Day 9

We left Hemel Hempstead Travelodge (thanks to staff including Simone) early @ 8.15 - just as well as we did not reach Hammersmith until 10.30 ish....

A great welcome at London Maggies as Berni Rowden met Berni Byrne, Centre Head! and so many others including Judith, Clare, Isabel, Monique, Jenny, Fay, Mary and Breda & Tom from Tipperary.... and a particular hello to Harry and Sinead from the London Oratory for volunteering their IT skills to Maggies.... I look forward to hearing from the lady who has set Triathlon and a visit to New Zealand as her personal challenges! Ian and I particularly loved all the garden areas!

Setting off at noon for Oxford we made good time but became confused when trying to find the centre at the hospital site - thanks to Daniel the security man for trying to help us! When Liz, Centre Head, came to find us we were actually very close to the centre. Anyway another warm welcome (and more cake, thank you). We met with Sandy, Liz, Glyn, Sue, Tanya and Kerry. I think Glyn was from Cardiff, my home town and there was an even closer connection with Kerry who had grown up on the same road in Dunvant, Swansea where I had lived. Kerry went to the Welsh school and my son, Richard, attended the local school so we would certainly have seen one another during quite a number of years in the local shops!! And her mother and I had taught in the same school but at different times...

Having visited our 12th and last Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre we set off for our hotel, Travelodge Exeter. I decided to avoid the motorway and so we travelled past Salisbury and stopped at The Swan @ Stoford near Salisbury where we met Kellie from Sydney and Matthew from Brisbane Australia. Another good quality meal and we were set for the final 2 hours to Exeter.

Thank you to Eileen on Reception here at Exeter Travelodge for her help and support on our charity drive around the UK.

Tomorrow we will be driving to Land's End but I plan to detour via Slapton Sands, just south of Torquay - in my family history research I found that one of my great grandfathers, Simon Jacob Blank, had been born in Ford, Chivelstone,Stakenham, Kingsbridge in 1849 so I am hoping to view something of the area. He later married my great grandmother, Martha Jenkins in The Tabernacle, Fishguard in 1889...

I also hope to visit Mousehole near Land's End as I love the story of 'The Mowzall Cat' (not sure of the spelling) and 'Stargazy Pie'.

We will be in Hayle next to St Ives tomorrow evening ....

TTFN

Berni