dizzojay | A Day full of memories, lots of laughter and a few tears ... and not all mine!

Well, yesterday was as predicted a long and tiring day, and it was bittersweet and special and I wouldn't have missed it for all the world.

My home to Hull, where our buddy Steve lives, is near enough a 500 mile round trip so there was about 8 hours driving (which Mr D did, bless him) either side of our day out in Hull.

A lovely little Tapas bar in the centre of town had donated their premises for the event, and so we all made sure they did well out of us food and drink wise, and by the end of the evening the 'swear box', a collecting tin for the Dove House Hospice was full to bursting with coins and notes - yes, it was exactly what you'd expect from a railwaymans' reunion! :D

Steve, although he was a shadow of the man I'd last seen about 15 years ago before he moved up to Hull, was in good spirits, and the word of the night was 'belligerence' - that's how he faces his beast. A fellow cancer-sufferer called Janice who he met when he was first diagnosed, and she was nearing the end of her journey, taught him that and he's never forgotten her. so we raised a glass to Janice; Steve maintains that her simple advice has helped him keep the beast at by for twelve years.

But despite the sad reason for our visit, it was a day of joy and celebration, and I'm so very glad we did it!