Medicine for the soul

Yesterday we went into Lancaster to the hospital. It was time for me to have a routine mammogram. As usual we allowed an hour to get in & arrived about a quarter of an hour later. The roads were incredibly quiet.

It makes such a difference with the schools being closed for summer. On our way into Lancaster we pass one school which is always packed with parents waiting for their precious offspring, & we were due to hit Lancaster just at end of the school day. As we continued I feared we would be held up by the fact the Lancaster access to the M6 is closed at the moment. The new bypass is being joined to the motorway so all traffic southbound was being directed through Lancaster to the next junction south of the city. But even this did not slow down the journey.

 As we were so early we popped into the RVS café for a quick drink before my appointment.

We finally made our way to the Breast Unit to find it virtually empty. Usually I’ve had an hour wait before getting into this department. Instead, this time, I was straight in, X-rays done, and out within ten minutes. It couldn’t have been easier.

As we were on the far side of Lancaster, & it being by now teatime & so the start of rush hour, we decided to go off for a meal & a drink, and tackle the journey home when the roads should be quieter.

So we went to the Mill at Conder Green, formerly known as Thurnham Mill. They are now having a large extension built for a function room & 5 more bedrooms.

The Mill is sited beside the Lancaster canal. Our table faced onto a lock on the canal. As we were finishing eating our excellent meal, our neighbour at the next table turned round.

“Did you see that?” he asked excitedly.

 We looked blank.

“It was a kingfisher. He was just sitting there on the edge of the canal. He flew off when the moment I turned round.”

We had to admit we hadn’t seen it. The Fox was miffed. He’s never seen a kingfisher & would love to. The rest of the meal he craned his neck in the hope the little bird would return & he would catch sight of that brilliant flash of blue.

However, the longer we sat there, the more we were struck by just how lucky we were to be sitting in a restaurant surrounded by such intense greenness, so much in midst of the very beautiful Lancashire countryside & yet only a few minutes’ drive from the centre of Lancaster city. We really ought to do this more often.

Finally we set off home. It was way after six. As we hit the Greyhound Bridge, the only north-going bridge across the Lune river, we discovered, even at this hour, a long unmoving queue blocked the way to Morecambe. We decided to go off the Torrisholme way, even if it took us a bit further north before turning west for Morecambe & home – a lot clearer a route.