Meeting More Family
What an adventure this last ten days! My social battery has certainly been put to test, and I expect Huw's too. We have been introducing each other to more family and friends.
Huw finally decided the time was right to tell his kids about us a couple of weeks ago, and then suddenly we are meeting up - not for a cup of tea or meal out, but for a four day trip to Scotland! It's an interesting difference between us, considering how we approached sharing the news of our relationship. I decided from the get go to share with Amber and Charlotte that I was putting myself out there on the dating playing field again, because I wanted to be open and upfront with them and get their reactions before I went for it. I wanted them to know that I wasn't leaving my past behind and forgotten, but that I was determined to move forward with my new life and find happiness again. And once they knew it was happening they wanted to know how it was going, and we just talked about it as it went along, organically, so they were always up to date from the moment Huw and I first started talking. And of course they met Huw very early on too. Huw is much more guarded and prefers to keep things more private (I don't know how I get away with this blog really!) and chose to wait until he was more sure of me and the still relatively fledgling relationship before sharing the news. And I completely respect his decision ... although I was starting to think six months was perhaps a good time to share even though he found it difficult to approach the subject with his son and daughter. They apparently took the news fine, had no questions and seemed happy for him.
So, it was decided that Huw would bring his son, C, and girlfriend, L, to Scotland as L wanted to see Edinburgh. A week later I picked them up from the airport, glad that I hadn't had to be nervous for too long and quickly realized that, of course, I hadn't needed to be at all. Both kids are lovely, quiet, perhaps a bit youthfully naive and really sweet. I had to work the Thursday and Friday mornings so Huw took them to Bute and to Loch Fyne to see a bit of the area depsite it being a bit rainy, and we had dinner out on Thursday evening at Tide and Thyme. Then on Friday, straight after work, we set off East to Stirling. We walked through the cemetery to get a nice view of the castle and then up to the front of the castle for impressive views over the glen below. It's a really quaint little place on a big rocky outcrop with a nice feel to it. We grabbed a drink at a pub, enjoyed watching the local wino's singing over a busker who was already doing his best to battle with the speaker playing music at the pub. The busker gave up, having a little moan to us all on the way past.
On to Edinburgh and we checked in at our Air BnB for the next two nights - a Georgian apartment just 15 minutes walk from the city centre and everything we wanted to see. We spent the next couple of days exploring Edinburgh and eating and drinking our way round various lovely places. There were a few new things for Huw and I - a market in Grassmarket, and a tiny oldy-worldy street that apparently inspired JK Rowling's Diagon Ally (where I found a shop displaying an artefact made from the skin of a murderer) and the chance to see the Riding of the Marches horse parade which just happened to be on too. There were bagpipe bands, re-enactors firing historical weapons off (everyone jumped out of their skin) and a minute silence for those lost at war. We also visited the Writer's Museum which was a small place with displays on Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns, and a very interesting staircase. We tried gyros for the first time and enjoyed a hilarious comedy night which we were lucky to get in to at the last minute. We had a lovely time and I think this first meeting went alright. In fact, compared to the way Charlotte and Amber grilled Huw when they first met I think I got an easy ride!
After dropping C and L at the airport to fly home Huw and I drove south via an evening in Pooley Bridge with just enough time for a drink on the riverside after dark and a quick stop at a wool shop the following day. We reached South Wales and stayed with his Dad and B for a couple of days. They very kindly made lunches and dinners and took me into Abergavenny to look round the shops and market. I really enjoyed getting to know them a bit and they seem to like me - they're very warm and welcoming people and they think I'm good for Huw - they said it is nice to see him happy and that's lovely to know and I'm glad to be the reason for that. I spent several hours at Huw's allotment tidying up his poly-tunnel, which was very satisfying and it looks good now. By the time the two days was up I was a little overwhelmed and ready for a couple of quiet hours in the car as we drove over to Leamington to see Charlotte and Hugo for an evening.
The next day was a work event for Huw - Grounds Fest, which just happened to be at Stoneleigh Park where I used to work. So, we went together and had a good look round the stands and displays, and watched a few minutes of lawnmower racing. We popped into Fox Windows and Doors to have lunch with Charlotte and say hi to all my old colleagues, which was lovely too. When we were done it was time to drive to Lincoln for three nights to introduce Huw to mum and dad and my oldest and best friends, Emma and Parveen. I had booked us into a tiny place in Swinderby, just outside of Lincoln - a beautiful little place with everything we needed, including a bed which was up a ladder in the eaves. So cute, although after three nights of getting up and down the ladder for a pee in the night we decided we were much too old for that malarkey! Once settled we went to meet mum and dad at a nice pub in Norton Disney, five minutes away, and had a couple of hours over dinner, which seemed to go alright - lots of reminiscing about holidays spent in Wales over the years. Afterwards I felt quite overwhelmed, which I think was relief, but a good cwtch in front of a movie with Huw settled my anxiety back down in no time.
Friday was spent as tourists in the town I grew up in. We started off with a little tour of the houses I grew up in and a little look down the driveway of Branston Hall where I used to work. It was nice to see the quiet roads and houses have barely changed and take a little trip down memory lane. Then we parked in town and went for breakfast at High Bridge cafe - the only medieval bridge in England still lined with buildings - the café has been part of the city since 1540. We walked up Steep Hill, checked out the castle courtyard and cathedral and the lovely old part of the town up in the Bailgate, and then the Brayford too. Next was ice cream at Daisy Made - a favourite haunt of me and my old mates in our late teens. It started out as a tiny wooden shed and is now a big place with crazy golf and a small petting zoo, so we went to say hi to the pygmy goats while we are our mint choc chip and apple crumble ice creams. Once back in Swinderby we went to the local pub for dinner only to discover they only served at lunch times, and so we ordered kebabs for delivery - another first (and probably last) for me.
Our final day was another social day, meeting Parveen for lunch at Ask, which we didn't finish until about 3.30pm! It was good to catch up and she was kind enough to tell Huw at the end how pleased she was that we had found each other and that he was a big part in me being happy again - bless her! That was followed by an hour seeing Grandma, who at 100 years old, has just broken her wrist and so was not at home, but rather at a rehab hospital which was not nearly as nice, but she was chipper and chatty. And finally dinner with Emma at the Botanist, which was great even though neither of us was hungry again, so we had a couple of small plates to share. Always fun, we had a good chat and a cocktail. Both Parveen and Emma texted later to say they thought Huw was lovely and I am so happy that now, when I talk about him, they know him a little bit - it feels more real and more permanent and less intangible. I'm so lucky that all the people I love are part of my life and will all be part of a cohesive future.
On Sunday morning we drove back to Leamington to collect Huw's van, have a lovely lunch at a place that's new to us - steak and eggs and cinnamon pears with granola and yoghurt. It's been an exhausting week, full of socialising with new people but feeling buoyant and embraced by everyone. We headed our separate ways home from Leamington ... for a couple of weeks until next time, and I already can't wait.
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