Part of the pleasure of our UK trip this time was recapturing a little bit of the rural English lifestyle. From walking down the road to buy the freshest of fresh eggs, and getting Tudge’s sausages from Tudge himself, we were able to experience being a local, even if only for ten days. We blended in with Avril and Ian’s eclectic group of friends and joined them on Thursday nights for a trip to The Boot, their local pub. Eclectic yes…a retired surgeon, two potters, a retired health visitor and telecommunications engineer, etc etc…But as Ian put it, “ we just get along, have a laugh, take the mickey out of each other, and share what we’re doing in our lives now rather than identifying with what our professions were.” Out of the big group of say twelve friends who might gather on any Thursday night, they sit together, have a couple of pints or more exotic drinks and just shoot the breeze. Avril particularly loves how it feels to walk into the bar, and know that Chris the barman will notice her come in, and have her gin and tonic poured by the time she finds a seat.

The atmosphere in The Boot is casual and friendly, with regulars from the local village as well as drop-ins like us. One Thursday we had an excellent meal of fish and chips, and got chatting to a local poet by the name of Terence, also a seasoned practitioner of the traditional Morris dancing.

Community is the order of the day for the locals in this beautiful village and surrounding area. The Community Hall in Richards Castle is Ian’s passion, having raised funds and worked on rehabilitating the place for many a year. These days, it is a hub of activity, home to a monthly community breakfast, sign-up yoga classes that take place several times a week taught by Helen after she was encouraged to pursue her teaching certificate by The Boot crew; and most thrillingly, a bi-annual Pantomime. What can get more quintessentially English than that! (The latest performances that took place in February, 2026 was a resounding success with sold out perfromaces every evening.)