This morning is just a short drive south for our first stop of the day at Courtown Harbour, County Wexford. We were here just long enough to have ice cream on the sea front, a relaxing half an hour before moving on to Gorey town center for a hectic 2 hrs of shopping! This was a perfect opportunity for me to have a kip! All these late nights are now catching up with me and once again, I am being put to shame by my more senior passengers who do not seem to be suffering from the effects! From here we are heading straight back to the hotel and dropping off those who wish to do more shopping in Arklow town center. So I am hoping for a relaxing afternoon before our final nights entertainment this evening. More music, more dancing and the 'house of stories'. It should be a good night.
Well my relaxing afternoon hasn't happened yet. When we got back to Arklow town centre, Paddy was there to meet us. There were a group of 6 teenage girls waiting for us in the park. They wanted to dance for their 'friends from Birmingham'. I don't really understand why there is so much hype about us being here. On Wednesday night The Lord Mayor was here to meet Queenie. Photographers from the national Irish newspapers. Des Willoughby, a very famous young opera singer here in Ireland was the guest star performer of the evening. This morning, Queenie and Sister Sabina had a television interview! And all because, as far as I know, they were hosts to the Arklow Youth Band in Birmingham. We are all, myself included, being treated like film stars and there are so many people wanting to meet us all. It's all very nice although, I feel, a little over the top! For instance, I was asked for my autograph this morning, and to have my photo taken, because I am the lady who drove the coach with 'our friends from Birmingham'! How funny! I was also given a very strange bar of chocolate with crushed up cheese and onion crisps in it. Weird taste!
Anyway, after a delayed return to the hotel, I have cleaned my coach while waiting to go back to pick up the shoppers from town. If I'm lucky I may get half hour kip before dinner and maybe an hour after dinner! It's going to be a long night, luckily with a late start in the morning!
