Old Friends

I woke at 6.30 a.m. with the sun streaming in through the bedroom window. I made tea for Mum and me and had some quiet prayer time after reading my word for today and some scripture. After breakfast of scrambled egg and bacon, I drafted a letter for Mum to send to the North East Lincolnshire Council about the proposed re-siting of the bus shelter and the disruption to the road over several months. Mum accompanied me to Old Clee Church for the 11 a.m. Holy Communion Service. It was interesting again to sit in my old church where I was a chorister for six years. There were about 30 in the congregation plus a small choir, Warden and Priest. I had met the priest before and his relaxed style and excellent talk on the topic of Mary and Martha’s hospitality just before Holy Week, was most thought provoking. He likened the gathering that evening as a microcosm of what the church should be – a place of joyous worship and service to the secular. He felt that the role of the church was and should change and the theme of helping neighbours abounded the whole service. After church and stopping off at Tesco’s to get some flowers, Mum accompanied me to Auntie Mim’s where we spent an hour with her and Harry chatting about ailments, the family, football and other varied subjects. Harry and Mim were both delighted with their birthday presents which I brought with me from Wiltshire – York Fruits for Harry and Vie freshener pads for Mim. I took Mum back home and after a quick snack of cold meats and pickle, I drove down to see David Kaye in his sheltered flat overlooking Louth Bus Station. He was delighted to see me. His Parkinson’s Disease has really taken hold and physically he is in poor shape but mentally, as interesting and witty as ever. He related to me many anecdotes of when he was Mayor of Louth and we discussed the material for his re-published book on old Trolleybuses. I’ve agreed with him that I will re-write the Current Situation, Further Reading and Places to Visit sections and send drafts to him to look at. After leaving David, who gave me a box of books and Corgi models to sell at Sandtoft, I drove to Tetney to have a cup of tea and a chat with Tim. On the way I called in at Ludborough to see the work being done on the old East Lincs railway line which used to carry the express trains from Cleethorpes to Kings Cross. Many times when I was a lad I would cycle to Peaks Tunnel to watch the expresses thunderinh along on their way tio London. I took some photographs (see above) and had an interesting chat to one of the workers there. Tonight Mum cooked a roast pork dinner and we drank a bottle of Echo Falls rose wine before watching a tribute to Stephen Gateley. Mum went to bed early tonight in great pain in her arm leaving me to write this blog.