What could be better than sharing a weekend away at one of the UK’s most unique locations with old friends?
Not a lot. How about rediscovering an old friend that you thought you’d lost touch with forever?
How amazing then that ‘Puzzlewood’ helped us piece these things together!
A long time ago in a county far, far away four of us found ourselves thrown together in the same class at school. We shared lessons and, because it was the 80s, the same bad taste in hairstyles! Those teenage years saw us suffer our first hangovers and first heartaches. Shared fun and experiences helping forge a special kind of friendship. But school ends and jobs, new homes and new adventures come along. We spread ourselves across the country and then across the world. We stayed in touch, no mean feat in the days before email, text or social media. However, our catch-ups were like a Venn Diagram: with only some of us managing to get together but never all of us. We continued to share laughter. More moves, marriages and children. Life became more complicated and keeping in contact became more difficult. We lost touch with Helen. More than a decade passed...
Then, around seven years ago on a weekend away, we took a trip to Puzzlewood. And who was there managing this wonderful, amazing woodland: this amazing, wonderful woman: Helen. It was the best of unexpected surprises. Since then the four of us have tried to meet up once a year – the Venn Diagram reset to always include us four in the middle - expanded when different husbands and/or children are present! Of course, our lunches are never long enough and weekends away whizz by. Families have gotten to know each other. The laughter grows louder. We are all grateful for the reconnection. Now other coincidences emerge: like two of our children in the same class at University. Two Bachelor degrees of separation if you like!
Forward wind to the present and we four are passing milestone birthdays and starting new adventures. For some, that means well earned promotions and continued career successes; for others, children are leaving home meaning independent lifestyles. All the while we are there for each other. Celebrating, commiserating and commentating…
For me, my new adventure involved starting my own business at the ripe age of 50. Why? Because I always say I have spent my life working very hard to make life as easy as possible. And now I want to apply that to my wardrobe and the wardrobes of women like me!
Good friends are cheerleaders for others. Which is why in January 2020 we found ourselves walking once more through the magical Puzzlewood, in the drizzly rain, wearing the ultimate in comfort – a fuss-free dress. The product of my hard work over the last year or so. Helen was equally keen to show us how stunning the woods were looking after a particularly wet winter. So, with the addition of borrowed wellies, we attempted to prove just glamorous a walk in the woods could be. Who knew laughter could travel so far. The result was an impromptu NIGHTPORTER ‘photo shoot’ bringing two things randomly together again.
Here’s to friendship.
Here’s to life’s twists & turns.
Here’s to Puzzlewood.
And here’s to our next adventure...
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