Starting to Say My Goodbyes

On Friday we (finally) exchanged on the sale of our house in Reading. It's now less than two weeks til we move to Somerset. I'm excited about all the adventures and experiences that our new life in the village will bring, but I'm also very nervous and a bit sad to be leaving behind people and places that I have known for a long time, and even people and places that I've only known for a short time!

I first came up to Reading in October 1990 to attend University; I've not lived in Reading itself since then, having had a couple of years down in Hampshire, and several in Henley, but basically I've lived within a 15-mile radius of the town for more than half of my life. I think it's fair to say that a lot of what and who I know is based in this area, so it's understandable that upping sticks and moving just over 100 miles/2 hours by car away is a little daunting.

So, I've been starting to say my goodbyes to the places I enjoy visiting, and the people I enjoy spending time with. On Wednesday, after dropping DC at nursery, I took a stroll round Henley in the early morning sunshine and enjoyed a leisurely coffee in what was once my local Starbucks.

A walk along Bell Street, a bit chilly as the morning sun had yet to peep over the tops of the buildings:

A look left down towards St Mary's church which stands just across from the River Thames Turn right onto Market (or Falaise to give it its proper name) Square, heading up towards the Town Hall.Looking back down Market Square, with the churh tower in the distance.Cut through the alleyway at the side of Market Square, through the car park and into the lovely Waitrose where DC had his very first outing, aged just four days.Then jump in the car and head home along past this lovely old house which looks out on the the river

and round the corner past the offices of the local rag, the Henley Standard (or Sub-Standard as it is jokingly known); looking quite tropical, don't you think?!

Friday evening it was time to say goodbye to one of my very good friends, B. Along with our joint friend Liz, who B has known since they were both burgeoning bumps in their mummies tummies, I have spent the majority of my Friday evenings with B since first meeting her and Liz in the early 1990s. When we were young and fancy free our Friday evenings would be spent drinking and dancing til the small hours, then along came husbands and children and our Fridays have become a little more sedate and tend to revolve more around eating out or at each other's houses, or going to the cinema.

Good to see B doesn't look too sad at the thought of me leaving...