100 Strangers : Round 5 : No .412 : Gilles and Sharon
I was in the castle area of the city, just outside the castle gates. It’s not an area I visit that often, but I decided to venture up there on Wednesday afternoon. Gilles and Sharon were approaching the entrance and I started to chat to them.
“Are you tourists, visiting Nottingham”
They were indeed tourists, Sharon told me they were from Canada and were visiting to avoid the harsh Canadian winter. Gilles is a French Canadian and they had been married over 20 years. The nearest city to them was Ottawa, the capital of Canada. I asked them where they had visited so far on their tour. They had been to The Wirral, Wales, Manchester and Nottingham. They had arrived at the beginning of December and were here until the beginning of February. They were dog sitting their way around the country rather than staying in hotels or Airbnb’s.
Sharon asked if I was from Nottingham, I said I’d been here over 40 years, but came from Bolton, near Manchester. They were staying in Beeston and asked if it was near to my home. I said I lived north of the city, but when I first came to Nottingham, I worked in Beeston. I told them I used to work in a big factory, that employed over nine thousand people. The factory was long gone now as was located opposite the railway station. Gilles confused the tram station with the railway station. We than had a discussion about trams, I told them that every tram in Nottingham is named after a famous person from the city. I wondered if they would know any names, so I asked them if they knew actor Vicky McClure, from “Line of Duty”.
“Oh yes” said Sharon “We love Line Of Duty”
Sharon and Gilles were well wrapped up in winter clothing, they told me they had had to buy the clothes over here as they had no clothing that protected them from the heavy rain we’d been having, especially in Manchester. I told them it always rains in Manc!
As you can see, Gilles and Sharon agreed to my request for a photo. It was nice to meet you both, enjoy the last few days of your visit and have a safe journey home.
so much information you are able to obtain from your "strangers" I never know you could "dog sit" around the country I wonder how one gets started doing that.
Well done to Sharon & Giles seeing the less usual tourist hot spots! You would be a mine of info!
@kjarn thank you Kathy
@happypat Thanks Pat, I did give Sharon and Gilles some tips on where to visit
@boxplayer got sitting and line of duty ...global interests :)
@jamibann Issi. it was a good meet , lots of chat and info' exchanged
@carole_sandford thanks Carole I think so too
@rensala Renne , I am pleased you read my long narrative !!!
@helenhall thanks Helen it was a lovely meeting
@beryl that sis kind if you to say beryl , a good meet for sure
@marlboromaam It was nice to meet them both Mags
@denful thanks Denise , kind of you to visit