Poms in Oz

TODAY was a big day for me. I went on a blind date.

Having been married for an age and a day, it's been a long time since I went on one of these set ups, but this was a meeting with a difference. There was no Cilla Black and no copy of the Financial Times to grip and hide behind. Just a date, a time and a venue.

The invitation to hook up came over by email last week so off I went today, into town, outside the post office on Main Street ... to wait for my dark haired coffee date, who, I was informed, would be wearing jeans and a black jacket.
There was no need for a description of me I was told ... that had already been sorted after a viewing to the E-version of my column in the Evening Leader.

I was a little early so waited outside the meeting point and made eye contact with anyone who passed by who fitted the description I'd been given. And then she came. In the distance I spotted her with a grin from ear to ear, sunnies, jeans and a black jacket. Bingo!

A former Wrexham-ite, my 'date' took me for coffee alfresco and we chatted about life and kids and jobs and stuff. We also touched on the subject of how our international paths had crossed.
Her mum is one of my fans and a regular reader of the Leader who's been following my weekly pieces with interest. It's pretty much what her own daughter did some 27 years ago and for us to settle in pretty much the same place fascinates me. It also must fascinate mum as she's been emailing me to keep in touch.

This country is vast. The world even more so. And here we are. Sitting sipping Flat Whites and Lattes like there's no tomorrow and not much left of today. Before 11am today, we'd never clapped eyes on one another. After a couple of hours, we've bonded into buddies and have set a date to meet up in a few weeks. With husbands in tow this time, armed with diaries for plenty of newly arranged golf trips!