17 June
Hi everyone,

"30 degrees today, we are melting. Have been all over Devon, Cornwall and the Cotswalds, down every single track lane we could find and there are thousands of them.  most are narrower than my driveway. We only had to back up once when we met a bus.  The hedgerows are full of roses and red poppies and foxgloves. The trees meet over the road.  Thousands of thatched cottages and beautiful little villages. Saw castles and stately homes and gardens and mills.  Stayed in 2 lovely B&Bs and one yucky youth hostel. Had dinner in some very old pubs with ghosts, one was 600 years old (the pub not the ghost).  Now back in London for 2 days then off to Ireland for a week. Colleens driving is fantastic.  My navigating is pretty good too. We only got lost twice but did go round some towns 2 or 3 times.  Went on the Big Eye today not as high as our Sky tower but good views.  Went on the Thames to Greenwich to see what the time was."

Love Bev

25 July
Hallo everyone

"This is 2 weeks later that I expected it to be, but after 3 months holidaying I'm now a working girl again and time is very limited. Working as a waitress in a Japanese Hotel near Swindon. It's out in the country, very peaceful and quiet, over looks a lovely lake with swans and ducks and fish jumping out of the water and has a wonderful walled garden .  I call it my secret garden as I'm sure I'm the only person who ever goes there.  Just love it. We're very busy but apart from my feet crying the jobs fine.  All the girls and guys who work here are lovely and the boss is nice too.  Well she's letting me stay here for free at the moment so that's great.  Finding accomodation round here seems to be impossible. I have a lovely room in the attic with a view of paddocks full of black faced sheep.  Also clean towels and sheets appear every day.  I feel like the Queen!  The only drawback is the TV doesn't work, but when do I find time to watch TV?  Have joined a Folk Singing group, which is only 5 mins away in the next village and went to the Info Center in town yesterday and within about 1 hrs radius there's every sort of club you could imagine including 6 singles groups, all sorts of dancing, gardening clubs etc.   Don't think I'll be home very often. It was great to meet up with Tony from our Howick singles dance last week. It was a perfect warm summers night so we had dinner at a Pub in Lechlade and sat outside by the river.   Have also had a wonderful long weekend with Lyn's penfriend Jo & Shaun and her mother Barbara and Steve in Norfolk.  They showed me round their lovely part of the country where a lot of the houses are made from large pepples and they have wonderful salt marshes by the sea.   Not long enough as usual.

Now to my wonderful month with Bev. I drove, she navigated really well and we had a fantastic time. Now I miss her more than anyone will ever know. We spent our first week in Devon and Cornwall.  Drove down via Dorset and caught up with Andi for one night which was lovely.   Here are my thoughts on Devon - lots of very narrow roads with high hedges touching the car on each side, trees meeting overhead, tiny hamlets, thatched cottages, tea shops with yummy hot tea cakes, crumpets, scones and clotted cream, moors, beautiful gardens and stately homes.    Cornwall - very steep roads winding down to fishing villages at the bottom of cliffs, could never find a car park, cobbled lanes, and mist. It's certainly a beautiful part of the country.  Back to London for 3 days with lots of shopping, the Big Eye, St James Park, Greenwich, Gilbert Museum and the Lion King - fantastic. 
Flew to Ireland and hired a little car for a week. Got lost all the time - no signposts at all or lots in Irish. A great way to find gorgeous little villages. Very hilly and green, terrible bumby roads, lots of ruins, both small cottages and huge new homes, lots of huge beautiful gateways leading to who knows what, forrests full of purple rhododendrons, which looked fantastic but they're taking over fast, pastel cottages and shops, villages with very narrow winding roads and huge trucks trying to negotiate them, lots of cows, shaggy sheep, hills of limestone for miles, amazing rock formations fill of alpine flowers, and the Book of Kells. A week wasn't long enough, would like to go back. But then I say that about every place. If you ever go to Ireland here's some good advice. The toilets say Mna or Fir and I soon found out that Fir does not say Females! Up to Manchester to meet Jon's parents for Bev's 58th birthday. Then a few days at their flat in Holtwhistle - the middle of the UK and a lovely village. Stone houses, beautiful rolling hills for miles, Hadrians Wall and forts. Across to Newcastle to see where Dad was born - quite emotional to walk along Westgate Road and see their house and the school he must have gone to and to visit Jesmond Dene, the park he had so many photos of. Then finally the BIG DAY arrived - Jana's and Jon's wedding. Lyn & Warren arrived with half an hour to spare.   The weather stayed fine so the ceremony was held outside as Jana wanted. They don't get married outside here so something different. Jana looked lovely, very relaxed and happy. Used the material from Bev's wedding train for her dress. Her flowers were mauve and the guys ties mauve and Dissington Hall was decorated with mauve too. It's a huge old manor house - really nice. We stayed up dancing and talking to Jon's relations till 2am. Jon and Jana have been to Colorado for their honeymoon. Should be back today. Bev then flew to Perth to visit her grand daughter, Isabelle and I spent 3 days with Lyn and Warren in Scotland and the Lake District. They're now sunbathing in Greece somewhere.   Lucky things, the weather here seems to be hot sunny days when I'm working and cloudy overcast days when I'm not.  Had some very sad news from home again this month. Doug a good friend for about 35 years died suddenly and my cousin also died, but thank goodness I can finish with some wonderful news.   Brent and Simone have become engaged, so that was lovely. I'm missing the party though.
Really appreciate the wonderful letters I receive from some of you. Hope you can understand if I don't reply quickly.

Lots of love Colleen