Happy Birthday, Sandra!

 

Sandra, with her best friend Jan, in Fattoria la Vialla, Tuscany, September 2012

We really can't let this occasion go by without another tribute - this time to Sandra, our closest friend and next-door neighbour in The Quad, whom most of you will know. She has been celebrating a very special birthday this week, and we've been quite frustrated that we haven't been able to make direct contact - because of internet and telecoms problems - to share in her celebrations for this very special event.

Some of you will already know the pivotal role which Sandra played in our decision to move into Merry Cottage (and also the significance of her friendship in making our 14 years of living there so truly wonderful). For the record, though, it's perhaps worth repeating the occasion when we first met:

Through the estate agent, we'd made an appointment for 'the neighbour' who was holding the keys on behalf of the then-owner of Merry Cottage, to show us around the property. The appointment was for 11 o'clock on a lovely sunny day towards the end of August 1999. We arrived at the appointed our to find ..... absolutely no-one around! Puzzled about what to do (there was no mobile phone signal there, either - and there still isn't!), we sat in 'our' garden, soaking up the sunshine and birdsong for maybe half-an-hour. Just as we were about to give up, Sandra appeared at our front door in her dressing gown (of course, we now know!) clutching a large mug of strong coffee. Our first-ever conversation with her began with her apology: "Sorry I'm late, but we sometimes drink a lot of gin in this house". We knew immediately that we'd get on!

She came down the steps to join us in the garden, and we sat talking for maybe a full hour, Sandra telling us about Graywood, The Quad's history, and all about Chiddingly with its impending Festival, and the Six Bells with its Folk 'n' Blues Club. We then spent some time swapping gig and music-festival stories, and we decided there and then that this was the place (or maybe the person!) for us. We did agree, though, when prompted by Sandra, that we should probably have a look inside Merry Cottage before doing the deal!

Though we're very far away from you, Sandra, we hope you know that you've been in our thoughts all week, and that, in your honour, we've managed to track down a bottle of gin and some tonic-water in the local supermarket to drink a belated toast to you (belated only because, as well as the lack of connectivity we couldn't find any gin in the Pilanesburg Game Reserve!

So, a very Happy Birthday to you, darling Sandra.