It has been such a busy week - but I have not been kidnapped! I will continue with the details of the huge brocante I went to last weekend tomorrow but, at this moment in time, I am blogging from "The Beatles Cafe" in Albert Dock, Liverpool in Northern England!! Not exactly an international jetsetter am I?!!
We travelled over to the UK to attend a church service to commemorate and remember the sinking of the large merchant ship, "ATLANTIC CONVEYOR" which was hit by missiles during the Falkland Islands conflict exactly 30 years ago. 12 members of its crew died, including its 57 year old captain. My other half, Mark, was serving onboard the Royal Navy frigate HMS ALACRITY when news came of the attack - and his ship went to the aid of the burning vessel and took onboard survivors who had had to jump into the mountainous seas from the side of their doomed ship and be rescued from life rafts.
We attended the church all suited and booted - and I felt proud of Mark, wearing his South Atlantic medal. The church was almost full but as the service began, (with the singing of the sea-farers' hymn "Eternal Father, Strong to Save") a widow sitting just in front of us began to cry. I lasted less than two minutes before I, too, started to blub - and I spent the rest of the service listening from outside in the church gardens!!!
I think a little retail therapy might be in order before we make our way back to France tomorrow. Why is England SO busy? Perhaps the chateau is more remote than I realise!!!
A la prochaine mes belles!
Say "Hello" to my home town for me whilst you're there! You have to pick up some meat and potato pies from Sayers - it's the Liverpool version of haute cuisine according to some.
RépondreSupprimerHard to believe it's been 30 years - where does the time go? I hope that the service wasn't too hard on Mark (or yourself) as I know how the memories can come back and bite you years later.
Looking forward to hearing more about the brocante - but would really like to know where it is so I can visit with she-who-must-be-obeyed next year. I'm sure she would be able to find the curtains that she wants for our house in France there, or at least she might get a better idea of what they look like! It's been a year of looking now, and it's driving me mad... The brocantes further south, at least by us in the Limousin, don't seem to have the variety and depth that you have up north.
Happy holiday
I would have been crying, too. What a nice post, Shirley. Love the music.
RépondreSupprimerYes, go shopping, go shopping.