Coventry with Carole and the girls

Carole and Margaret - friends since 1972

On Wednesday morning I said goodbye to Ange and Paul (temporarily anyway) and set off for Coventry in Warwickshire.  It was a two hour journey by train, with no changes necessary.  The only weird thing was that we travelled backwards to Reading, and forward from then on.

Ange had seen me off at Southampton Central, and Carole met me at Coventry station.  I had not seen her since 2008 when John and I met Carole and her husband Mike in town and they had shown me Coventry Cathedral (the ruins which are now a war memorial) and we then had a great pub lunch.

Carole and her girls

This time, I stayed over with Carole and her family.  I'd asked to meet her daughters, and what a delight they are - Sharn, CarolAnn and April.  I also met Sharn's daughter Eve (10) who was on half term holidays, and two young husbands, Anthony and Dave.  The girls had dinner with us and were most friendly and interesting and interested in my doings.

Eve with her grandad Mike

I had met Carole when I first moved out of home to live in a boarding house at Strathfield.  Carole was my room-mate.  I shared because I was saving hard to go back to England for a working holiday.  Carole was in Australia for a working holiday and went back to England in 1972.  I then stayed with her family in Coventry in 1973 or 4, and Carole came down to London for a weekend. Those were the days.

Eve, who is as bright as a button, with Frank (Bruno) the boxer

Now of course, Carole is a grandmother.  Who'd have thought!