Catching up!

Photo a Day
Carlisle Crematorium,
June 29th 2007

Friday was an early start, we were leaving at 7am.
having had a lengthy discussion with Jon, he said he would take me to Carlisle on the motorbike.
The train would have arrived in Carlisle with only minutes to spare and I would then have to find the Crematorium.
Also, the return train would have meant me standing around stations late at night waiting for connections, so Jon wanted to take me there.

So we could have a clear journey we went to Whitby last night and filled up the tank with petrol.

7am we set off.
Sitting on the back of the bike in the early morning sunshine I commented to Jon how quiet the roads were.
I watched as we drove down the coast, always watching the blue sea to our right.
I saw a ferry heading for Newcastle, the one we have used before, people returning home from holidays.

The seascape soon gave way to the industrial outline of the larger towns and we were driving parallel with the comuter train...the passengers watched us..I waved and a whole carriage waved back.
It was surreal.

As we drove on through the towns, onto the various bypasses I was thinking of Daisy, of her final journey.
I wondered what she would have noticed as she passed by?

We passed on through the morning.
Traffic was now increasing as people were making their way to work.

At Darlington I saw the road sign for Penrith and I knew this would take us into our fourth county, Cumbria.
Within a couple of hours we had travelled through North Yorkshire, Cleveland, County Durham and would soon be in Cumbria.

Picture a map of Britain.
We were travelling across.
We live in the North East, Daisy lives in the North West.
We drove on, Jon cutting through the distance like a hot knife through butter.

Those of you who ride pillion know what it is like to observe your nearest and dearest on the front of the bike, taking you to places together.

As we continued I thought of this man, my Jon on the front of the bike, taking me to say "Goodbye" to our dear Daisy.
A lady he had never met, but who had heard so much about.
He had put to one side his customers, his business, in order to take me there and return me home safely.
Tears of pride and gratitude were streaming down my face.
I had entered my own little world as I often do on the back of the motorbike.

Jon meanwhile had checked his mirror..
He caught hold of my hand, which brought me back to where i was..
"Alright Dear?" He asked...

"Yes chuck, just the wind in my eyes!"

"What time is it?" I asked..
"8 o'clock"
"Good eh?"
Not really, it's the roadworks.

Whilst I had been in my dreamland I hadn't noticed the traffic had drawn to a stand still.
How I would have panicked had I had been in the car!
Fortunately we filtered along but the traffic limit was 40 mph for the better part of that stage of the journey!

We came to Scotch Corner and took the road to Penrith.

Still we were within the 40 mph speed restriction.
I felt the bike was like Wilma being on the beach, but on a lead...
raring to go, immense energy at the ready but having to be held back.

As I watched the endless 40mph and 'Speed Camera' signs pass by with what seemed snail's pace I felt Jon's body language change....
He was slowly altering his driving position.......

I was right, the 'end of roadworks' sign passed by and we were off!

I knew from the route planner I had downloaded from the internet, when we reached the M6 motorway we would remain there for 17 miles.

At that I caught a flash of a blue sign, the M6 was 20 miles away....

then 15!

Then we were on it!

The road conditions had been quite warm until Penrith when the clouds blackened and we felt the rain start.
We had spare gloves packed, as wet gloves are so uncomfortable.
I put my hands inside Jon's pockets and held on as we made our way down the M6.
The spray from other vehicles was quite spectacular.

In no time at all we reached Carlisle.
We asked for directions and were soon at the Crematorium.
The time?
9.55.
Perfect timing!

We parked the motorbike and made our way to the waiting room.
We sat and I started to think of the sadness of the moments to come.
I was thinking of Daisy and looking outside, looking at the gardens.

As I looked, there right outside of the very window I saw this. flowerbed.....






and closer!




Daisies and Lupins




I went outside to take the photographs and returned to sit with Jon.

One of the officials came to us..
"Are you from Whitby? we have been expexting you."

Lydia, Ian, (Daisy's husband) greeted us with hugs.
We met Daniel too.

Daisy arrived and the celebration of her life took place.

Her favourite music was played.


Yesterday a child came out to wonder
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a star
Then the child moved ten times round the seasons
Skated over ten clear frozen streams
Words like, when youre older, must appease him
And promises of someday make his dreams
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and dawn
Were captive on the carousel of time
We cant return we con only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game.

Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now
Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town
And they tell him,
Take your time, it wont be long now
Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and dawn
Were captive on the carousel of time
We cant return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur
Coming true
There'll be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty
Before the last revolving year is through.
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
Were captive on the carousel of time
We cant return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game


(The minister is e-mailing me a full document of the service)


After the service we headed home.

We drove vial Alston, and stopped via Heartside.
This is the highest point of Cumbria.







We had lunch at the cafe and i took some time to capture the scenery,


Quietly, finding space and a moment I scattered some glitter and sequins, just for Daisy.




This bench will be a place of reference.
A place I know, we all know, where Glitter was scattered on June 29th, for Daisy.

A place I will visit again, whenever we are passing, where I can sit and think of Daisy.

We continued home, the sun shining.

We were tired, so a quiet night, after a full day.