The morning school run took me along a different route today, through an area of low lying ground where white mist hung close to the fields. I love to see mist like that; there is something magical about it. Sometimes herons fly across there, or hawks hover overhead, scanning the terrain from a great height before they see something to prey on far below. They know what they are looking for, and they know how and where to look and, through the wonders of this ancient earth, it manifests! There is a wonderful beauty in that system!

The change of route was due to Ali going off on an adventure: a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon. They are spending the afternoon seeing the sights, the evening at the theatre and coming back tomorrow. Though she denied it, there is something Tudoresque about her costume for the day; the actress in her could not resist the opprtunity to be a touch "doublet and hose," and why shouldn't she?! She has flying saucers and jaffa cakes for the coach-ride, and has been brimming with enthusiasm since her place on the trip was confirmed. It is, officially, an English Faculty excursion but it was opened up to performing arts on Tuesday, at which point there was a slight lottery. She kept her mobile phone beside her all afternoon while she waited to hear if she had a place.
"Muuum, I really wanna go!" she kept saying, slipping rapidly from age 18 to age 12! "Mum, will you say a quick prayer about it?"
"OK, let's ask the Angels to help, and if it's right, God will sort it out: Angels, please help! Thank you!"
By tea-time she'd had the call, and has been bouncing around with excitement ever since.

I love Stratford. I had planned to take her there a couple of years ago, but instead we went to an open air production of Romeo and Juliet at Boughton Monchelsea Place in Kent, as Ali wanted to include my Mum in the outing, too.

My last trip to the town was a wonderful example of synchronicity at work. I knew one person from Stratford, and wasn't even sure she lived there any more. "Miraculously" we nearly crashed into each other on the evening of our first day  as she came out of a fish and chip shop carrying her supper! She nearly fell over in shock, as we had not met in 10 years, and that was when we worked together in London. She had a job at the theatre, so we met her at the stage door after we'd watched Richard III, and she took us to a pub full of thespians. It was delightful to catch up with old friends, to see how we'd both gone from career-girl to Mum....

Of course, another of Ali's vital enquiries about Stratford was "Are there shops there?" Not even the Bard's Birthplace escapes commercialism and yes, I went shopping there on my trip. I bought myself a coat, which I loved until I realised that Kathy Beale on Eastenders had the same one.

They'll be half-way there by now, looking forward to a nice bit of culture!

The lucky things!!!