By Anne & Fred Meek
After driving up a long drive past a lake and geese and sheep we arrived at a lovely Cotswold stone farmhouse to find Julie Brooks the first of the clients already there sunning herself in the lovely conservatory.
First job was put the kettle on and unload the food from the mini bus.
Very soon people started to arrive were shown to their rooms and helped to unpack where necessary. Tea and lovely homemade cakes were soon produced in the lounge and everyone started to make friends.
Robin Hutly and Elaine Larkin had come together but soon made friends with the others, Julie Brooks, Richard Whitting, Bobby Morrison, Michael Mcquillan, Peter Zoephel, Samantha Kearns and Michelle Stenning.
Everybody explored the estate and tried out the equipment in the games room.
It was a beautiful warm sunny evening and they had a buffet supper in the conservatory.
Tuesday
We went to Chedworth roman villa. It was a lovely sunny day but a little cool so we had a picnic in a tent. Ann told everybody about how Roman central heating worked and how and how the Romans used a sponge on a stick to wipe their bottoms after using the communal loos and hoe the cleaned the ear wax out of their ears by using a special little spoon and every one admired the beautiful mosaic floors. After that we went back to the house for tea and cakes and in the evening we went out for a lovely dinner at a local pub.
Wednesday
We went for a ride round some of the Cotswold villages and went to see the white horse at Uffington before having lunch at a cafe on the Buscott Estate In the afternoon we went to Buscott Park and after climbing lots of steps up from the car park to the house we looked round the house admiring the beautiful chandeliers, the silk wall coverings and the beautiful pictures. Afterwards we had tea and cakes in the orangery. We then travelled back to the house through more beautiful Cotswold villages stopping to visit 2 ancient churches and ad mire the daffodils.
For dinner we had a lovely chicken pie made by Wendy and Ann.
Thursday
Wendy and Ann stayed behind to prepare for the party while Geraint and Fred took everybody else to Bourton on the Water where they visited the model village, had lunch in a cafe and did some shopping. Then it was back to the house to get their glad rags on for the party and pack ready to go home on the Friday.
The Party
Everybody started arriving at about 4 pm. All the folk from the Greyhound came and there were old colleagues and pupils from Wendy’s teaching days, and people who have worked on Options Holidays and several Options clients and their families. People enjoyed a lovely buffet in the conservatory and music in the function room. Wendy was toasted with Champagne and she made a speech thanking every one for coming and saying how nice it was to see so many old friends and colleagues. She also introduced Nathan Fisher who she knew as a 3 year old and who still holidays with Options and we drank a toast to him congratulating him for being selected for the Special Olympics in Athens next year for power lifting in the 60 kg. Category.
People had lots of fun looking at the photos which told the story of Wendy’s 50 year career. I was a lovely sunny evening and people started to wend their way home about 8pm.
Friday we all left for home at 10 am after a breakfast of sausage sandwiches