Wordsley, Stourbridge, England: 6 degrees, cold, sunny and slightly overcast.
I wanted to get up early, but it was impossible. I think it’s because of the trip, the time difference, and the combination of the cold and the warm bed.
I got up at about 8:00 a.m., which is late for me. I had a quick wash, and I was soon out in the cold street, -1 degrees, overcast, and with the threat of rain, but until then, it hadn’t. I decided to walk up the Main Street, which leads to Brierley Hill. This street used to be lined with numerous factories of heavy industry in the past. Nowadays, most factories have been replaced with small housing estates.
Factories, clubhouses, pubs, shops, and other establishments are now often converted into housing estates. If a building, such as a large old house, warehouse, or even a church, is not demolished, it is then replaced by housing; it may be renovated into flats, small houses, or even apartments. I was going to visit my Nan’s street (Nan, my grandmother) to see her old home, of which I have many fond memories, but for some reason, I continued walking along the Main Street instead.
Halfway along, going up the street, there is an industrial estate where I used to work before moving to London. I entered the industrial state to have a look around, but the company had gone, like many others. It is difficult to find small companies that have survived over time. For me, something interesting to consider is how time plays a significant role in things coming and going. What was successful and popular in the past is no longer so or may not exist at all.
If we look at the last century, how many popular and famous companies that were so successful at that time no longer exist? Similarly, companies that are so important to us today, such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, have only been around for the last 20, 30, or 40 years. Time carries this all for the better or for the worse, and whether we are intelligent or not, and how we deal with it, can make our lives more or less pleasant.
I started walking along the canal, but it was very cold. Now and then, I would encounter some wildlife that you don’t often see in Rio. Along the canal, there were various families of swans, ducks, and geese, and now and again, I would see squirrels. To me, squirrels are like the little monkeys that you often see in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro; they are everywhere.
I’m walking back along the side path beside the canal on my right, and suddenly, on my left, I come to an old painted iron gate with “Buckpool Nature Reserve” written on it. I entered, and it was a path covered with beautiful brown and golden leaves that had fallen from the trees, as autumn had arrived, creating a stunning carpet bed of brown and gold on the ground.
The path led down, deep down, so I walked for about a kilometre, admiring the mix of greens, browns, and golds from the trees and the covered carpet floor. Then, a family of squirrels appeared. I was surprised to see how large and fast they were; it was pretty remarkable. I was mesmerised by this little family; they didn’t seem to be very afraid of me.
I returned to the canal, wondering how such a small and beautiful place could be hidden from view, with only a small gate and entrance marking the way in. Very few people probably visit there, which could be beneficial in some ways but detrimental in others. I walked back to the Main Street and then to the other Main Street that crosses, where I bought the cable for my computer and the adapter.
When I was walking up the street yesterday, I noticed a small sandwich, tea, and coffee shop. Today, surprisingly, it is open on Sundays and early. This place is tiny, with a few tables and chairs, and a big, if not enormous, young man behind the counter, which took up almost half the cafe. I asked him if he was open and if I could have a tea. He said he was and would be able to serve me a tea in 5 minutes. I asked him if I could sit and wait, and he said, “Of course”.
When I sat down, we started to talk, and he mentioned that my mother regularly comes here for a tea and a sandwich and had told him many times that she had a son who lived in Brazil. I decided to ask him many questions, as I usually do with people I find interesting, but this time specifically about England and what it’s like to run a business here. He told me that it was difficult and that many people get into debt by having a business in England; Interestingly, it bears a striking resemblance to the situation in Brazil.
The tea was £1.50, but I paid him £2, as I regularly do in Brazil, always paying a little more in places such as bars, bakeries, and restaurants. A tea at £1.50 is approximately R$12 Reais in Brazilian money. After the Tea, I thanked him and went home.
When I got back, it was already 11:30 a.m. My mother went to take a shower and change her clothes before going out, and then it was my turn. At 1:45, we left home to go to Stourbridge for lunch at a club very near to the town centre. When we arrived at the place, it was filled with elderly pensioners who go there every two weeks on a Sunday for a traditional Sunday lunch. The lunch costs £10 per person, which includes a starter, a main course, and dessert —a three-course meal equivalent to approximately R$60 in Brazilian currency.
The starter was a simple yet tasty chicken soup served with a bread roll and butter – nothing spectacular, but very good. The main course was a typical English Sunday lunch, featuring roast pork, of course, as the English love their potatoes, along with cauliflower, carrots, and gravy.
I haven’t had gravy since my last visit to England; it doesn’t exist or isn’t very popular in Brazil. Again, it was delicious, and it was lovely to enjoy a traditional English lunch after so long, especially the gravy. The dessert was also a classic: a hot pear crumble with warm custard. I think the last time I had this was when my grandmother was alive and I was a child, and I used to visit her every week, which must have been more than 40 years ago.
After we ate and everyone had finished, I decided to leave my mother and the group there. I had arranged with her to return to the club in an hour and a half to go home together. I wanted to take a quick walk around the city centre of Stourbridge, as it played such a significant role in my childhood, and I had a plethora of memories I wanted to revisit after so long.
So, I left the warmth of the club and stepped out into the harsh cold of the English almost-winter weather. The clubhouse is only a five-minute walk from Stourbridge town centre, and I had to pass a super-modern bus station before entering the main Stoubridge High street, which, until today, is quite quaint and, as I said, holds many memories from the past. Halfway down, on the left, I turned into a semi-covered shopping precinct. After so long, I could only recognise two shops from the past, and they were chain stores.
I turned right to make a round trip and ended up coming back on myself. I passed in front of King Edward’s College, my old college where I studied after school, then returned up the High Street in the opposite direction.
I noticed that there were a lot of coffee shops, or as we say in British English, cafés, bars, or micropubs that were once shops, along with many estate agents and, for some strange reason, Turkish barbers. Why are there so many real estate agents and Turkish barbers in Stourbridge nowadays?
I entered a pound shop, which we call a 1.99 shop in Brazil. I rarely go into these shops in Brazil; however, for some reason, in England, I loved this pound shop and ended up buying some pens and a beautiful leather belt for £5, which is about R$30 in Brazil. I thought it was a bargain for the quality. It would be impossible to buy such a good leather belt for that price in Brazil; it would cost at least twice or three times what I paid for the same quality there.
I went back to meet my mother, and she was already waiting for me in the car. As we drove home, my mother suggested we stop by the Aldi supermarket in Wollaston to buy some food, nothing too much. Aldi is a German supermarket chain that has been operating in the United Kingdom for some time and is recognised as one of the most affordable options for food in the country. It is similar to the Mondial supermarket chain in Rio de Janeiro.
We entered the supermarket, and within 20 seconds of being inside, I recognised by a classmate and my first crush from secondary school, more than 40 years ago; how crazy is that! We have kept in touch superficially through Facebook for the last 10 years. I had a massive crush on her in school, but I was always too shy to express my feelings back then.
When I saw her 3 or 4 metres away in the supermarket aisle, I went over and called her name, and she turned around. It took her a second to recognise me, and then the penny dropped. We hugged and talked for about 10 minutes. I introduced her to my mother, and while my mother was shopping, we caught up more; it was so lovely.
I never expected to meet her on my second day in England, but I had thought about the possibility of running into her. She asked if we could take a selfie together so she could post it on Facebook. It was a lovely surprise to have met her.
What impresses me more is the power of the universe and how it interacts with our thoughts. It is essential to understand that our thoughts hold tremendous power; we must be mindful of what we think, as the universe responds accordingly. If you think positively, positive events are likely to occur. Conversely, if you harbour negative thoughts about your family, people you dislike, or your own life, then adverse outcomes may also follow.
It is our responsibility to think positively so that we can have a good life. This is why positivity is so important. Even though we face hardships, disappointments, and deceptions in our lives, we must still remain positive, knowing that the outcome will ultimately be better for us in the future.
It was delightful meeting Helen; we had a lovely chat, and I left the supermarket feeling happy. When I arrived home, I was a bit tired; it was already around 6:00 p.m. I did some work on the computer, and by 9:00 p.m., I was heading to bed.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
