GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS

The good news was that although our holiday was almost over – just one more night at Keswick Youth Hostel – Jamie could come back home with me so we would have Saturday and part of Sunday together and I would try to telephone Matron and ask for Monday to be next week’s day off.

Meanwhile Jamie showed me a present his grand-father had left him – an enormous darning needle which he used to darn his socks.  Jamie had confided in one of his uncles about our romance and his uncle had urged him to get back here as soon as possible.  Thank you uncle!  Maddie had once met Jamie’s parents and said only a Scots girl would be good enough for their sons but Liam who was at Yale married Ruth –an Austrian who - with her  parents - had fled the Holocaust.

Whilst Jamie had a wash and shave, Alec, Ginny and I said goodbye to our friends and packed for Keswick.  We were all feeling quite tired and planned to do nothing more than the long walk to Keswick.  We turned up by Rogue Herries – climbed lots of walls and whilst resting under a bridge were caught up by four American girls.  The girls were very friendly and seemed mesmerised by Jamie.  To our amusement and Jamie’s discomfiture they asked if they could take a photo of him.  They did so and went on their way whilst we teased Jamie unmercifully.  It was an eye opener – I had always been fairly immune to his good looks.  It was himself I loved.

By the time we reached Keswick we were tired, hot and dirty and went in search of food.  To our horror (Ginny and I) we saw one of our least favourite ward sisters – a reminder that all good things come to an end.  Fairy floss, cherries, peaches and shortbread lightened our spirits.  The hostel was a bit of a disappointment but Ginny and I donned dresses for the last time, had a very merry supper and set off for a local tavern.  To my shame I had one and a half pints of cider and was completely bonhappy.  

‘Felt safe with Jamie and trust him implicitly.  Walked slowly back – thank goodness there were no white lines.  Stayed out of hostel till locked, then adjourned to stairs till interrupted by assistant warden.  Decided to break completely with Andrew.  Jamie is the dearest, sweetest man in the world.  Went to sleep pretty quick’
                                   Diary entry July21st 1949

Both Ginny and I woke early and at 4.45am walked down to the lake and saw Keswick in its early morning glory.  A mist was rising and the sight of some beautiful chestnut horses standing under a tree was a memory we would treasure when back in our normal gritty surroundings.

After breakfast and our obligatory duties we found a café and had one of our usual feasts – a last supper before we bade a tearful farewell to Alec.  What a star he had been.  On the bus we admired the scenery and decided that Thirlmere was our favourite lake.  At Ambleside Jamie dashed off to buy sandwiches- Heaven forbid that we should go a couple of hours without food – and we ate them.  At Kendal Ginny discovered she had the wrong rucksack.  Jamie didn’t flap – just dashed off again to sort it whilst Ginny and I applied Nivea cream in Kendal High Street in a last frantic effort to achieve a honey brown skin tone.
Then a wearisome journey to Manchester and an even more wearisome journey to the valley.  Usual sadness at leaving the Lakes and then saying good bye to Ginny but Jamie was with me.  What more could I ask?