30th May

Funny day. Sad but also happy. We have to pack our bags and get ready to fly back to our country, to our families, to our lives.

We leave District 1050 and have the best memories from our journey here. Many people we met, everybody was most friendly and all of our hosts were as hospitable as anyone can ever be. Never again had we received so much love and interest by people we previously did not know and this is something we can never forget. This month was absolutely helpful for us; we are just young professionals and the contact with colleagues was a unique experience.

Thank you all in District 1050, you have been best hosts and we certainly feel like friends now. All our wishes for the best in your life.

We would also like to thank our District 2481 for giving us the opportunity to be part of this programme. We cannot be thankful enough for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you have offered us.

Panos
Vasilis
Zacharias

29th May

Today we visited Chatsworth, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Hugeeee. We loved the gardens, the maze, everything. Took us almost two hours to walk through the rooms and most of the gardens. I bet we could do better!

In the evening the team was hosted at Ian's and Liz Saunders. It was a warm and friendly night where among others District Governor was present.

28th May

Buxton Cottage Hospital (Berbyshire Health United - is that a Football Club???), small hospital with outpatient clinics and inpatient wards, would rather be a large health centre in my country. Digital xrays, plans to go on PACS, new facilities, the whole building has been recently refurbished. We then visited the Cavendish Hospital in Buxton. Rehabilitation for orthopaedic patients mainly and psychogeriatric ward for dementia patients. I then visited a private surgery of general practitioners. They sure make a lot of use of computers in archiving and communicating with other hospitals and other health professionals. In the evening we were transported back to where we started, Macclesfield. We attended the President's Evening, where the RC Macclesfield had invited many presidents of the district's clubs and the District Governor.

27th May

Handover to Buxton RC. Pavillion Gardens in the centre of the city, lunch with our new hosts, the DG and the Mayor of the city in his funny red robe. Guided tour of the city of Buxton, we saw the natural spa spring, hotels dating back to the medieval times and even older. In the evening it was the final presentation we gave, the farewell eveming meal in the district 1050. We saw a lot of good friends from our previous host clubs, we had the time to chat a little about what have we been doing the last few weeks. Members of the RC Macclesfield, Huslington, Congleton, Jodrell Bank, they were all there to say goodbye. It feels rather odd to realize that a whole month is almost over.

26th May

Vocational day with RC Ashton-under-Lyne. Visited the Psychiatric Department of Tameside Hospital. Dr Noronha showed me the most of the facilities and the way psychiatry is practised in the UK. I also visited drugs and alcohol misuse team where Simon Morton spent an hour explaining both advantages and disadvantages of the practices at present. Early intervention in psychosis team had a lot to share with me. Lots of differences in psychiatric services available between the two countries. Meal with our hosts and in the evening we actually went on a pub crawl (ok, just a small tiny one - two stops!)

25th May

Today we went to an agricultural show, that is the Great Harwood Agricultural show. Holidays combined with sites of vocational interest for one of us (Vas the vet). The others merely saw a sample of dogs and cows, rabbits and owls, pigeons and sheep, bulls and ponies. We had a sandwich and headed towards Lytham to see the windmill. We then went to Blackpool, the Vegas of the North (sic) to see the famous tower. Seagulls flying above our heads, droppings landing all around us, it was a walk on those piers we will not forget!!! We dinned in an italian restaurant and returned home literally exhausted.

24th May

Morning walk to the Bramhall Park in Stockport for Panos with his host. Beautiful peaceful places just a minute away from the city. These people are lucky to have such lovely escapes under their feet!

Afterwards the team was gathered and went to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Manchester accompanied by the rotarian Kiriakos Pissarides. The church is actually one of the oldest greek churches in England, even before the one of London. It felt somewhat good to see all those greeks, completely strangers to me of course, smiling and wishing us well.

We then were handed over to RC Ashton-under-Lyne. Panos and Vasilis had a wonderful walk in the reservoirs of Dove Stone Peak District National Park. Hundreds of people out in the countryside, as the weather was exceptional and tomorrow is a national holiday for the UK (Bank Holiday).