Crack, Croak and Be Merry ( Oh Dear, Couldn't Resist)

The graffiti guys yesterday were most amused by some Asian beer brand named 'Chang'. Apparently this is the street name for crack cocaine. You live and learn.

Had a long telephone conversation with a friend who is a courier on coach trips. She said a woman who had been coming on the trips for ten years had died this year unexpectedly on the coach. Although very elderly, she had been fine until a couple of days before. She was from a medical family and had thought she might have bowel cancer, and didn't want to have a colostomy so had kept quiet about her condition. In fact as they discovered later, it had been a twisted bowel which would probably have lead to the same result when treated. My friend was very upset. Not only was this the first time anyone had died on the coach in eight years since she had been doing the job, but the woman had become quite a friend over the years. Apparently she was the only person on the trips to Rye who had enjoyed watching Mapp and Lucia on the telly, and they often used to chat about the programme and books.

My friend and I chatted a bit about coach parties, Turkey & Tinsel breaks and so on. She had several of these to attend this year. Fortunately we only have one, which is not so onerous. She and her husband, who drives coaches, are abroad nearly all the time. I joked that the only way to catch up with them would be to go on one of her coach tours. Apparently, there are not many groups, mainly couples and singles who come back every year, so they must be doing something right. I can imagine this, as he is an excellent driver, and she is very kind and thoughtful, and good with people.