Class of '81 (continued)

I made an extra journey to Kingston upon Thames this morning, to meet Michaella. We were at Catholic boarding school together in the 1970s, and hadn't seen each other since 1982, the year after we left. We'd kept in touch via Facebook for a few years, but this was our first chance to meet in the flesh. Once we started talking, there was so much to talk about: who went where, who married whom, who died, who was diagnosed with what, who was hit on the face with a flying blackboard duster...

Truly, we are survivors. Michaella commented that she looked a bit stoned in this picture. I can assure that that neither of us was. This is the John Lewis cafe, for heaven's sake!

All too soon, I had to rush off, to catch the train back to Shepperton, where I had left my luggage in the house. I collected my stuff, bid the cats goodbye, and set off for the station again. Four hours, two trains and a tube journey later, I was back in Stroud.

What a strange week it's been! The persistently dull weather did not help in any way. Meeting Michaella was definitely the highlight. We'll meet again, but won't wait another 36 years.