Farewell Watlington

See: A box of memories saved for a lifetime in a garden shed
Smell: Cut grass and loam
Hear: The boys cutting the lawn with a weed wacker
Taste: G&T at 6pm
Touch: The leaves of the vine growing over the final resting place of two very special people

Last weekend, Steve and I went up with Russell to Elbow Cottage, Uncle Ray and David's old place in Watlington to tend to the garden and for us to say our goodbyes.

When we first arrived in the UK in June 2005 one of our first outings was for Steve to see his Uncle and meet his partner of 45 years and also introduce me - his blushing bride. It was the first of many enjoyable visits we had to the cottage.

Sadly since then both have passed away, Raymond Stringer in 2006 and David Waite in 2008. Their ashes are scattered on their favourite spot in the garden and the cottage, though now empty, has not lost the sheen of the life they shared within its walls.

As we worked in the garden on Saturday the sun shone, the red kites circled overhead and a mischievous robin played games with me all afternoon as I chased it around the garden trying to get a photo. Going through the garden shed, we uncovered a box full of David's old photos and amongst it all I found a post card written by David to his father when he was a young boy:

Dear Daddy

I hope you have finished your book

here is a little story

One day Mr Brown

wanted to go

for a walk so

he went for one

The wind was

so strong that

it took his

hat away ha

ha ha

love from

David x x x