This is England 2011

Ee, by gum. Where do the time go?

Bizarre though it may seem, I wanted to visit not just my parents' graves, where a geranium my sister had planted, that had come originally from their garden, had grown into a good approximation of a heart shape that linked the two, but also, the Canadian part of the military section of Brookwood cemetery.

We went at first through the wrong entrance, and toured the Muslim, Zoroastrian and Italian graves. Exit stage left and re-enter at the war grave end; the Canadian section is the first one.
They are still kept well, some still newly planted. The French headstones had, as you might expect, and yet somehow not, the dates and rank of the deceased, in their own language.

Then we went up to town in a mini. I was allowed to sit in the front on account of my extreme claustrophobia, indeed, just the thought of getting in the back brought on the first symptoms of a panic attack.
But we arrived at my sister's flat in Wapping, in one piece.

On Thursday, we toured Borough Market, and then got on the tube to Waterloo, then down to Sleepy Mansions whence to Château Crisp-e.
Meanwhile, back at the Schloss, the fire alarm was going off, apparently, it had been going off for twelve hours. Crisp-e kindly allowed us to phone home and talk Laurence through disconnecting the thing.

Friday, we were up at first light, to get a lift with the Tame Pharmacist back to Locks Heath.
The journey reminded me that although BC is beautiful, England has its own beauty, the water and the woods, even the buildings, shrouded in fog and gently lit by an early, watery sun.

We have had a quiet weekend, partly because I was banned from going to Ben's band, 'The Brompton Mix' 's first gig last night, but the early reports are that it was pretty sensational, and the band have already booked another.