A Date with Dovegreyreader

As I was heading west for a week in Cornwall I alerted Dovegreyreader. Not a lot of people know this, but she is an unofficial guardian for the west country and monitors the movements of grockles and emmets. An immigration interview was duly arranged in the fair town of Fowey with an initial rendezvous “in the top car park” under the shade of the trees growing in the grounds of Fowey Hall, author Kenneth Grahame’s inspiration for Toad Hall in his children’s classic “Toad of Toad Hall.

On the corner of South Street, by the  Parish Church, Dovegreyreader waved to Ann Willmore of Bookends and then of course we ran inside and I was introduced to her. If you have never been to Fowey, but are a fan of Daphne du Maurier, may I suggest you pay Bookends and Ann a visit. Be sure to take your sleeping bag with you because the place is stuffed with books by and about DdM. Bookends is definitely fingers over eyes and “la la la, I’m not looking” territory for those with a serious book-buying habit.

With not a single book purchased and the need for sustenance we found ourselves ensconced in a cafe with a pot of Earl Grey Tea and carrot cake. I glanced momentarily away from my cake and saw something hovering above DGR’s head. No, it wasn’t a halo though I’m sure many of you will join me in thinking that it would be fitting for St DGR, patron saint of readers to sport such an accessory, but a dove on the “Noah’s Ark Dental Practice” sign on the building across the road from our teashop. How fitting and surely a sign that I was in hallowed company.

I have now had the pleasure of meeting Dovegreyreader on several occasions. Wouldn’t it be exciting if there was a membership card and you could collect a DGR point everytime you had a sighting of thhis delightful species? I’m not sure if I have 5 or 6 points now. Only 4 ( or is it 5) more and I reach 10. Will I be able to convert 10 ordinary points into one gold one? How many gold points do I need before I am allowed to take my sandwiches to work in a DGR lunchbox? Now I’m getting carried away and I must remember that I am a grownup or more or less an OAP because the driver of the Fowey Town Bus, who ferries clapped-out old crones back up to the “top car park”,  asked DGR and me if we had bus passes! Must dash as I need to pop out and buy a bottle of Grecian 2000 “because I’m worth it”.