and would very likely say that they are spirits. ...well they could be I guess ...but it seems pretty unlikely.

Another enjoyable day and it was good to meet you George...