There’s something special about Springtime in the English countryside. Vibrant iridescent pale greens of new growth in the hedgerows shimmer in the bright sunlight. The dark skeletons of deciduous trees burst into glorious pink and white blossom. Yellow daffodils nod their heads in the gentle breeze whilst pale blue carpets of bluebells impart a gently perfume into the dappled sunlight and a bumble bee takes full advantage of the available pollen.
We arrived in the UK to be greeted with sleet and rain but that lasted only the first day. Then the sun appeared, the temperature increased and Mike approached his first pint of real ale with a certain trepidation. Would he still enjoy the taste of a ‘real’ beer? Had his taste buds been corrupted by what Australians call XXXX (they’re embarrassed to call it beer)? Nervously he approached the foaming brew and after the first sweet mouthful the world took on a golden hue and improved considerably. Now the only problem with real ale is that it has a tendency to evaporate when you’re not looking and all too soon the glass became empty. Fortunately an alert landlord spotted the dilemma and came to the rescue with a further supply. So should you find yourself in the wilds of Essex our recommendation for a perfect brew and an excellent meal is the Square and Compasses at Fuller Street.
One of the reasons Kim and Mike made the journey was to celebrate the 70th birthday of Mike’s brother Malcolm. Malcolm has no sight but it did not stop him from the traditional act of blowing out the candles on his cake. Fortunately avoidance of the one candle per year tradition meant that a re-enactment of ‘The Towering Inferno’ did not take place.
It’s always difficult to find time to visit everyone that they would like to see but it was possible to catch up with some friends, to reminisce about times past, to learn how families have grown, how child offspring have become responsible adults, how teenage romances became lifelong partnerships and what others have on their bucket lists. No names, no photos, just a great big thank you for the hospitality and the laughs. Memories will be enhanced and photographs perused for some time to come.
And of course there are certain places that must be visited. They’d done the Square and Compasses so next on the list was the Butt and Oyster at Pin Mill. Years age Mike would sail there and when very young Kim would holiday at her grandparents house nearby. The tide was out so the scene was typically East Anglian – a sea of mud. But interesting mud complete with a couple of picturesque Thames barges in the foreground.
Mike met up with his old drinking buddies from a previous life in the UK for a traditional Friday evening pub session. Later, staying with good friends and ex-neighbours next door to where they once lived, the convivial evening meal completed with one of Sue’s magnificent cheese boards with a rather excellent red wine – is there a pattern appearing here?
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