Wednesday 18 September

We had a lazy start to the day with the most delicious porridge and toast with homemade preserves and sourdough whilst looking out over the countryside beyond Hilary’s lovely garden. Big hugs goodbye and with Hilary checking that I had the correct coordinates before departure we set off on another Indian summers day.

We stopped at a nearby village of Woodford in Kettering and had a hearty lunch at an old pub called the Dukes. It was simple and delicious and far too much to eat! I am enjoying the sausages here – and had toad-in-the-hole with Cumberland sausages and Vern had a burger with pork belly, bacon, black pudding and cheese and mustard sauce… it was very, very good. The chips are super chunky here and were great dipped in gravy.

Onward and we arrived mid afternoon at Geoff and Judy’s to an equally warm welcome. I had met Geoff and Judy about 50 years ago when they came over to visit. They have two children – Adam and Rebecca, and one grandchild. We met them all which was lovely and I hope to pick up the threads with my cousins.

Judy is an accomplished potter and the home they live in is a converted and restored old water mill formerly used to grind corn for farmers right up until 1950’s. Built in 1745 the Dover Beck flows through the property and the original water wheel now displays her art work. They have a generous sized property made up of orchard and gardens, including apples trees around 100 years old.

The beautiful home and grounds ooze quintessential village life that I could fit right into. Additionally there is a traditional pub across the road… what more could you want?

The river Trent flows not far away and we took the dog for a quick walk, then went to the local “The Black Swan” for a drink before dinner. Dick Turpin used to frequent the Black Swan and even hid out there on occasion.

The locals were so very friendly and jovial – I do not frequent pubs in New Zealand, however, the traditional village local is a very different place that I enjoy. I so love the history around every corner. We enjoyed a lovely dinner out and then a very comfortable sleep in the beautiful restored home after talking late into the evening.