I had one of my extremely vivid and colourful dreams last night, an unknown sunny place, brilliant blue skies, roads leading who know where, a confusion of where I was supposed to be going and how I was supposed to get there. I think there was a train at one point but I didn’t get on it, there was a young lad who was trying to con me about something, maybe he had stolen my bags, it was annoying rather than worrying or upsetting. At last, with some relief, I was able to sit at a dining table – on board the train, laid with a white cloth and shiny silverware – and maybe a small silver pot with purply red roses. I was hot, and a little cross after the luggage problems so imagine my delight when I looked at the woman sitting opposite me and it was my friend Margaret Allen! She was as delighted to see me, and we had a pleasant, chatty journey which eventually faded into sleep. When i woke I felt so pleased I’d had such a jolly time with Margaret and had been able to catch up with her – except of course, it was just a dream!
I met Margaret when she started teaching science at the school where I was working. I did a lot of collaborative work with staff in the science department, supporting students who were newly arrived in the school whose first language wasn’t English. Margaret and I became friends, she was a very interesting person and I went to visit her and her husband several times in their quirky house in a small village just north of Bury. At the time I was visiting them, they were having fun making home-made wines and other drinks, and even talked of doing it as more than just a hobby. I wonder if they did? Margaret left the school and I kept in touch with her for a while, but in those days without social media and smart phones, it was not as easy.
It was lovely to meet Margaret again, even though it was only in my dream, she was the same interesting person and we had such a pleasant journey together, the sunlit countryside flashing past. I must have nodded off to sleep, because when I woke up I was back in bed. It’s been such a long time since I last saw Margaret, I’m sure she’s had an interesting life – she’s that sort of person!
Lois Elsden 