Sunday August 9th – Our time in the Lake District having come to an end, we moved on Saturday morning to visit with our friends Steve and Hillary Hurd in Madeley – a small town just south of Manchester. Steve and Hillary taught at the Aga Khan School in Kampala, Uganda with George in the 1970s and have maintained an interest in the country ever since. Hillary is an Entomologist with a particular interest in mosquitoes and malaria. A professor at Keele University, she has worked on many projects that have taken her back to Uganda from time to time. Steve is an economist and university lecturer (teaching teachers). Together with others they support three schools in Uganda, through a charity called the Uganda Humanist Schools Trust. Steve travels to Uganda once or twice a year with other volunteers who support the schools.

We arrived early afternoon and enjoyed a cuppa in the garden before heading out to the Trentham Estate, another property that is being renovated for use as a “destination” spot. The 725 acre site is divided into sections and includes extensive gardens (formal, Italian, woodland), a lake, a monkey forest, shopping areas and lots of experiential/discovery opportunities for the kids. One that intrigued me was a barefoot trail that included surfaces of every kind, including one where you walked knee deep in mud. The kids seemed to love it! On Saturday evenings they provide live concerts and people bring their blankets, tables and chairs, picnics (and rain gear!) to enjoy a variety of shows throughout the year. Tonight’s show was Motown but was sold out. There is also a lovely shopping area full of small craft/clothing stores and cafes. Jenn and I enjoyed a browse while the others patiently waited for us.

We returned home and everyone enjoyed a brief rest before heading out to the Hand and Trumpet Pub for dinner.

Sunday morning was departure day for Jenn so we were up early to take her to the Manchester airport. When we got back, Steve and Hillary took us on a walking tour of town to see the seniors’ residence and Town Council Hall from which their University of the Third Age (U3A) operates. This is quite an interesting concept which provides opportunities for retirees and semi-retirees to share in interest groups of all types. There are evidently a number of these groups across the UK with the purpose being not for qualification, but just for the sheer joy of discovery. There are some twenty or thirty topics being presented in the Madeley group. Check out their website:Madeleyu3a.

After lunch and a short rest, we headed off to Biddulph Grange Garden, yet another National Trust property. The property includes an amazing Victorian garden which is divided into geographical areas with plants collected from around the world – Italy, Egypt, China, etc. There was also a large dahlia garden which I enjoyed since it’s my new favourite plant. Dinner was at the local Indian food restaurant where we ate ten years ago when we visited last.

We were all so tired when we returned home, it didn’t take long to decide to turn in early. Tomorrow includes more travel…likely the longest drive of our vacation.