Move over to the legs!

I began writing this blog in the summer of 2020, little expecting it would turn out to be what it became. Which was something quite magical, and taught me at least one valuable lesson: that true happiness is often achieved through being happy with what you have – and perhaps not continually striving for more. Time and again it struck me that it was those who one might view as having the least ambition whose contentment shone the strongest as we talked.

I am so grateful to everyone for trusting me with their stories. ‘Oo, you’re good at getting things out of me,’ being a sentence I always love to hear. Not least, I’m grateful to the traveller camp for sharing some of their fascinating tales – Maurice’s story having since been read by many hundreds of people across the world. There is more diversity in a tiny Dorset village than you might think. And for that I am also grateful.

I was happy in my village before I began the blog. After all, it’s where Pete and I experienced one of the best days of our lives when we got married here. But now, as I run or walk its fields and lanes, I actively think about how much I love it – and feel so blessed to call it home. For it is, without doubt, an exceptional place. There are so many people I could still have interviewed – the man who originally escaped from behind the Iron Curtain, who then (working in a shed in his garden) engineered tiny metal parts that have been used on the moon; the ninety-four year old former nurse; the notorious rake who used to live in our house…

I always said I’d do nineteen stories – and the twentieth from Tracy was a very welcome bonus. And so this blog will now remain in perpetuity: a frozen moment in what was – and sadly still is – an extraordinary time. Thank you for all the follows, and if you’re interested in my future work – including articles, the occasional blog post and hopefully, one day, a novel or two – then do please sign up to follow me here: https://jessmorency.com/features/

If you’ve enjoyed my writing, I’ve also just published a book, which was inspired in part by our wedding here. You can find it here

Stay safe, be happy and let’s all look forward to the day when we can all, once again, party like there’s finally a different tomorrow.

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