Adventure
This morning Madame Pudding had the bright idea of heading out to the far south east of the city to visit the Crystal Peaks shopping centre. She was keen to use her senior travel card on the city's "Supertram" system. We would travel by bus into the city centre then near Fitzalan Square we would catch a blue line tram all the way to Crystal Peaks. Neither of us had been there in years. Hastily, I hatched a supplementary plan which would see me spurning the retail delights of the shopping centre in order to walk in a big circle - out to Rother Valley Country Park, round the lakes and then back again to Beighton and onward to Crystal Peaks - some six miles in total. Soon after setting off on the walk I found myself in the Church of St Mary the Virgin. Inside, a small number of senior parishoners happened to be decorating the church ready for Christmas. They were most welcoming and a silver-haired lady called Christine asked if I would like a hot drink. It seemed to...