Walk with new friends

Saturday

Tom and George

Tom had football training in the morning, it's got to the stage now where we can just drop him off, so we did.  Matt went down to watch the match at the end and got talking to new parents - the team has attracted a couple of new families this year, thanks mainly to one of the players changing school and telling his new friends about Craven.  One of the families are a bit like us ie not local.  Matt got talking to the Mum, Fiona a couple of weeks ago - turns out they were born in the same hospital in the same year!  Anyway, they are really easy to talk to.  They said they were going for a walk in the afternoon, which was also our plan so they arranged to meet up to do one together at Stocks Reservoir.

We had lunch at Goat Gap and then parked up at Stocks.  We met up with them: two boys who are identical in everyday except one is 13 and one 9, and two very excited spaniels.  We did a small lap: just under 4 miles, exploring forests, moss and lots and lots of mushrooms of all sizes, shapes and colours.  It was a really lovely walk and the conversation didn't dry up at all.  Tom and George (the younger boy) acted as if they had known each other all their lives!

Giant mushroom

After the walk, we were invited for a drink back at their place.  We had a feeling it would be nice, we weren't disappointed: down a country lane in the middle of no-where, a proper cottage with loads of out buildings.  House envy set in, mind you they said they were searching a good 4 years before they found it.  They both work in pet food - met at Leeds University doing animal related courses.  It was a lovey day.

Millie - a mad spaniel

Sunday morning saw me and Tom heading over to Bentham to spend the morning with Charlie and Harry - Charlie and Tom have become quite good buddies recently.  Alice set up a couple of escape room type clues for them to play with as she loves going to escape rooms and was wondering if Tom would like to go with them next time.

The boys then played whilst Alice and I chatted.  Alice is a teacher at Settle College so I tried to quiz her about it and QES etc, she is so professional, she wouldn't be drawn.  Fair enough I guess, but I'm sure Charlie and Harry will end up at Settle College and that wouldn't be the case if she wasn't happy about it.

Matt was supposed to be taking the opportunity of us not being around to go out on his bike, but on getting ready, he found the battery was flat and he couldn't start it, so Tom and I headed home, we had lunch and then we went to Ribblehead for a walk - just to get out more than anything else.  We then decided to go out for tea, Tom suggested the Highwayman (Matt and I went by ourselves a couple of weeks ago, and he had felt left out) so we went.  Good food and service again - we will be regular customers here I think.