The watermill

(I decided to write about my England holiday in parts because i can't remember every thing in chronological order and there were a few bits that are special and other bits that probably won't interest you)

THE LAST DAY i.e THE WATER MILL

Usually, we go to the water mill in the first few days

It's biggest draw are of course the mill pond, which is filled with tiddly little fish and sometimes bigger ones if you're lucky, and it generally fun to splash around in and explore/walk down in general

And the other draw is the Pakenham homemade icecream
MMMMMmmmMMMMMmmmmmmMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

They make it in Suffolk, and sell it in the sweet little gift shoppe for tourists who've just finished the tour of the mill, or hungry people in general, and it tastes SO GOOD

But this time, one of the best bits of the water mill was getting there

Auntie Sarah and I decided to cycle, her on the rickety old brown bike with the wobbly seat, and me on the bright purple bike that screams "I BELONG TO BARNEY"

Cycling in England is way different from cycling in Singapore

In Singapore, you look left and right every minute, making sure a car isn't stuck behind you, or you aren't about to crash into oncoming traffic, or the traffic light is on, or you have the right of way....

But in England, you go down one way dirt paths, through fields of Barley, Wheat and Rape seed (which is prettier than it sounds, its hills and hills of sunny yellow flowers)
The wind blows cool on your face and whips your hair around your face
And the air smells of clean and grass and contentment

Auntie Sarah cycled down the high street, off the side (past the Ixworth fish and chip shop), through the lane that has two rows of birch trees forming a kind of canopy over your head, and then over Pooh sticks Bridge, which is where Connie, Hannah and I played pooh sticks and left a leaf/flower/discarded paper message to the next gallivanter who happened to go down that way.

The we went through the farmers fields which are so vast and beautiful and plentiful when you look at them you feel amazed that we could even EAT such a lot, and feel safe and calm, and imagine (well maybe not you but me at least) the Sting song ...when we walked in fields of gold...

We had to push our bikes (Auntie sarah pushed her bike, i kind of waddled on the seat of mine because i was too lazy to get off) through a lot of stinging nettles but thank god i was wearing wellie books so i just got a tiny sting on my thigh, and lots of pollen all over my arms and legs.

At the mill pond, Tim and I fished, and Tim managed to catch a few tiddlers (2), and let me hold them in my cupped hands as he looked for more. It's quite a novel feeling to have 2 teeny fish swimming around in your hands, the sense of vulnerability and fragility was so great i knew that if i didn't keep refilling my hands with water of if i closed my fists, those fish would die. It was quite terrifying having so much power over such tiny lives (I wonder if God feels that nervous?)

Then Tim and I sat on the fence and had our ice creams, but we still felt hungry, so we went round the back with Mum, Hannah, Grandma and the rest, and they had tea and scones, while Tim and I had a slice of lemon drizzle cake each. (The shopkeeper was very nice and friendly and VERY VERY beautiful, and she seemed so at home and happy with her job, i'd love that life of contentment and joy)

After that, we went exploring the Bigger mill pond round the back (This one you aren't allowed to paddle/swim in), and watched for carp (Or was it pike?), and watched a mother swan and her 2 goslings slide into the water and swim (I collected a few of their feathers from the grass), and had a dare to see who'd jump over the fence, and i saw my first mole (And mostly felt it as it burrowed under the ground, but i glimpsed it's nose for a second when it emerged from a hole)

Then we paddled more and basically acted like kids who were going to stay there forever (maybe because the opposite was imminently true :( ) until we had to head home

You'll remember me when the west wind moves upon the fields of barley.
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky as we walk in fields of gold.
So she took her love for to gaze awhile upon the fields of barley.
In his arms she fell as her hair came down among the fields of gold.

Will you stay with me, will you be my love among the fields of barley?
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky as we lie in fields of gold.
See the west wind move like a lover so upon the fields of barley.
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth among the fields of gold.

I never made promises lightly and there have been some that I've broken,
But I swear in the days still left we'll walk in fields of gold.
We'll walk in fields of gold.

Many years have passed since those summer days among the fields of barley.
See the children run as the sun goes down among the fields of gold.
You'll remember me when the west wind moves upon the fields of barley.
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky when we walked in fields of gold,
When we walked in fields of gold, when we walked in fields of gold.