3 April 2025

Away

Our rental in Llandudno

Health appointments have been coming thick and fast for me. If it's not one thing it's another. They have prevented us from planning holiday time away. It would have been a great opportunity to go just now as Frances, Stew, Phoebe and Margot are presently in western Australia visiting Stew's brother Richard, his Australian wife Cindy and their two children. They live in the suburbs of Perth.

However, today I booked three nights in Llandudno, North Wales. Our spring weather has been stunning for the past two weeks and it is predicted to carry on like this for several more days. It would have been a shame not to take a little advantage of it before my next doctor's appointment on Tuesday.

I have been to Llandudno before but it was long ago. There's a hospice there now - where John Gray works. I e-mailed him earlier - suggesting meeting up but I haven't heard back yet.

To tell you the truth, I am nervous about meeting other bloggers. Knowing them via a computer screen is one thing but seeing them in the flesh is another. Will they measure up? Will I measure up? It's a funny thing. I have met three other bloggers in "real life" before and all went very well. They were happy events.

I have "known" John Gray for about fifteen years and have followed his blog story. I admire the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve and is open about his life and feelings. It's no surprise that hundreds of others have great affection for him and "Going Gently". Apart from anything else, he's a funny guy.

Today I had to go back to the garage on Sharrow Vale Road to get Clint's window washers fixed. I was there by eight fifteen. I said to the mechanics, "Will I need to go home or can I just go for breakfast and come back?" I knew the job would be a quick one.

"Oh you'll need to go home and wait for a call".

So I trudged a mile, back up the hill that is Ecclesall Road. As soon as I got home, Shirley said, "Oh, the garage have just been on the phone. The car's ready!"

Grrr!

If I ruled the world, stuff like this would never happen.

And so, yeah, we'll be heading west tomorrow - setting off mid-morning. No blogposts have been "scheduled" so this humble Yorkshire blog will be in mothballs until Monday night. As they say in Wales, "ffarwel!" Can you guess what it means?

31 comments:

  1. You get to meet John! Lucky guy. Have a lovely little holiday.

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  2. Enjoy the time away, and the Blog Holiday!

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    1. I pressure myself to blog just about every day but why?

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  3. only welsh i know is "araf" and "croeso"..... you can have those.... you're welcome! have a great time - enjoy the break

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    1. I know the Welsh for "hello". It is "helo". Would you believe it?

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  4. Have a fun and relaxing getaway!

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    1. We will definitely do some things and make a few memories.

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  5. Garages never seem to have their clients in mind when they quote times. Your "grrr" was correct. Enjoy your short holiday and, if you meet him, give John Gray my best regards and tell him I, too, enjoy his blog and his life.

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  6. Here's to good weather and getting away from routine!

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  7. there seems to be no end of tests for our health challenges. I hope results are positive.

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  8. Your temporary abode looks posh! I hope it lives up to what it looks like on the website where you probably booked it.
    It would be nice if a meeting with John Gray came about. If it does, please say hello from me. For a while, I regularly read his blog, too, but with my change of employement a few years ago, things became even busier than before and I had to reduce the time spent reading and writing in the blogosphere.

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  9. I've heard that Western Australia can be addictive, your little family might not want to come home. Are they going to visit Rottnest Island and see the quokkas?

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  10. Hope your not booked into The Grand or as we called it The Not so Grand.

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  11. Hope that you have a lovely break, and also get to meet John. ( and the dogs/cats)

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  12. Have a nice time away to blow the cobweb. I was worried that you hadn't visited my blog for a while, but guess you've been busy with appointments. No pressure!

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  13. Have a great weekend away - hope the weather keeps fine for you.
    Last week I had to wait almost two hours for my new remote to be installed for my car. Apparently it took two mechanics almost that long to sort it out. The apology was that it had had to come all the way from France - which is only just up the road!

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  14. One advantage of a mobile phone. But I appreciate that you have your principles.

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  15. A walk up the Great Orme perhaps?

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  16. It will be good for you both a seaside break. Enjoy.

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  17. When we were in Wales in 2019, I had no idea that while sitting on a bench looking out at the Conwy estuary, I could have been sitting next to John Gray of Wales. I've had many more meetings with blog people and aside from one person from Texas, all have been great and some have gone on to become real personal friends. What year was it? 2023 when we zoomed past Sheffield on the M1, and I knew full well who lived there. So close but so far. Have a fab time away.

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  18. That is a beautiful part of the world, enjoy. We had dinner with John in March of 2020 (just before the world shifted) he is very genuine.

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  19. Have a lovely time. You and your bride deserve a break.

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  20. I hope you get to meet John. I enjoy his blog and think you two would get along well.
    Have a wonderful getaway, Neil!

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  21. I've been to Llandudno - a short visit 50+ years ago! Had to dig out my photo album from back then to check. As one can't post photos in comments, I might do a post on my own blog instead. Wish you a lovely weekend!

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  22. Enjoy your break and may the wind be always at your back.

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  23. Have a great trip! I can't wait to hear about it. I've lived in the UK for 14 years and I've never been to Wales!

    I also want to go to Perth, but that's a bigger undertaking.

    I've met several bloggers IRL and never had a bad experience, for what it's worth!

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  24. You emailed my hotmail account which I cannot access anymore my new email is jgsheffield@icloud .com

    I’m working tomorrow night but could come in early to say hello if you are around
    I start at 7.30

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  25. Ps I’m working on Sunday night so could come in early too that night

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  26. John Gray said he left a comment here, but I don't see it. I hope you read his blog so you know his new email address! Will be sad if you don't meet!

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  27. I hope you managed to meet-up with John.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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