Postcard from Shropshire

Am posting this from Shropshire - M and I have taken a few days off work and have gone on a mini holiday. We left London directly after work on Thursday - the fast train only took 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is unbelievably fast. So fast in fact, that I began to feel 'sea sick'. Anyway, we are currently with his parents at their house and his mother is cooking supper.

But back to the week in London. On Wednesday after work I met a friend who is a lawyer in a hotel bar she suggested so we could chat in peace. The staff were wonderful, we only had to finish a drink and they were on hand to offer another. Bar snacks (really nice ones) appeared from nowhere the minute we sat down and there was a lady playing a piano around the corner, so it was peaceful but not silent. An inspired choice of venue for post-work drinks (and so different from the O'Neills where my colleagues usually insist on dragging me. I then went from Holborn to Holland Park to meet M and a friend of his, L, after they had finished supper. We ended up chatting until past closing time, so once we had got a bus home and frantically packed for the weekend, it was 1.30am.

Thursday morning and I had to walk to work in the pouring rain, carrying overnight bag, handbag and a putter (to join the rest of the golf clubs which currently reside in Shropshire so that we can play a round on Sunday). I was juggling said items and trying to swap shoulders with the bags when I realised that I was stood outside the Engineer, and who should be sat inside at the window but Russell Brand. We made eye contact and he was wearing the smirk of a man trying not to laugh...

Today has been spent pottering and shopping. Managed to get some shoes to wear with the dress that I had bought in London to attend a dinner dance on Saturday night, as well as a jumper dress for the pricey sum of £8 from Primark. It really is a ghastly shop - it looks far more like a jumble sale than anything else - but occasionally it does produce some bargains. I also bought some pick'n'mix for the first time in years! A wonderful and relaxing start to the weekend; so enjoyable to not have to get up and go to work.