It was my birthday last weekend I wanted to make it something special. Previous birthdays had been somewhat lacking. That is to say that last year - 2010 was my 60th birthday and I wanted to mark the occasion by doing someone more than just going to the pub with friends so I organised to meet up in Brighton with my god daughter who lives in Brighton and some friends who were up for a trip away. I was due to stay the the Brighton Hilton and had pre paid to get a great deal. Anyway, all the arrangements were made and finally the weekend approached with much excitement - well....its not everyday that you are 60 !!
Well the night before I was due to drive up my mother took a fall and was taken to hospital up in Kings Lynn where she live. So, I had to cancel my weekend and instead of 48 hours of madness in Brighton I drove to Kings Lynn and sat quietly by my mothers bed side. Thankfully for her she recovered.
So, you see I wanted to do something this year to make of for it.
I grew up in Berkhamstead and later in the '70's I went to live in Hemel Hempstead - Warners End - with my then husband - a man who altered the way my life was to go significantly enough that today I am still haunted by it.
I decided to revisit my youth and my early 20's so I booked a weekend away in The Holiday Inn Express in Apsley...they are a dog friendly hotel.
Off I went.
Oh......OMG what a huge supprise I had and how glad I was that I have a sat/nav. I did not recognise the approach to Apsley there was a massive junction where there was once a winding road. As I appoached the junction the traffic lights changed and I sat there completely gob smacked. As I looked around I was aware that the man in the car next to mine - a very smart looking vehicle that probably cost more than my small flat back home - was staring at me and what a sight I must have looked with two largish dogs, one of whom was lying on the back ledge and the other looking out of the window of my 22 year old Mazda MX5 and me with my mouth open staring around like I had just been dropping from outspace. I may well have been......what a change.......I racked my brains to remember what it all looked like....what had happened.......well, yes...life had happened and years and years had passed by - 33 years to be exact. The lights changed and my sat/nav told me to turn right. I turned right and then when though was I remembered as a small village really.....no no not now. As I went on through Apsley I realised I simply did not recognise it. Silly me what on earth was I expecting. I saw the Holiday in on the left hand side but kept on driving much to the protestations of my sat/nav. I went on for a minute or two the a roundabout that if you turned left took to you a kind of Business Park or if you went straight on would take you on to Kings Langley. I went back around the roundabout and headed back into Apsley again for a second look and took off up to the left at the junction and back the way I came. Stopping to turn around to go back down to the traffic lights and turn right again and off to my hotel and hone for the next 48 hours.
The journey continue......
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