I travelled up to Lancaster the day before we went to Iona and was taken out for lunch- very nice indeed! Then I went and stayed with the Charman's overnight. Up bright and early on the Saturday morning for catching what was supposed to be a train at 7-10. However on arriving at the station we discovered that we were now being put on Coaches and Bryonny and Becky a taxi (Becky is in a wheel chair). We were already on coaches from Oxenholme- but Lancaster to Oxenholme is longer than 20 minutes by coach! Meaning we missed the connecting coach! So Steve Kay and Steve Charman went and bent the ear of the station manager- meaning they put on the stand by coach to take us to Carlisle. If they hadn't have done this we wouldn't have been leaving Oxenholme till 9am when the train we needed to catch from Carlisle was 9-10 and was the only train to get us to Glasgow to get us up to Oban if we were to get across to Iona on Saturday! So off we went on the coach- but still pushing it to whether we would make Carlisle in time- Steve spoke with Bryonny to try and get the train held up! Eventually they did- but it was a performance! Becky and Bryonny saved the day! Bryonny stood half on and half off the train to make them wait!
So after an eventful start to the journey we arrived at Carlisle Station to have a welcome party to hurry us through to the now delayed train! From then the journey was straight forward, arriving on Iona at 6-10pm! So a very long day! It was good to spend the week with Steve and to be with friends that I had made at University and on Iona last year. The theme of the week was "resident aliens" (which I will blog about later), exploring our place within God's story within the world. It was good! The food was great and it was good to be able to do some walking and splash in the puddles, in an attempt to soak Mr Kay!
It was great to be able to sing lots too! This year I also took part in a sketch as a narrator in the Abbey. We also spent several evenings in the pub! Yes there is a pub on Iona! It was a good week! The week included April fools day which was good fun! I even managed to pull an April fool off without laughing and giving it away! I told Steve Charman (university chaplain) that I thought I should be a deacon rather than a presbyter!
The journey back was straight forward! It was great to be in the company of friends and special friends again! Am hoping to see Steve (Kay!) in a few weeks, I miss not seeing him or talking to him at present!
