Apologies for the radio silence but I have been at a school reunion lunch seeing friends from over 40 years ago and we are all exactly the same.  I kid you not. No one had changed and we just restarted our conversations where we had left off last time.  I love friends like that. The best. It was just like school all those years ago.  I also think being at boarding school adds another level of friendship because we suffered together.

Afterwards, I went back to Dorset on the train to stay with one of my school friends from the reunion in her perfect thatched cottage, complete with roses around the door.

What can I say? Well, I have never laughed so much in my entire life.  All evening tears were rolling down my cheeks, crying with laughter while we remembered our school lives together.  There was even singing (just don’t ask – wine may have been involved and I was not responsible but someone had to show them how to do it properly and, as Deputy Head of Music, that job was mine).

Moving swiftly on, I also met possibly the best dog ever and I am totally smitten. She was a delight. The name? Wiggie.

Anyway, I am back in London now having got the train back to London this afternoon.  I have a large glass of wine sitting beside me and a large cheesey grin on my face from remembering all the laughing.  It was the best time.

I think school friends are the best. Time hadn’t changed us. Nothing better, really.

The Caledonian Sleeper rolled into Euston Station at a very civilised 8 am, which was perfect.  From henceforth this is the only way to travel. The experience was very similar to the boat but without the waves – so a happy and rested me.

I am staying with my sister in south London so we decided to hit the shops.  First the local ones for provisions and then onwards.

Wwe hopped on a train and went to the new Battersea Power Station which was amazing.  When I lived in London before moving to Shetland, I used to see it regularly as I have always lived south of the river. In those days the power station was derelict and the area pretty grotty so it was incredible to see the massive change and surrounding building work too.

As we went out fairly early, the shops were all fairly empty, but filled up later during the day.

And I may have visited the Apple Store and  I just may have bought a little something for myself.

All shopped out, we went home via this place but we didn’t go in as we would’ve definitely come out with something or rather a someone.

It took rather a lot of willpower to walk past empty handed but we told ourselves we were being sensible. 

Today is the first day of my holiday. I am currently sitting in a train station lounge waiting to board the sleeper train from Aberdeen to Euston tonight.  I flew down this afternoon in a relatively uneventful flight. Though the landing was a tad feisty.

I may have eaten my weight in free shortbread but no one is counting. The hot choccie is made of water which is disgusting but I am still drinking it.

Exciting times ahead and tomorrow morning I will be in London.

I’ve left Pepper on her best behaviour with a promise not to run away in my absence and Floss is holding the fort at home so all is well.  Poor lass has filthy weather ahead this weekend.  I am feeling rather guilty.

Possibly more tomorrow, though please bear with me as I am writing this on my iPad, which does not bring out the best in anyone.

I am a great believer in putting folk to work if they offer.  I  mean it would be rude not to. They’ve come all this way, which as we all know is not easy.

So when Michele said she was “happy to help”, I gave her a brush and said “choose your pony”.

Once all the ponies had been brushed to their’s and our satifaction, we all found a dry spot to sit down on.  We waited and it didn’t take long.

And we chatted, while hugging or being hugged by small hairy ponies and put the world to rights, looking at the beautiful view.

There are worst ways to spend a holiday.

It’s pretty bad out there – lots of wind (gusting F11) accompanied by sudden bursts of rain or hail and it will be going on and on for a few days.

However, we went out there and managed to feed everyone their morning bucket.

It was a struggle, but we did it and could go back inside happy in the knowledge that everyone had everything they needed.

So far, there’s been one casualty.  The hurdle fence, which is not a huge calamity in the grand scheme of things. If this all we get, then we get off lightly is the way I see it.

Everything done, everyone checked and it was straight back into the house to weather the storm.  Thank you to our escorts, Maggie and Barrel with Edna in the background.

Heating turned on, and we all got on with indoor things.

Flossie learned to knit (again) and the best bit was I didn’t have to teach her.  My visitor, Michele, was taking that class. Phew!

While Monster took up embroidery!