124. You’ve made our day

Thursday, 25 April 2019

Washington DC, USA

The Nottinghamshire village I live in has a doppelganger in Maryland. On Facebook, village residents are sometimes shown to be in Maryland, USA, rather than Nottinghamshire, UK.

Time to investigate.

It’s about 40 minutes east of Washington DC and so practically enroute. Think it will be a quick 5 minute photo opportunity then a scoot off to Washington.

It becomes a 2.5hr stop.

Drive down Sherwood Forest Road but come across a barrier. Clearly a private estate for residents only and can go no further. Until a resident pulls up alongside and when told where I’m from gladly lets me in so I can have a look. The estate is called Sherwood Forest and is a private members’ club, although anyone can live there. You have to join the club to take advantage of the facilities like the golf club, tennis club and private marina. For those that know, think houses in the Newstead Abbey grounds.

As I drive around admiring the houses and the lanes, quite by chance meet the gentleman that let me in. He’s a former Professor of English and taught English in various NATO bases around Europe, now retired. Told that the estate was set up in the 1910s as a writer’s retreat to escape the hustle and bustle, with accommodation being simple cottages. Over the years, the simple cottages have been knocked down and now turned into large family homes.

Directed to the club office and meet the secretary who is very helpful and interested to know that I’m from Nottinghamshire and Sherwood Forest. Given a history of the community booklet, which will assist in my forthcoming article for my village Newsletter.

For the golfers amongst you, the golf course is the oldest in the USA using sand greens, rather than grass greens.

Final drive around the loop named after my village and see a lady gardening so stop for a quick chat and explain what I’m doing and that I’m from the village in Nottinghamshire that has the same name. Really good and long chat and swap addresses so I can send my village information to her and her husband. They built their house here in the 1960s and have lived here ever since. It’s a really nice setting amongst the forest with the light filtering through the bright green leaves.

As I leave, she says, “You’ve made our day!”.

That’s me. Spreading cheer around the world.

Or did she mean I’ve made their day by leaving?!

Hmmm.

Time to drop the car off at Ronald Reagan Airport. 4,176miles across southern America in 21 days. Travelling by train next.

Before I do, need to fill up with fuel and stop at a petrol station on the outskirts of Washington. As I enter the shop to pre-pay, realise this is perhaps not the best place for the tall white Englishman to stop. I am well out of place. For the first time in America, the cash desk is behind a protective glass window. A policeman stands behind it too. The locals are dealing in cash only and getting a bit loud and leary as they pay. There’s a lot of attitude in the shop.

Wonder how many guns there might be hidden. Realise that the hire car is the newest car at the pumps by a few decades. Glad to leave in one piece.

Bit of a treat for a few days, Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue (https://www.trumphotels.com/washington-dc) is home for the weekend. Whatever your political persuasion, and no doubt the Trump haters will be disgusted to think I’m staying here (get over yourselves), it is an architecturally stunning hotel. Set in the former Post Office Building, it has perhaps the biggest hotel atrium I’ve seen.

Ah yes.

This’ll do for a few days and a very special occasion tomorrow.