Wednesday 23rd July 1808

Dear Diary,
We reached England in the early hours of the morning. I was awakened by someone shouting about 'groins' but thankfully, I was left to my bed until a decent hour. When I opened my cabin door, there were five seamen, all bent over, in the passage outside. They all straightened and scuttled off looking (and smelling) like crabs hurrying for cover.
I bade farewell to the crew and they all waved from the rigging. 'Effin' Frank blew me a kiss, wrinkled up his nose and wiggled his fingers at me before glancing around and resuming the polishing of his port-hole.
Try as I might, I failed to find a carriage that was passing through Cobbler's Bottom and that was not completely full. The carriage to Leeds, obviously, had space and so I decided to head that way and find transport on from there.
"Gerrup, Mam!" a young lad was saying as I approached my conveyance. He was fairly red-faced from his efforts to help her in. She struggled in and sat down. "By 'eck!" he said, "Am off fer a lie doon. Ta'ra, Mam!"
I introduced myself as I got in and sat opposite her as there was, patently, no room beside her.
"Ah'm Mrs Tickell, " she frowned, "but most fowks call mi Tess."
I never thought I would look back with fondness on my journey with the dead pigs but it was far more pleasant than the journey to Leeds with a swollen and grumbling Tess Tickell.
I don't think anyone has dismounted at Leeds with the joy and happiness that I felt when the carriage came to a standstill. She hadn't finished moaning about always having tripe at her sister's, when invited for tea, but I leapt out of the door, nonetheless. There were many carriages leaving Leeds and a goodly number of 'fowks' lined up to fill them. I'll wager there will be a few more once news of Tess Tickle's arrival gets out. I was happy to sit up by the coachman for the the last stage of my journey, even though he had a dreadful cold and kept wiping his nose on the sleeve nearest me.
I fairly skipped up the road to the Grange, well, inwardly anyway, my baggage prevented it, outwardly. I took a deep breath as I placed my hand upon that familiar knob and turned it and stepped into the hall. I had barely time to put down my bag before Father's Todger leapt up at me, in excitement.
It is good to be home.