Back to the garden

I popped round to say a quick hello to Debbie today. I fear she may not be thrilled with me for posting this shot ("Not the face!") but it gives me an ideal excuse to 'big her up' (as I believe the young folk say) so I'm going to anyway... Yikes!

I first met Debbie almost 30 years ago - which seems scarcely credible - when she was my hip young A Level English teacher and I was a painfully shy, socially inept and bookish adolescent. I am no longer at least one of these things! She's still hip of course - and almost as young as I am!

I think I can safely say that if it hadn't been for her (and her fabulous colleague Beryl) I very much doubt that I would have even thought about doing a degree, let alone an English degree and that the whole course of my adult life would have been very different - and not in a good way! She gave me confidence in myself and she was unlike any teacher I'd ever encountered before - in a good way! EXACTLY the sort of teacher that everyone needs.

And exactly the sort of friend that everyone needs. I don't get to see her nearly often enough for my liking but I'm chuffed to bits that we've stayed in touch all these years. She's probably been more important in my life than I've ever really told her.

Anyway Debbie, if you're reading this, I'm sending you and Pete lots of love and wishing you a fantastic and recuperative time in France. You deserve it and you're decidedly NOT "pants"!!

PS The plants all survived the journey north and will be planted in the next couple of days!