My UK trip has been so busy I haven’t had much of a chance of posting on my blog. My sincere apologies. Last Friday afternoon, I arrived totally exhausted at the Ruislip (North London) home of my old school mate Tom Wragg and his lovely wife Jill. I was due to leave the following morning and head to Reading where I would hire a car and visit various friends in South Wales. Seeing how drained I looked, Tom and Jill suggested that I stay with them for the weekend so I could rest. And stay with them I did.
Why was I so tired on Friday? On the previous day, I had arrived back in Manchester (where my eldest daughter and family live) from my trip to ARC Fitness in Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland. ARC Fitness was the last of the UK Recovery Communities I was visiting on this trip, the others being Eternal Media (Wrexham), North Wales Recovery Communities (NWRC, Bangor) and BAC O’Connor (Burton-on-Trent). These visits were all incredibly inspiring, welcoming, and informative. I really enjoyed myself, although the journey was emotionally draining. Mainly because of all the positives that I was experiencing!
I had such a good time with Tom and Jill, good friends who I have sorely missed. I also had the opportunity to have some long conversations with Tom, who at one time was Head of Production for BBC TV News and Current Affairs. He was also a Producer and Director for BBC Science and Features.
Tom and I discussed the urgent need for more people to gain a better understanding of the nature of trauma and its consequences, such as addiction and mental health problems. It was fascinating to listen to Tom’s thoughts on the need for a guide book that provides for lay people an understanding of trauma and its consequences, as well as the healing of (or recovery from) such problems. Our conversation was really thought-provoking.
I’m now in an AirBnB near the sea on Gower, South Wales, my old stomping ground and heart place. I will relax here for three days and also catch up with old friends who I knew from my days working as a recovery advocate whilst living on Gower. I’ll also be thinking about my conversation with Tom and my visits to the four recovery communities. Tomorrow, I’ll write a blog post about my visit to BAC O’Connor.