Eish! London 25 May

Saturday, 25 May

After all our relaxing yesterday, it was time for a road-trip. The three of us piled into the car and started the day in a great market-like shopping mall where all the stores were connected by adjoining walls, but instead of being indoors, the walk way is a long lane down the middle of all the modern stores. A strangely quaint set-up for the stores I’m used to seeing in the London High Streets. After a morning cuppa and a snack at Pret, Mariette drove us all around the picturesque Cotswolds. At one point we even took a random glide off to what looked like a Manor House according to our map, but when we got to the house, placed at the end of a rather long dirt road, it was all closed up. I snuck into the graveyard and the church with some other tourists who had done the same thing we had, but Mariette and Shelly opted to stay in the car. Fortunately no-one came out to tell us that we were trespassing. It was sad to see that the church was almost in ruin, but it would have been a great site for a horror movie I reckon.

From our unexpected diversion we made our way back en route to Hidcote Manor Garden, Gloucestershire: "An inspirational garden for all seasons"

The Brochure:

"Hidcote Manor Garden is one of England’s great Arts and Crafts gardens. A profusion of colour contrasts with impeccably manicured lawns, Hidcote is a continuing influence on garden design… Created by the American horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnston in 1907, Hidcote is famous for its rare trees and shrubs, outstanding herbaceous borders and unusual plants from all over the world." www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote

The gardens were beautiful, but boy did my sinuses go mad! London has given me a continual battle with hay-fever thanks to all the exotic pollens around the country; it has not been the best part of my stay at all.

We went through leafy mazes; saw exotic flowers from all over the world (just like the brochure said we would); stood on the outskirts of the garden looking out into the expansive fields of grass beyond; took a walk up a long aisle of grass marked out by giant hedges on either side. We were going mad with our cameras: long shots, and close shots, shots with flowers, with benches, leaves, each other and all the rest. We took loads of self-portraits which caught some funny faces, half faces, weird angles and shocking zooming. It was lots of fun, a complete Facebook photo feast to say the least!

A little while after that though we had one of those moments in which time seemed to stand still. Shelly’s phone rang and we left her to chat to whoever had called. A call, a moment, that’s all it takes for so many things in the world to change. Those moments where you realise the now is all you have. As she finished and put the phone down Shelly walked towards us very slowly, we were smiling about something. We stopped smiling. Shelly’s gran had just passed away.

What do you do? What do you say? Where’s the rule book on how to help? Someone you care about is battling, their world has drastically changed and you can’t do anything. You are in a void; a horrible place that only the slow ticking of a clock will help to pass. Out of respect and understanding we wandered the gardens little more in a peaceful comradery. We realised we needed to eat. We stopped in at a little coffee shop in that awkward, I-don’t-know-what-to-say silence mixed with meaningless chatter. We nibbled some food and sipped our tea. We recounted a few memories, and then began to discuss the best plan of action for Shelly. Flights home, options of travel, who to contact and so on… We needed the internet, so it was time to head home. Off we went.

The rest of the evening was a mix of memories, phone calls, options and decisions. Shelly had to stay the next day and wait for her flight out. We sat down and planned the day: dinner and show in London. We would catch the bus to London together in the morning. The two of them would bustle around whilst I dropped off my bags, then we would meet up to buy tickets for a show. We went to sleep ready for an exciting day ahead; ready to take the moment and live it.