Yesterday was pretty cruisey, compared to the panic it could have been. I decided that, rather than catch the exact train to connect with my Leeds–London booking, I’d drop the car in Walsden for service, early, then take the next train to Hebden and take breakfast. After a couple of hours there, including buying a flower-press for Neil from the market, I set off for Leeds an hour earlier than necessary and so had the luxury of exploring the shopping area and the famous market. I have looked in through the doors of the market once before when visiting Chris and then vowed to come back. Now, it’s just a train-ride away from us.
The ride into Kings Cross was smooth and I arrived at Neil’s gaff just before he got home from work. Everyone else was in but he had a puncture which made him late.
Things seem much the same here: a busy family coping with life in a big city. Tomorrow, Neil is coming up to the farm for a few days, hopefully on the same train as Bandit and I. I’m sure that’s when I’ll find out how he and Genave are getting on.
I just had another surprise contact, from Steve and Val Slade. They’re up North for the weekend and are planning to call in late Saturday morning. So the model that we discovered all those years ago, at Tock How Farm, is working: live in an interesting place and people will visit, causing all sorts of unlikely interactions. In this case, Neil and Steve will meet, with Ralph and Kevin likely to arrive to enrich the mix.