Togetherness

Introduction

In August 2023 I decided to make the effort to take out my sister Yvonne for a Birthday lunch in Preston. We made plans to meet and all was going well until a derailment at Carlisle meant that all trains going south were cancelled. I had to turn around and had to head home to Newcastle and we decided to try and reschedule.

As always, next week became next month became next year as life took precedence, and it looked like it wasn't going to happen ever.

This happens in everyone's life and we shouldn't let it happen, but it is far too easy to do.

Then...

At work, I found out that I have not been getting my full holiday entitlement for the last five years. After several discussions, I was told I couldn't reclaim the missed holidays (it was in my contract of employment that I signed) but could carry over last years so I have ended up with a lot of extra days this year. My company have already been incredibly supportive, so I let that go.

The next thing I was messing about on the Trainline app and found, due to split-ticketing I could get a return train fare to Preston for £25 as opposed to £140.

I rang Yvonne and said "Should we do the birthday lunch?" and she said yeah.

So this time I got to Preston and we met in an absolute deluge on Preston Bus Station (which you can see in the article above), but made our way to 1842, had lunch and then followed that up with a visit to Brucciani's where we met my niece Gemma and my two grand nephews (I think that is right) James David and Henry Peter.

The two stories below are the places we ate and my poem for my grand nephews:

Yvonne suggested we should invite some friends next time, but the next visit was a full day with her with another birthday lunch at Mowgli's.

The next one my friend Mick turned up, while we talk on Facebook and phone we hadn't seen each other for a while, so this time there were three of us having a great get-together and meal in 1842. Mick said his wife Debbie couldn't make it but would do soon. He also suggested bringing in Brian another great friend I hadn't seen since the seventies.

I also met another seventies friend Nicola at the Ship and Giggle and we hope to see her at our next gathering, but she gets a mention in this story:

The next meet, which was in October was in Mowgli's once more and this time we were a foursome, Me, Yvonne, Mick and Brian and it was so much fun to reconnect and talk over old times and share what we are doing now.

And that brought us to yesterday's time in 1842. This time it was Me, Yvonne, cousin Caroline, Mick, Debbie and Brian sharing a table, drink, food, memories and more for two hours. Almost everyone had Lamb Hotbot with side orders of fries, I went for cauliflower cheese and garlic broccoli, though Brian had just come from a dental appointment so just drank Guinness but had one chip.

And So ...

I have loved reconnection with old friends and it is a lesson in not putting things off, and putting a little effort into spending time with the ones who matter to you.

Yes, life does get in the way at times.

For me, that was a twelve-hour day with a three-hundred-mile round trip, but I am already looking forward to the next one. Caroline has suggested a few more restaurants, and we will need a bigger table as Nicola is likely to be joining us, and I am sure there will be many more next year.

Thank you so much for reading