Kim with Jonathan at his shepherd's hut

I had to leave the market early in the afternoon to go home and pick up Kim. She’s a good friend of Helena, now living back in the north of Germany and she’s been staying with us for a few days. Unfortunately she’s had a minor accident tripping over while carrying a heavy bag, and had to go to be checked at our local hospital’s minor injuries unit. They responded superbly and a doctor arranged an x-ray on her foot, which on referral to a consultant in Gloucester revealed there was no fracture which Kim feared might have happened.

I arranged for Kim to have an appointment today with Jonathan, a good friend of mine, who is an osteopath, and who has treated me for more than thirty years. Jonathan previously worked in various treatment centres but now has brought all his work home to this wonderful converted shepherd’s hut, sited a short distance from their house in a woodland clearing close to the village of Slad.

We drove up to Slad and while Kim was treated I wandered down to the valley road. I stop enjoying the peacefulness happily watching the views over the virtually undeveloped and famous Slad valley, and particularly Swift’s Hill which was directly opposite to where I stood.

After a short time I walked back towards the hut, luckily just as they emerged and I snapped this shot. Kim still has to wear the amazing splint-like foot protection, which was prescribed and supplied by the hospital and has worked admirably. Tomorrow Kim has to drive off to pick up her daughter who has been staying with another family member, and then they go westwards to their holiday in a yurt in Devon. Kim said that Jonathan’s treatment had a wonderful therapeutic effect and had helped her recovery enormously. It has been great to see her and have her staying with us.