Retracing history and meeting family where you can

Today we caught up with Matt Worrad and his girlfriend Ana. We have missed catching up with Matt and Ana at catch ups in Melbourne over the last 18 months for one reason or another. So, strange as it seems, it was to be London where we finally made a lunch date. The agreed venue was only just down the road from where I used to live when I worked in London 22 years ago … We had toyed with the idea of going out there for a visit to show Anthony and the kids and today’s opportunity was too good to pass up.

We made our way to the Central Line which has to be the noisiest tube line in London. We managed to get seats and screeched our way out to Newbury Park. Memories flooded back as we jumped on a bus and headed to the nurse’s accomodation at King George’s / Goodmayes Hospital. Nothing had changed – the buildings looked the same. I can only imagine how many nurses have come and gone in the last 22 years.

From here we headed to Ilford, to catch a train to Stratford, to catch a train to Hackney Wick. We arrived at Hackney Wick to meet Matt and Ana who had walked from Stratford. It would have been funny if we had met on the platform. We ended up heading back to Stratford to a delicious Mexican restaurant complete with Margaritas.

We had a great time chatting and sharing our travel stories with time passing unnoticed. Before long it was time for us to head in our own directions to begin preparations for Christmas day. It was lovely to meet Ana for the first time. Thanks to both Matt and Ana for making time to see us.

We then headed back to Earl’s Court where, through the marvel of modern technology, we rang and talked to our families and friends on Christmas Eve for our European friends and on Christmas Morning for our Australian family and friends.

So, for us, Christmas lasted more than a day!