Thursday - another one of those days which found me wondering how I managed to work and get ready to go on holiday. Over two years ago I would have found myself sitting at work with my mind divided between work and thinking what had I got to do to get away for my holiday . Life had changed . A blood test result sought out . A mixed message from the receptionist . What was wrong with saying one result had back . Instead she led us to believe all back and one required the GPs attention . Ring back tomorrow . Last minute shopping and buying just enough to tide us over for a few days . Plans made of where to hide said contraband from the authorities who were policing Brexit .
Saturday and we are on our way . The cat is sorted out we hope. The post sorted out too and we decided to leave early for Surrey . The plan had been to stop on the way for some lunch and
then set up camp in a motorway service station somewhere close to Leatherhead . In the end sense prevailed and we picked Runneymede . The home of the signing of the Great Charter Magna Carta in 1215. A national trust site where we could park up free for a few hours sign into the internet and listen to the football match at Dorking . Just up the road from where we would be parked up.
The roads were relatively quiet and we made good progress . We did stop for lunch on the motorway services . Perhaps one of the better ones but still not the best of places . An accident along the way made us think of our own mortality . A burnt out car . The fire engines were still there at the scene putting out the last remains of the fire . Thankfully everyone seemed OK.
Runneymede was much better . We had two choices of spots . The first a pleasure area around the Thames . There were cafes , hard standing and a statue of Elizabeth II. Just as we arrived the heavens opened . The worse rain you could imagine .
Coming down in stair rods. The second spot was on grass but given all the hot weather the parking area was rock hard . I struggled with the parking machine . It was free to National Trust members if you put your card up against the scanner. I must have tried around three times before it worked . Whilst I was trying it the driver tried to connect us to the internet. We had paid to put an add on 30 days of data and planned to set it up today . Whilst he was trying to sort this one out I went for a ramble around Runneymede. I crossed the road which was at times busy and headed for the small shop where I bought a rose ice cream and a magnum which I took back to the van . The driver was struggling with sorting out the add on. For some strange reason it would not work . I left him to it as I walked over to read the writing on the two piers outside the shop. It seems that after the death of the owner of the land in 1929 the celebrated architect Sir Edwin Lutyens
to design the twin memorials which consisted of posts of stone blocks topped with laurel leaves and urns. There was an inscription In these meads on 15th June 1215 King John at the instance of Deputies from the of the Realm granted the Great Charter the earliest of constitutional documents wherein ancient and cherished customs were confirmed , abuses redressed and the administration of justice facilitated new provisions formulated for the preservation of peace and every individual perpertually secured in the free enjoyment of his life and property . What a wordy inscription that was without full stops .
My walk then took me past willow figures . A man with his scythe , a hollow hut like structure which was filled today with a family having fun and a horse being stroked by a child . There were other monuments scattered around the site . Writ in Water , another couple of memorials to the signing of the Great Charter and the Jurors . I was accosted at the Jurors by a young man who wanted his photograph taken. It was difficult to get him in without anyone else.
