The kindness of strangers

First of all let me thank each and every one of you that took the time to leave a comment on my previous post. You have left a tiny chink of light in my life and I am grateful for that just now.  I don't want to make my posts all sad and maudlin from now on so I will let you know how Bryan is from time to time but won't dwell too much on this sad little corner of my world.

On Saturday, Tony and I went to Boundary Mills up in Whitley Bay. Now bear in  mind that I am not a shopper. In fact I would go so far as to say I absolutely detest wandering around the shops. We had a thoroughly lovely time wandering around the store and were stunned when we realised that we had spent four hours there.  We only returned home when my poor leg was so tired it could hardly walk another step. While we were waiting in the café queue, the lady standing behind handed us a voucher that entitled us both to a free cup of tea or coffee.. 'We won't use it' she said. Then when we sat down a couple sitting on the table next to us handed us a voucher for a cup of tea and 10% off all purchases in the shop. 'We won't use' it one of the ladies said.  If you are shopping there and stop for a cuppa I can highly recommend the blueberry muffins and the hot chocolate. Tony and I weren't keen on the pots of tea but to each their own. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we went there again yesterday and spent another three hours there. Stopping in the café for a cuppa we started chatting with the couple sitting on the next table. They told  us about a nice garden centre where there is a café that do a lovely lunch. The lady sat and drew a map and wrote step by step details on how to get there. Northern folk are so warm and friendly that I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I think the only other place that we have noticed the warmth of strangers is Brightlingsea in Essex. You would almost think they are Northerners...…   But then Anona our little buttercup, you have northern roots :-) xx

While we were at Boundary Mills we bought this lovely Snowman lamp.. well for £10 we could hardly leave it behind could we. It will come out every Christmas and will match the robin and owl  lamps that we already own in the same kind of chalky white pottery.