Roll on the credits

Now back in Blighty, I am thinking twice about reviving my blog. The village has new publicans which means all the previously banned people are back, Ding Dong Daddy has recorded The Imagined Village's latest album here, Mr St John is on the look-out out for a Porsche for Celebrity Farmer, MDF Man became Superman when Celeb's water bed sprung a leak, the demolition of the Loggins' love shack is well underway and there has been an unconfirmed sighting of local 'doggers' whose identity everyone is keen to discover.

Can I turn my back on this and let it go unreported? My teeming brain and restless fingers say no. I cannot keep my pen behind my ear for much longer.

As we return home, from adventures, sunshine, beauty, history, with the taste of travel still sweet in the air, we are jolted back to life by a National Express coach driver with sloping shoulders whose customer service skills are non-existent. We miss two trains home because of an unexplained delay with the shuttle bus to Woking - the driver merely shrugs because it is not his problem. Our icy breath reminds us of what we have left behind, a thick fog descends in Wiltshire and then the sun comes out from its distant hole in the sky as the train crosses the border into Dorset.

Kind Nobby Odd-Job meets us at Crewkerne station. Back in the shire, the nymph statue at the top of the village is still wearing her winter poncho but spring is coming - Pelly Sheepwash has placed a vase of daffodils in our kitchen to welcome us home. We are invited around for an early roast pheasant supper with our neighbours, Mr and Mrs Champagne-Charlie.

My car won't start, the back wheel is fixed tight and Mr St John saves the day by attacking it with a hammer. Meanwhile, the cost of repair on Mr Grigg's Land Rover Freeloader and the amount we have to splash out on boarding fees for the dogs and cats while we were away could have been spent on another four weeks down under.

Back to life, back to reality.

Before signing off and considering whether to resurrect my Dorset blog from a village enchanted rather than imagined, I would like to thank the following people, without whom The World from My Window Down Under would not have been possible: Lord and Lady G, My Beautiful Cousin and The Twins, The Fit Family from Bondi, Australia's Laziest Man, The Sugar Cane Farmer, the lovely Mrs Bancroft and the support crew back home.







Thank you, I love you all.

That's about it.

Love Maddie x