Reporting from the Downs Again- Day 6 | Bramcote

Day 6 - Midlands Chat & Family Casserole

We got up a bit early and went out for a little stroll in the town. Lewes has a nice vibe to itself. It is a big town (bigger compared to Burgess Hill at least!) with a nice blend of history and nature. We walked along the swimming pool and the canal at Pehls, crossed the bridge over the river Ouse, walked along the river towards the Harvey's brewery, took deep breaths taking in the lovely buttery brewing smell of beer in that brewery, then circled back along the high street, bought myself a pain-Au-chocolat and walked on the cobbled streets beside the Grange, finally heading back home.

Lewes High Street

The idea was to get in a little walk before the big drive up to the Midlands. Just before my trip to Sussex, there was a sudden demise in the family. So, we were on our way to Bramcote to attend the funeral. It was a four hour drive. We were quite lucky with the traffic on M25, which is sarcastically referred to as the London car park. On a bad day, we could have easily sat in the car, stuck for more than five hours. Mind you, it was half as annoying to me as it was to my English friends! Perk of being used to the Indian traffic - it definitely teaches you patience!

Just outside of Lewes

We arrived at the familiar house in Bramcote in due time. This time, it wasn’t a happy reunion. Nonetheless, I was greeted with the biggest hugs and smiles. I was put up in an extremely well kept room which exuded a 5-star hotel vibe! It was incredibly neat which made me super conscious about my muddy shoes! I later realised that my friend’s brother who was my host for those few nights was a hotel management pass out, probably that explains the obsessive cleanliness!

To a silent prayer...

We spent a few hours chit chatting in the Bramcote house garden and then helped ourselves to a big plate of beef casserole followed by a pineapple cake. We spoke about the logistics for the next day and then called it a night. Things were a bit grim given the situation but everybody kept their spirit up. As it was getting dark (Sun sets at about 9PM now in the summer!), it started raining. My first rain this summer!