Well, for a day or so the weather lulled us into a sense, of false security, convincing us that the temperatures were rising just enough to be tolerable. As I came home in the middle evening yesterday I noticed that the sky had cleared and that the waning moon was standing out brightly against the sky. What’s more the gritters were out scattering salt and grit on the road surfaces, a sure sign that they expected the night to be a cold one. And indeed, it was!
On Monday in the zoom conversation class our Italian teacher had asked if we were ready for Christmas. Not in the least was the answer from almost all of us. I hadn’t even bought Christmas cards and was barely at the stage if knowing what to buy for anyone. So yesterday as I was going into Manchester to have my hair done, I went in rather earlier than necessary so that I could look for inspiration … and buy some Christmas cards. After having my hair done I stayed on in Manchester to go to the last session of then Italian film course I have been attending. Very interesting!
Hence my middle-evening return home. My timing was near perfect. Usually I stay on the tram as far as Oldham Mumps interchange where, as the tram announcement tells you, you can catch local buses … if you are lucky! I was aware that there were roadworks at the interchange and that my bus stop was closed. I could off at Mumps and walk on to the next bus stop or get off at the tram stop in the town centre and hope to get to the bus stop before Mumps before the bus arrived there, a little sooner than it would arrive at Mumps. I chose the second option on the grounds that if I should miss the bus I would be close to a taxi rank. In the event I saw my bus approaching as I was within scuttling distance of the stop. It is surprisingly hard to scuttle with two bags of Christmas shopping and to stick out your hand at the same time to alert the driver to your intention! But I managed it!
Today we set off mid-morning to catch a bus into town where we caught yet another tram into Manchester and from there a tram to Prestwich on the bury line. We were going to meet a group of old friends, friends from our youth. We’ve been doing this for almost twenty years, sometimes just going put for a meal together and on occasion meeting for train rides on the East Lancashire Railway, for example, or the Welsh Highland Railway. However our irregular meetings were seriously interrupted by covid and by some of our number suffering various illnesses. But today some of us got together and had lunch and a long session of reminiscing about our glory day!
All good stuff!
Today though we arrived back in Oldham at about 8 in the evening, with a good half hour to wait for the next bus back to Delph. So this time we went in search of a taxi. It was altogether too cold to stand for half an hour waiting for a bus which might well arrive late. Taxi prices have gone up as has everything else. It cost us £16 to get home! It’s a good job we were able to travel on the bus and tram for free, using our pensioners’ bus passes! So it goes.
Life goes on, stay safe and well, everyone!
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