Good Morning Early Birds

[murraymints]

Good Monday morning all xx hoping this finds you in good form

[ZebuSanctuary]

Morning minty and OPs.

// I’m not saying it’s cold, but //

Over here it's colder than a stepmother's kiss.

[MissTerious2]

Rowan, if you are still about ...... ice-cream at the Windmill was a must!

[rowanwitch]

Yes I am, the old fashioned rectangles of walls ice cream in the funny shaped cornets, or a raspberry mivvi. It's quite nice there these days, they have gone back to home made cakes, and decent tea, and it's huge with the local dog walkers.

The nannies are all there midweek mornings though so that is to be avoided.

[MissTerious2]

Went back about 10 years ago Rowan. Went round all the familiar places like the park and Canizaro. Nothing much had changed except the roads and traffic and parked cars everywhere.

[MissTerious2]

I have definitely changed into a country bumpkin!

[rowanwitch]

Always had to go to Cannizaro for the daffodils, and then for the rhododendrons, painters paradise. I might try getting back this year, add an extra night to a visit to mum and jump on a couple of buses. Take my sketching stuff and have a day just for myself.

[MissTerious2]

Had lovely picnics there with Mum and perhaps a friend. There used to be an animal cemetery at the bottom of the hill- I went to primary school at Wimbledon Park. The park itself is lovely with the lake. Spent many happy hours there with friends. When we lived there Wimbledon was Surrey, not London. And in all those years I never went to the tennis which was a short walk away! I can't stand tennis!

[rowanwitch]

Sorry for disappearing, had to do a quick online shop before the same day slots all went,
I never went to the tennis either, mum went with her friends husband every year because her friend's daughter ran the ladies changing rooms ( there's a job a few might kill for) and got free passes. So They were right at courtside. Often saw her on tv.
Didn't go to Wimbledon park so much, preferred the untamed expanses of Wimbledon common, Putney heath and Richmond park, also Bushey park. Loved nature and wild things as long as I can remember

[MissTerious2]

My dad loved nature and passed it on to me. My parents cycled a lot and bought me an adult size bike at 11. We cycled everywhere, Richmond Park, Roehampton, Chessington. As an older child friend and I would take a train to leatherhead and then walk over the field and up BoxHill. There was an open air swimming pool half way up.

Mum used to take me into London a lot to all the museums and places of interest and I was using the trains and underground on my own at a young age to visit friends and relations. Couldn't do that nowadays!!

Even after moving out of the area, I often went down to London. In my teens and twenties I was often partying there and spending weekends sleeping on floors in friends flats!

Nice to have memories and thanks for the chat Rowan x

[rowanwitch]

It's nice to remember the bits that weren't rubbish.