Visiting Hitchin

I had three reasons for visiting Hitchin, Hertfordshire:

1. To reconnect with a dear friend;
2. To surprise a Twitter pal;
3. To see the place where the novel Summer Daydreams by Carole Matthews was set.

I spent three years living in Cyprus and as an ex-pat made friends with other ex-pats; several of us have returned to live in the UK at various stages of our lives and are now spread far and wide.  I travelled from the Midlands with one of these friends to meet another that we had not seen for ten years.  It was a lovely reunion with much laughter, reminiscing and catching up on life since sunny Cyprus days.  Naturally our friend wanted to show us around where she lived, so we saw Hitchin and Letchworth Garden City towns; a garden centre and Hitchin Lavender fields.

St Mary's ChurchHitchin Town

I was able to picture the 'handbag shop' and the 'chippy' in Summer Daydreams and enjoyed my amble around the quaint town of Hitchin.

 

I was also able to call into a supermarket and surprise a Twitter pal in her place of work.  It was lovely to be able to chat with her in person rather than short snippet of sentences on social media.  To put a voice and character to a small profile picture was a treasure.  We were able to chat about our writing pursuits and other interests.  So lovely to meet you Sarah.

 

Lastly a real treat was to visit Cadwell Farm, Ickleford to see Hitchin lavender fields.  Walking into the historic shop, that delighted my nostrils with the scent of bags of lavender, was a step  back in time.  I purchased essential oil, bath melts, honey and a small decorative mirror from the barn that housed the on-site café and souvenir shop.  Over in the fields the heat of the morning sun blazed down on the great expanse of rows and rows of lavender plants.  I could have laid down in the middle - forget heaven being paved with gold, mine is the colour purple and smelling divine.

 

www.hitchinlavender.com

There is, I am sure, a lot more to see if you have the time in North Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.  Do look it up for places to stay/eat/visit: www.hitchinherts.com.