A day in the pub

Yesterday was our final official Holt goodybe party. After various trips around Europe, various dinners, various drinks things, yesterday was the final party. The one for our London friends. It started at 3pm and by 3:30 we, and the bar staff, were beginning to think that hiring a room was a little ambitious. But we needn't have worried, people started arriving and soon the room was full.

It was so lovely to catch up with some many friends. We really are blessed to have so many dear friends. Joanne and I felt a bit bad that some we didn't even get to see some people, mainly Barge friends. But as we'll see them at church tonight and next week and the Barge church family picnic next Sunday and some of them at various points in between we knew they'd understand why we needed to focus our time on those people who we wouldn't get the chance to see again.

One of the best things about yesterday, for me, was that so many of our friends got to catch up with each other. It was really great that Richard and Jenny got to see old Barge friends after their year at Oak Hill, for example, and that Rendani got to see everyone again after two years back in Jo'burg. There seemed to be stories like that all over the room for the whole time we were there. That made the day even more precious.

Joanne and I are certainly going to miss all of our friends in London. As I said already, we truly are blessed.

Also yesterday, as I wandered up to Canary Wharf, I decided to take some photos of the Isle of Dogs. It's such a unique place to leave, so diverse and abstract. I wanted to have something to be able to look back on. I need to get some more this afternoon on the way to church. There are some bits I missed yesterday. The digital photo frame my little sis bought us as a leaving present will certainly be well used once we get down to Chch.