Lovely pedal up the Slad Valley this morning. It is a beautiful valley and of course it is  synonymous with Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie. As I was pedalling up the hill I was remembering my early days in Gloucestershire when I arrived as a young teacher fairly wet behind the ears!

I may of written about this before but my first teaching job was in Stroud I applied for the job because I had read Cider with Rosie (I had never been to Stroud before my interview.) The first two weeks I lived at the School Secretary’s House who it turned out had been at school with Laurie Lee – I did ask her if she was Rosie- she just laughed!

In those early months in Gloucestershire I didn’t know anyone so I went on long walks on Sundays  often in the Slad Valley and I would call in at the Woolpack- Laurie’s local. He was often in there sitting by the bar.

Finally I just got home before it poured down!