27-28.08 - Days 225-226 - Chelmsford / Buckingham
Tuesday 27th August - Buckingham / Chelmsford (Day 225)
One of the areas of fascination for Sienna and Seb is the model railway set up in the loft on a 2.5m by 1m board. Much of it is dad's from when he was a child.
To add a few more pieces, mum, dad, Sienna and I head off to Upper Stowe and end up with a cinema, bookshop and tobacconist, along with some deer and cattle.
After lunch next door at The Barn we detour via Stoke Bruerne canal with the dogs, reliving walks we did as children in the mid 80’s. The excitement of helping push open and close the locks is now transferred to Sienna, along with some blackberry picking along the way.
It’s thirst quenching work so we have a canal side beer at the Newington Inn in the late afternoon sun.
Kate insert: post schoolwork Seb, Ethan and I head over to Grandma and Grandad’s. I’m there to put the pond fence back up (recently taken down to replace the fence alongside the neighbours), Ethan is there to entertain Seb and Seb is there as he’s my little shadow for the next few days.
With the fence up we head back to Gwyn’s where Hannah and Charlie come for a visit and final goodbye.
Very sad to say farewell and hard to think about getting back on the road again after so long in the same (ish) place since mid-June. However there are no regrets and I’m super grateful and thankful for the time people made for us and how easy it was to slip back into life at ‘home’.
Wednesday 28th August - Buckingham / Chelmsford (Day 226)
Wednesday is our last full day, beginning with a walk for Buddy and Ollie and schoolwork for Sienna. Sienna and I pay a visit to Joa and Colin and their 3 golden retrievers which leaves Sienna needing a brush down after lying on the floor amongst them to her great pleasure.
Corinne treats Sienna to getting her nails done and also lunch out before she and Dad construct the model railway buildings.
A final dog walk out in Hillingdon, collecting a few bags worth of blackberries which we soon devoured at dinner.
Kate insert: we take Grandma out to a local gardening centre to have a coffee (Seb a huge banana smoothie) and then pick some tulip bulbs for planting in Grandma’s garden. We make the most of the trampoline and enjoy one last home cooked meal.
