MRS Light is being taken on holiday.

No one deserves it more, or so she tells me. No expense is being spared, our accommodation being described as a ‘junior penthouse suite’. The cruise brochures are amazingly pretentious and overblown and I suspect this means, good cabin.

Previously I have despatched copy from our spiritual second home, Barbados, but this time nothing will be despatched from the Mediterranean. The Rev Penny thinks I deserve, or more likely need, a complete break, therefore this column will be missing for a couple of weeks.

Do not worry, if the editor agrees, I shall return as I enjoy my weekly contact with readers.

Holidays are very much valued. We did not have any when young. There were three of us young boys and this was before the Agricultural Workers Act (1948). No paid holidays!

I do remember one massive outing Sheepscombe to Weston-super- Mare. It was not without an initial incident. To catch the train from Stroud to Stonehouse (I think) and change for Weston there was first of all, the bus journey to Stroud. Travel sickness struck as usual and the bus had to be stopped just after the Woolpack at Slad. It was the same on the way home, but the trains were no problem. This was a true delight, as was Weston despite the mud.

To my astonishment many people there spoke differently. There were Midlanders and Birmingham and the West Midlands as well as the faster talking Welsh, many of whom had crossed the Bristol Channel by boat. Sand castles were built and a ride on donkey was the highlight of the day. The sea was just a distant prospect. Mum’s cheese and lettuce sandwiches tasted splendid until the sand found its way into some of them.

Travelling home I saw what I deemed to be a wonder of the world. It was an imposing tower, overlooking the Severn Vale, of course it was the Tyndale monument at North Nibley and perhaps talking to mum and dad about it sparked my interest in history that I eventually studied in my Thameside seat of learning.

It was certainly a day to remember and well worth double travel sickness. Sorry Slad!