It was a privilege today to meet Betty for a long overdue chat. I first met Betty in Autumn 2019 - GoodGym were tasked with planting spring bulbs and Betty was keen to join in, even though she had never planted a bulb before. That bulb was full of promise for a bright Spring.

But by the time Spring rolled around, we were in lockdown. While we couldn't go back to visit, letter writing was the next best thing. Over the last year, it's been an absolute pleasure to write to Betty every week. Of course, in lockdown there hasn't been much news to share, but knowing that Betty has secret green fingers, I've tried to bring my garden and allotment to life for her in my letters. One of the highlights for me was hearing that Betty had caught the gardening bug and in the summer was busy growing runner beans and tomatoes. It was so wonderful today to hear Betty talking about how delicious those runner beans were.

Getting an invitation to meet up with Betty today means a lot to me. Sadly Betty is ill and I am truly grateful that we had the opportunity today to have a good natter. We had a lot to catch up on and I really enjoyed getting to know Betty a little bit better. We may have been wearing masks but I'm pretty sure we were both smiling as we chatted about so many different things.

I'll be back to writing to Betty as usual on Sunday - what is a simple act for me is so important to a lovely lady who I am delighted to have met.

This report has been shared with Betty before posting. I hope the flowers have brought a little bit of brightness ♥️