Home Diary 2013

September

We went to see Jay in Oxford most weekends: on Sunday 29 we also met Helen, following a complication with Jay’s keys.

On Tuesday 3 we took our annual ride on the GWR. When we first moved to Toddington, the line operated only from Toddington to just beyond Winchcombe. It was then extended to Cheltenham Racecourse, and work began on the line north towards Broadway, reaching as far as Laverton. However, for the last couple of years, concurrent landslips had closed the line south of Toddington, restricting services to a segment north to Laverton, and, latterly, a southern segment from Winchcombe to Cheltenham.

This year the whole line re-opened again, and we were able to ride the steam service from Toddington to Cheltenham, followed by a run up to Laverton on the small diesel car, a total rail experience of over two hours. Our steam locomotive was the former heavyweight champion ‘2807’, which looked splendid as it backed up at Cheltenham. On the return trip we lingered at Gotherington Halt, where the former station is now owned by an enthusiast and meticulously maintained in character.

◄ 2807 at Cheltenham Racecourse

▼ Gotherington Halt

By the time we had returned from Laverton, it was lunchtime, so we decided to take lunch in the GWR café at Toddington, ‘The Flag and Whistle’, recently extensively refurbished, and very good it was too, simple fare cooked to order, and rounding off a thoroughly enjoyable morning.

Fine weather continued for much of the month and we were able to have our final barbecue of the year on Saturday 7. However, the bowls season finished with the closing of the green on Sunday 15 in changeable conditions, though a short period of play was possible before the competition prize presentations and the usual bring and share tea.

On Friday 13 Teresa went to see Helen in London, where they visited the Pompeii Exhibition at the British Museum.

The window of the gift shop ▼ Inside the spectacular Great Court ▼

On Monday 16 we drove to Powick, near Worcester, for our Skoda’s first annual service. The year seemed to have raced by. We went into Malvern while the work was being done, but did not have to wait long before we were called to say all was in order and it was ready for collection.

On Wednesday 18 Teresa went to Oxford where she met Helen, and they went to see the exhibition of Magical Books at the Bodleian Library, which covered a number of writers of children’s fantasies. Teresa is a big fan of J R R Tolkien and Helen had all the Narnia books read to her when she was young.

On Friday 20 Roger and Teresa went to see an old friend of Teresa’s mother, now living in Highnam near Gloucester.

Roger resumed short mat bowling in the Toddington village hall on Thursday 26.

Home Diary 2013