Hello people! Hope you are doing well?
I wrote about my Leatherhead experience in my January 2021 post, but I can't shake off the feeling that that mini piece needs its own post - so here we go again (with some video content).
I have included a video documenting some of my commuting experiences - I spent a minimum of three and a half hours making my way to-fro work, then when my family moved house, it became three hours, one-way... so a total of 6 hours each day was spent travelling (I do not recommend).
I tried to be productive during my travels, so I spent a lot of time snap chatting, reading, writing, sleeping and catching up on my favourite shows in between train stations... then COVID happened (about 3 months after we moved), and I was super grateful to work from home.
Enjoy the video, and the piece on my Leatherhead experience again (if you wish). There will be fresh content in the coming months :)
A miracle brought me to Leatherhead and a miracle called me out of Leatherhead.
South Bermondsey to Wimbledon; Wimbledon to Leatherhead.
South Bermondsey to Tulse Hill; Tulse Hill to Sutton; Sutton to Leatherhead.
Gravesend to Waterloo; Waterloo to Leatherhead.
Fortnight Friday trips to Parsons Green and crossing Putney Bridge.
Train delays and train cancellations; in the hot summer and in the snowy winter.
Leatherhead was where I first genuinely started to like living in England.
Perhaps, it was the green fields of Surrey or maybe the friendliness of the people.
Who knew my foundational learnings of the aviation industry would be laid here?
Cessnas, Beechcraft, Airbus, Boeing; appraisals, models, research and avigeeks.
King's Head Alley.
The quietest Lidl bakery I have seen; organic food from Waitrose that Daniel fast year.
Sainsbury’s sandwiches and Greggs’ chicken bake.
Costa’s cinnamon brioche bun – my morning ritual.
And of course, that new Japanese place and that Brazilian grill where I cried a bit.
Gelatos and mango sorbets on walks to clear my head.
That tiny street in the small town centre.
UCB Radio and my obsession with CityAlight.
I checked for the origin and meaning of Leatherhead, she means ‘public ford’
I googled the meaning of ford: a shallow place in a river or stream allowing one to walk or drive across
It all makes sense. It does.
I was in an arid place when I arrived at Leatherhead.
I waddled through the stream; it was warm, healing and peaceful.
Now that I am on the other side, I say thank you.
Thank you, Leatherhead, for being a bridge; a friendly bridge.
My favourite moments were spent in the fields in front of that ancient church
The vicar was lovely and I once had the best chat with Rosalyn Landor and her dog.
I looked up to the hills, fell on my knees and prayed.
Many a lunch break; I cried, I prayed, I cried, then I prayed some more
The knot was loosened.
I walked out of Leatherhead freer than I walked into it.
A miracle brought me to Leatherhead and a miracle called me out of Leatherhead.
xoxo
