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Saturday, July 28, 2012

Reunion in the UK

While in the UK last month, we had a reunion with friends from days on the goldmines of Guinea, West Africa. Although the time was short, we managed to fit in all everything that had happened since 2006 and also had a great time reminiscing. 


The weekend after we'd returned from IOM, we drove down to Wansford in the "shires" with Kevin and Jane, whom I posted about last month. There we met up with Peter and Amanda, Mick and  Ronnie. I chided Ronnie as he arrived at the pub where we met without his wife, Morag. He apoligised and said that she was on duty at a retirement home where she does the clinic once a week! 

Morag and I were inseparable on the gold mine site where we both worked. After hours we also exercised together in the camp's well-equipped gym, played golf together on the camp's  unique four-hole golf course and spent every Saturday together at my home where I held motivational, health and slimming classes for the ladies of the camp.
 Friends from the gold mines of Guinea, West Africa circa 2000-2006: Back row:Mick, Jane, Kevin, Grant (slightly hidden) and Ronnie. Front row: Moi, Peter (the Mine Director General, Ex Foreign Legion!)  and his wife, Amanda

Grant and I spent the night with Peter and Amanda in their beautiful home on the Nene River. When I first arrived on the gold mine site, Lero, in 2001, Amanda was the only other woman there. She and I became firm friends, walking the three kilometers back from the office to the camp as exercise. She was the one who asked me to run a slimming club camp which; initially she was my only member! Later, as part of my job with the company, I held motivational and slimming and health classes for the  dozen or so women who eventually lived on site with their husbands. 

The next morning while Peter served us English tea, boiled eggs and toast, Ronnie arrived with Morag! What a lovely surprise. They sat down and joined us for breakfast and Morag, Amanda and I never stopped talking!

Amanda, Morag and Jo. Amanda and Morag live near each other and with their husbands, socialize often. However, this was the first time in five years that we three had met up again!

Amanda and Peter have a beautiful Labrador, Urquhart whom I met as a puppy in 2005! It was wonderful to see this beautiful gentle dog again although he is now eight years old.

Urquhart, Amanda and Peter's the beautiful chocolate Labrador

Mmm, I wonder who is boss in this house! 

An hour later, Ronnie and Morag took me and Grant to the Peterborough Station where we boarded the train for London.
As it had done the whole weekend, the rain continued to pour down on Monday!

More about on stay in London soon. I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!  
 


6 comments:

  1. How fun to meet with these ladies. I'll bet your conversations picked right up from 5 years ago. You all look so animated.

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  2. Isn't that the best fun, meeting up with old friends.

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  3. It is so much fun to meet with old friends. It always seems as if there was no time inbetween.

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  4. Must be pretty hectic there with all the hoo haa over the olymics! Have fun. x

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  5. OMG ! what a weather in London when you arrived ! This time when I crossed the city the sun was shining and it was rather hot ! Fortunately, as athletes were arriving this day and some of them were actually in my train !

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  6. It sounds like you had a wonderful visit catching up with old friends. It's always so sweet to visit with old friends after being apart for so many years. You are good about keeping up with friends from the past.

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