Day 11: Ellesmere to Liverpool

Leaving Georgie and the girls to meet up with Deacon

Fun With The Girls

Georgie’s three beautiful children had zero contemplation of the hangover that was working its way into every corner of my body like a third nervous system. If there were ever a set of kids that instilled in me a sense that having kids isn’t a nightmare, it’s these three. I would call them princesses if Georgie didn’t just breed more queens. They are entirely engaged with the world and switched on to life. Okay, Padmé’s insatiable desire to jump on the trampoline as though it were my hangover itself, was a tough challenge, so I needed to play the distraction game. With sun high in the clear blue sky, it was a perfect day for a bike ride.

I was in no rush to bid my farewells me and two of the girls took a bike each and we kicked around the block like, well like we were kids. I mean, two of us were but for me, I found great pleasure in letting all my plans fall into an abyss of forgetfulness to ride around aimlessly in circles. We went to the park and the girls shared a story of finding a homeless guy who was living in the park there once. Like listening to Bart Simpson telling the story of finding a three-eyed fish round the back of the power plant, it was classically child like, full of innocent charm and boundless imagination, intricately weaving simple facts with vivid exaggeration and curiosity. Prancing around on our bikes, making pointless circles, and hanging upside down on the monkey bars, I really enjoyed just being a kid for a bit, and why not.

You really can feel the love and energy radiate from Georgie straight out of these girls.

Padmé & Dolly, reminding me to act like a child and be playful with life.