When we stopped at Bristol...

DH and I have a friend who last October left Australia after living there for 21 years, and returned to her home city of Bristol. We had sent messages to her a little while ago saying we would stop over in Bristol to see her but had had no response. I emailed a mutual friend who gave me an uptodate email address we could use instead of a Facebook message that we had been using. I included in the email I sent our UK mobile number and while we were sightseeing with Heather and Andrew on Sunday we got a call. So DH found us accommodation in Bristol and we set off from Taunton on Monday morning.

When we arrived in Bristol the first thing on the agenda was to find a laundromat (Aussie for launderette). DH prefers to just drive around and keep an eye out for such a place. That method wasn't really working that well on Monday morning so I suggested I google 'launderettes in Bristol' on my phone and so I did. Within minutes we were at the one in Baker St.

DH helped me carry the bags into the launderette but then left me to start the washing while he went to find a parking spot...other than using a coin operated machine in caravan parks years ago, I've never done any washing in a laundromat. But the man who was in charge was a great help so by the time DH got back the load was washing away.

After that we headed off to drive around Bristol to get our bearings...

We saw lots of streets which had rows of brightly coloured terraced houses

Lots of other terraced houses...

Some very stately homes ...

We also came across this magnificent bridge which is 150 years. It spans a huge gorge and was built by Brunel who was an engineer well ahead of his time. (I have seen a documentry on some of his projects)

We were so impressed with this bridge that we drove around so we could cross it for a second time! Lol

The view from the bridge...

I have been noticing these signs that suggest that traffic may build up...

Well the traffic did queue that afternoon in Bristol... (Although it was heaps worse when we went into the city about 5pm!)

When we found our B&B, the lady at the front desk said we had been 'upgraded'....?

I was very impressed when she opened the door to our room...

Very nice and so roomy! Our B&B had once been a hotel for gentlemen and 2 stately homes before that...we even had a small dressing room!

About 5pm we braved the busy city traffic to find where we would be meeting Alison. After a bit of a walk round we drove to the meeting place, Queens Square.

Here we are after having a big hug!

Alison suggested we walk a short distance to the waterfront....

We had a meal and stayed chatting for quite a while and then we walked back to our cars at Queens Square...and as we went Alison pointed out places of interest including a very old hotel which is very higgelty piggelty inside...

And a young man near that pub offered to take our photo...

There is a lot to see in Bristol but the best thing we saw was our friend Alison. We will meet up with her again later in April when a group of Aussies converge on Villers Bretoneaux at the Australian War Memorial.

To read the post I wrote when the parish gave Alison a send off last October, here is the link...

http://thenextstage-maria.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/a-send-off-for-special-friend.html

A send off for a special friend...

Because my operation has been rescheduled to later this month, (Oct 22) I was able to attend a function that I had originally sent my apologies and was so disappointed to be missing it. It was last Sunday and it was a get together to farewell a friend who has decided to return to her home in the UK.
Alison joined our congregation over 10 years ago and was a tireless worker for the parish. She was also an excellent Treasurer and such people are worth their weight in gold as anyone involved in community groups would know. So after the 9.30 service a number of us made our way to Mc Cook Park and set up for our picnic...

 I grew up in this area and Mc Cook Park was used a lot for interschool sports' games...but it was 'very basic' in those days...it's a lot more attractive these days...

People started putting out food on the tables...

 Father Bruce, our Rector, went and got a container of water for the 2 pet dogs who had come along...

DH and our friend Greg, solving the problems of the world there...

Alison, our guest of honour, on the left with my friend Carmen (I was Carmen's pract teacher in her last year of training; been friends ever since)

For an occasion like this, you have to have a cake! It was in the shape of a suitcase :-)

The guest of honour cuts into the cake and we all sing, 'For She's a Jolly Good Fellow...'

What's this? Suzanne walks up with a large parcel. It's the gift from the parish...

 It's mentioned that the parcel contains a painting that Alison had admired at the annual parish art Show in July...Alison squeals as she realises what is in the parcel...

She's taken aback...'it costs so much', she gasped

Here it is...apparently when Alison had seen this painting originally, it reminded her of all the beach walks she had done with her dogs, on Queensland beaches. Except the painting is of a northern NSW beach, but that's a minor matter...

Closer look of the painting by Mitchell Warner

She was rapt and had no idea what 'we' had got up to in buying it for her...

 But that's not all...Carmen had made an album for Alison with photos of all the parishioners taken at various events over the years...what a great memento!

And that's still not all...our parish makes prayer quilts for parishioners who are enduring trauma but quilts are also made for farewells...
And this is Alison's...the photo was taken back at St James where people were able to tie  the threads that represent prayers for the recipient. The quilt also went to the park to have more knots tied before the hand over...

 The label...

On October 22, Alison and her dog Bear will fly back to the UK and eventually to Bristol where she will be home again with her elderly parents and family all close by. We will miss her, that's for sure!