NEW FRIENDS

There is a quote that says “Strangers are just friends we haven’t met” - and that was so true today for Mr. HCB and me.

I have been friends on Facebook with Connie, who comes from Kansas, through another friend, Gina, for about two years.  A few weeks ago she said that they were coming back from the Philippines, where she and her husband, Clark, have been serving as missionaries, and were having a five day stopover in London before they returned to The States, and that they would love to meet us.

We arranged everything through Facebook Messenger and just hoped when we went to the station this morning to pick them up that we could recognise them - we had no problem, and once we were in the car and chatting, it seemed as if we had known them forever.

I knew that Connie was a big fan of Downton Abbey, and only a couple of days ago discovered that the Church of St. Mary the Virgin at Bampton, which is only about 20 miles from where we live, was the scene for several weddings, funerals, a christening and even a jilting at the altar - so it was a perfect start for our Mystery Tour.  Everything worked out so well, because we were able to walk around the church virtually on our own, and Clark even got up into the pulpit and delivered a mini sermon - and very good it was too.

We then went into what is now the library in Bampton, which was used as the hospital in Downton Abbey and when we came out were so glad that we had arrived half an hour earlier, because the churchyard was now swarming with about 50 people!  

We could have stopped there and just meandered over to where we had booked our Afternoon Tea, but our wonderful chauffeur, Mr. HCB, then took us through some beautiful countryside to Burford where we managed to find a parking space in the High Street, so we wandered around and then went into St. John the Baptist Church.  Connie and Clark seemed to thoroughly enjoy all that we had planned, and although we had prayed for fine weather, it was getting rather hot so we didn’t stay for too long.  

On to our next destination, which was Afternoon Tea at The Pear Tree Hotel at Purton, a little village about 6 miles from where we live.  Not wishing to appear smug here, but I had rung the hotel yesterday to ask if I could have the vegetarian option for sandwiches, and fruit instead of the scones, so not a cake or a scone passed my lips - but they did look very tempting, and I have it on good authority that they were all very good - but don’t be fooled, Clark did not eat any fruit!  After our tea, Mr. HCB and Clark couldn’t resist starting a quick game of Chess on the lawn, but decided it would take too long, so shook hands on an honourable draw. 

We then brought Connie and Clark back to our house, via the old Renault building, which featured in the 1984 James Bond film, A View to a Kill starring Roger Moore (sorry Clark!) - just time for a quick wander round the garden and house before we took them back to the station via the Magic Roundabout, which Clark and Mr. HCB had been talking about earlier.

We have told Connie and Clark they are welcome to stay with us at any time - and they have told us we would be welcome in their home, except they don’t know where their next job and home will be - I mentioned that Hawaii would be good - we’ve never been there - so Clark said he will work on it!

Thank you Connie and Clark for a truly wonderful day - we loved meeting you and shall treasure and remember it for a long time to come - Gina and Steve, we hope you will be next!

Every new friend
     is a new adventure…..
          the start of more
               memories.
Patrick Lindsay

P.S.  The reason we are laughing so much is that when Clark said he should take a photograph of us, as I had taken one of them, he asked Mr. HCB, "Wilt thou take this woman to be thy lawful wedded wife?" and his response was "I'm not too sure about that!"