Tuesday 30 March - Thurnscoe

Have been spending a wonderful time with my OL friend and her family here in the old pit village in Yorkshire.

It's as though I've been drawn into a large family and treated like a treasured friend. If Di, Bri, Sarah, Carl, Gabby, Libby and Bruce and all the other friends and family I've met are an example of the heart of the people of Yorkshire, it's got to be one of the warmest places on the planet. These new friends have the most wonderful generosity of spirit and while it's a little confusing at times, the family chaos is fun and a joy to watch.

I've been taken all over the surrounding countryside, so have seen some of the amazing Yorkshire moors, the old villages, stone-walled fields filled with shaggy sheep or cows and the occasional horse. Some lovely old buildings and good food.

Doesn't cease to amaze me at the size of the cups of tea you're given - love it - and it's good tea.

The weather's been drizzly and grey, but that's not by any chance dampened my enjoyment and now I have an appropriate anorak to keep me snuggy warm (went shopping in Doncaster yesterday), I don't care what the weather's like.

However, having said that, the weather forecast was for snow in the higher places today, so we put off a train trip into York today and I decided I'd actually head there for a few days exploration on my own over Easter.

There's to be (or there's intended to be) a train strike for 3 days starting Tuesday after Easter, so I'm going to head there before that, and hope to get to Edinburgh at least before it starts to possibly impact me, and hopefully they'll sort it out anyway.

It's my birthday tomorrow - and will spend it with my Yorkshire friends - lovely way to spend it.

Sometimes I think I'd like to head home, but then I think to myself that I'm in England - ENGLAND - the place of my birth and my heritage - and then there's all of Europe to explore, and more friends to meet up with.