1st May 2017

On 18th April, Sue and I travelled to Kibworth to visit Linda Appleby, a former colleague from my days at Farndon Field. Linda had been the Special Needs teacher at the school and, having retired some time ago, had kept herself busy tutoring children in the basics. Sadly, nearly two years ago, she suffered a severe stroke and, understandably, wasn’t keen on having visitors. We respected her wishes until she felt sufficiently recovered.

Ironically, when she had her stroke, she had been listening to an episode of ‘The Archers’ in which one of the characters was experiencing a stroke. Linda could do nothing but listen, as she had lost the ability to move or speak. Her husband, who at the time was at work, discovered her approximately 12 hours later, slumped in a chair with the radio still on.

Thankfully, she is now well on the road to recovery and, to be honest, looks younger and healthier than I ever remember seeing her. She had long suffered from terrible back pain, which has now disappeared. She can move around with the aid of a frame and speaks well enough to hold a conversation without much difficulty. However, she still struggles with fine motor skills and is not yet able to write or cook.

We spent a couple of hours chatting before leaving, as her husband was heading to work and wanted the front door locked. We promised to visit again later in the summer.

The following day was Jamie’s birthday, and it turned out to be an eventful one, with me making another trip to Kibworth. Early that evening, we received a phone call from him. He and a friend had been driving to Leicester to buy a new pair of trainers when, opposite the Coach and Horses in Kibworth, a car (a Ford) pulled out of a junction in front of him. Jamie had little chance to swerve. After colliding with the front of the vehicle, his car was propelled across the road, smashing through two large road signs before crashing into the garden wall of a house. The offending vehicle was shunted into a Corsa that had been waiting to turn right into the side road.

When I arrived at the scene, the emergency services had already been there for about ten minutes: two fire engines, an ambulance, and half a dozen police cars were present. It seemed as though the entire population of the village had turned out, taking photos and watching. Debris was scattered everywhere, making it look like a war zone. Thankfully, I found Jamie and Bill shaken but seemingly unharmed. Considering the state of the vehicles, it seemed a miracle that everyone involved walked away without serious injuries.

I followed the police and listened to the statements given by each of the drivers and passengers. It quickly became clear where the fault lay. As Jamie approached the junction, two cars were stopped at the intersection, both indicating to turn right. The Ford was exiting the junction, and the Corsa was turning into the side road. According to the Corsa driver, the Ford driver turned in front of Jamie without looking right. The Corsa driver said he could see what was about to happen and tried to wave the Ford driver to stop.

The Ford driver, however, claimed he had looked right but hadn’t seen Jamie. He mistakenly believed the Corsa driver was waving him out.

Jamie saw nothing when suddenly the Ford appeared in front of him, as his attention was focused on the road ahead and the Corsa, which was indicating right. Bill, who was in the passenger seat, was badly shaken; his side bore the brunt of the collision. Jamie had managed to react, but not quickly enough to avoid the crash. Bill recalled seeing the Ford emerging from the junction just before the impact.

All three drivers were breathalysed and found to be clear, although one of the constables quietly mentioned that the Ford driver was a known drinker.

Suraj and Michael Hobbs arrived shortly after to support Jamie and Bill. Surprisingly, Jamie seemed the least affected by the incident. We remained at the scene with the emergency services until the recovery vehicles had removed all the cars.

The Ford driver admitted fault, and the next day, his insurance company provided Jamie with a courtesy BMW. They settled generously, covering a replacement car and compensation for a nasty swelling on Jamie’s wrist, likely caused by the airbag deploying.

We are incredibly thankful that Jamie and everyone involved walked away unharmed. It was a frightening experience, one we certainly wouldn’t wish to repeat. Incidents like this are a stark reminder of how dangerous our roads can be. Ashton came over the next day to reassure herself that Jamie was alright. I think, as a family, we are beginning to warm to her.

That Saturday, I attended a reunion luncheon at the Rugby Club. It was lovely to reconnect with friends from years past. Many are now scattered across the country, and sadly, some are no longer with us. I recently watched a video on YouTube that brought a tear to my eye; it perfectly captured the camaraderie that rugby fosters: rugby and respect.

On the morning of the day we arrived, we undertook a trek of around  5 miles along a pre-plotted route on my GPS; however, the machine’s batteries ran out, and we had to curtail the last quarter. After a packed lunch, we drove to Evesham to buy new ones.  We were surprised to find that the town had turned into a little Boston (Lincs), which in turn had turned into little Poland. I guess that most would be seasonal workers, there to pick the fruit, though many of the shops are also Polish.  The only English voice we heard that day in the town was from the man who sold us our cinema ticket for the evening performance of ‘Lion‘.

Before returning that evening to the cinema in Evesham, we enjoyed a rather fine late afternoon tea at the hotel.

We moved on the next day to Broadway. We were staying for a couple of days at the Bell Inn in the gorgeous village of Willersey.  What a contrast in rooms; no ghosts, no sumptuous fittings, small but functional.

Once again, we trekked around a pre-plotted course, this time with fresh batteries. Our route took us to Broadway and back, and we ended the day with a lavish dinner at the pub.

The next morning, after breakfast, we drove into Broadway and made our way up to Broadway Tower. It’s an absolute must-see for any visitor to the area, though the climb is quite steep and not for the unfit. The tower, rich in history and eccentric charm, is well worth the effort.

We were lucky to have chosen a clear day, and from the summit, it’s said that 16 counties can be seen. However, a bitter wind discouraged much-lingering debate over which counties they were!

Returning to the milder temperatures of the town, we spent the afternoon wandering along the High Street, venturing in and out of shops before heading back to Willersey for our evening meal.

The following morning felt even chillier. After breakfast, we decided to include Chipping Campden on our route back to Harborough, an excellent call. We departed the hotel and descended the hillside through a blinding white blizzard. By the time we reached our parking spot outside the church in the town, thankfully, the snow had melted, and the clouds had parted to reveal bright sunshine, though any warmth was tempered by a biting northern breeze.

Chipping Campden is a beautiful medieval settlement. After first exploring its impressive church and skilfully navigating our way around several groups of American tourists, we walked the entire length of the High Street. Quaintness abounded; everything was delightfully historic and quintessentially Olde English. Even the schoolchildren returning home from what could only have been a spellbinding education at the local Hogwarts couldn’t spoil the illusion. They behaved like proper middle-class muggles! If I could have chosen the place of my birth, this would be it.

The return journey to our cold, late-seventies Leicestershire home was uneventful.

On 29th April, Sue and I attended a Lions charity event at the Catholic School and watched one of our favourite local bands, East West, perform. They’ve just released a new CD and, on first listen, it sounds impressive, if a little melancholic.

Tomorrow, Jamie and I travel to New Zealand. Sue has the dubious pleasure of looking after his rabbit and snake, while his boss is taking care of his gerbil.