British Columbia Canada

Quadra Island – Reunion Time – the Lesser Spotted Penfriend

Back in the days’, pre MSN, pre Facebook, there existed a creature called a Pen Friend. (My boys find this virtually incomprehensible!! 😂)… now, a Pen Friend would write REAL letters on REAL paper and go to the trouble of taking it to a post box… then maybe a team of perhaps 20-50 Pen Friend Enablers would walk, drive and fly that letter and, finally, one of them would bring it to your front door! Pen friends only exist in pairs and sadly, they are now on the critically endangered list…soon to be extinct! 😂

30 years ago I spotted Lawrence’s message somewhere or another and, as we sounded like two identical creatures I decided to write! And we became Penfriends. What you have to understand about penfriends is that, although they may team up for many years, some for life, most only ever get to see each other perhaps once or TWICE in a lifetime!!! They watch watch each other grow up.. they share their teenage angsts… they share each other’s life events, having children, moving house, getting married.. they share music.. books and stories .. and occasionally they arrange their worlds so their paths cross again! And today is one of those days!

A flight from England .. a drive to Vancouver harbour.. a ferry to the island.. a road trip up to Campbell River.. a ferry out to an even smaller island, landing at Quathiaski Cove and we find ourselves on Quadra! The summer home of the Lesser Spotted Penfriend Lawrence Carter!

Great little ferry crossing to his tree lined island…and then a short drive south to the Tsa-Kwa-Luten reserve where we have booked two nights in a glorious loft room! Tsa-Kwa-Luten means ‘gathering place’ in the Native American Kwakwaka’wakw language so it feels very much appropriate! Owned and operated by the Cape Mudge We-Wai-Kai First Nation this place has an impressive track record. George Vancouver himself visited in 1792… and now The Brakenbury’s! 😂

As the roads narrowed and the deers outnumbered the people I knew we’d arrived! In good time for today’s reunion!

Settling in to a new place is always fun! And you don’t get much better than this!

Overlooking the Campbell River… we headed straight down to the shoreline… eagles 🦅 flying overhead and six seals peaking out of the sea watching us scramble down to the water!

This place is super special..and I’m so pleased to share this with my family and for them to meet one of my best friends 😊🇨🇦👍

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Sacha Brakenbury

As mum to three sons (and auntie to ten!) Sacha is kept busy trying to keep the kids alive, safe, fed and watered. Having specialised in Child Psychology and Linguistics at the University of Reading, Sacha went on to complete her Postgraduate Certificate in Education before taking up her first teaching post as Head of Boys Sport and Year 6 teacher. After 6 years, Sacha was fortunate enough to awarded a travelling fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, enabling her to undertake an extensive research project overseas. Sacha has worked with some of the world's top professional sports and educational institutions across Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand - researching ways of engaging young people through the medium of sport and in particular how this can help to reduce drug use and gang membership. After returning to the UK Sacha became Education Director at Ipswich Town Football Club, leading in the government's 'Playing for Success' scheme. She went on to establish three highly respected Study Centres back in the East of England, each of which used sport as a means of motivating children and young people. After successfully completing her National Professional Qualification for Headship in Cambridge, Sacha went on to study for her Masters Degree in Education. With the arrival of her three sons, Sacha decided it was time to 'go it alone.' She set up her own business consultancy, supporting a range of charities and organisations across the UK. Securing funds in excess of £2 million pounds, Sacha was able to 'give wings' to a wide range of charitable causes close to her heart. She continues this today with work specifically for Child First Trust. It was her own kids that were the inspiration behind her establishing Learning Academies (www.learningacademies.co.uk) - a tutoring company that has the simple mission to motivate and encourage its students to become confident and assertive learners who are not afraid to 'take risks' and challenge themselves. As a passionate photographer, Sacha is never more at home than when she's travelling, camera in hand, boys in tow. As a qualified medic with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, she is able to combine her love the outdoors with her passion for wild animals.

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