Friday 2.

We did a little buying on the way down (pewter, brass, etc) and stayed Friday night in Wiltshire. On Saturday we stopped off at the above house where friends of ours live (not in the green one in the centre of the picture, but in the stone one to the right of it). They are dealers and we bought another couple of pieces of pewter, then drove on and arrived at Carol's cottage on Saturday afternoon. I think I'll tell the rest of the story now, then show more photoes later. I should start by explaining that Ann's mother has been having real health problems of late, and had gone into a respite care home in March (Cambridgeshire) for physiotherapy just before we set out. We had intended to stay at Carol's until this coming Sunday. Late 0n Thursday morning we got a panic call from the care home to say that Gran wasn't at all well. This was followed by another 'phone call from our daughter Kerry (who lives in March) to say that she'd visited Gran, who was very poorly, and that she thought we should return as soon as possible. Fortunately Carol had had the foresight to leave us her moblile phone number, so we were able to put her in the picture, and she was very understanding, bless her. We then packed and eventually hit the road at 1 p.m. yesterday. We got into March at 7 p.m. and found Ann's three brothers with Gran and spent the evening with them. Granddaughter Laura (Kerry's daughter) had booked us into an hotel in the centre of March so that we slept there, then spent this morning with Gran. She was eventually removed to Peterborough Hospital this afternoon, Laura going in the ambulance with Gran. Ann's brother Tim will be visiting Gran this evening, and will then fetch Laura home. There's a lot to be said for families at a time like this. I should perhaps explain that Gran's problems seem to stem from quite bad dehydration (and being nearly a hundred and two doesn't help). Don't feel I'm telling this very coherently and must put this down to us both being very tired after our journeyings. More tomorrow, D.V.
It's good to be home, though. Goodnight all.