Category: Uncategorized

Sunday, 19th December, 2021

A cold, crisp morning which was chilly on the face and hands as I walked this morning. Didn’t go out until 10.00 am because I was watching the final Marr political programme ever. With the chaos going on in government currently, he chose a good day to go out.

Covid, Brexit and Sleaze dominate and thread through every pore of power. With Frost resigning, there are two, major possibilities. Firstly, Brexit is really falling apart. Giving in over the ECJ and now over Northern Ireland look major planks of the right wing extremists policies falling away. Secondly, Frost knows that walking out leaves Johnson incredibly more vulnerable to the lunatic fringe that John Major called The Bastards. 

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world ..

W.B. Yeats: The Second Coming

With Covid raging, Johnson incredibly weak and in hoc to his extremists, he is in little position to be mandating strong, new restrictions even though that is exactly what is required to save lives. Got a Whatsapp message from Julie this morning telling me that they suspect Nigel – who is immuno-compromised – has caught Covid from their son and is being taken to a testing centre this morning.

The Sleaze story might have gone quiet but it will be back very soon. Frost resigned, we believe, on a promise of a top job from Sunak. – probably Foreign Secretary. Frost resigning moves Johnson closer to the edge and brings Sunak to the fore. The rumour is that a newspaper (read probably the Daily Mirror) will be running a scoop on Johnson’s former lovers and illegitimate children which could really pile on the pressure. How much will he want to take before running away?

What do you give someone like me for Christmas? There is almost nothing material I can think of that I want. It is a lovely position to be in until someone wants inspiration. I’ve asked for a delicious bottle of Greek Olive Oil. Hope Santa brings it!

Monday, 20th December, 2021

Cold here today although quite bright. Going to need a few extra layers on to go out walking. I’m certainly going to disappoint the lady who complained I wasn’t wearing shorts the other day.

This is the scene on the Greek island of Evia yesterday. Amuses me to think they have snow and we don’t.

Over night, we took the difficult decision to cancel our Christmas plans. We don’t need government to tell us what we can and can’t do but we haven’t come this far to take a risk for a few hours on one day this week.

We certainly won’t be short of food. Pauline has been doing the catering preparations for quite some time. The cakes were finished this morning. There are two Christmas Puddings, two sides of salmon, Starters to feed the 5,000 and wine to drown the 5 million. We will drive up to Surrey to deliver food parcels and then anyone else who needs feeding should just write in.

Just received a card from our friend and former neighbour, Colonel Vicky. Back in 2010 we found a property in Surrey which fitted our needs at the time. Vicky arrived at the same time. She had just retired and was looking for friends and sailing/golfing partners. She was a fit, energetic mid-50s girl and lovely to get on with. Soon after she arrived, she found she had breast cancer. It was successfully dealt with and she went on with her life. We sold and moved on. She sold and moved on. We continued to write to each other. 

This morning her card brings awful news. Her breast cancer is back but much worse. It is now Grade 3 and Invasive. She is on her second round of chemotherapy and trying to stay cheerful. Life treats some nice people so badly.

Tuesday, 21st December, 2021

Today is the Shortest Day – the Winter Solstice. Everything improves from this moment. Hold on to that thought. The sun is very low. Even so, it does feel distinctly raw outside right now.

Just written back to Vicky having heard about the recurrence of her breast cancer and offered her support. Then I had a message to say that Nigel & his wife had tested negative for Covid which in his condition and at his age could have proved dangerous. I’ve written to him congratulating him on the result and pointing out I’ve considered him quite negative since 1969.

A Ripon friend sent me this graphic this morning and it appeals to my sense of humour. You will smile at least:

I’m going to wear a woolly hat for my walk today. I’ll look ridiculous but feel warm. Age dictates that I ignore the former and embrace the latter. Lovely day which feels very happy and optimistic. I feel so thankful for my life. Just got to arrange the next 30 years!

Wednesday, 22nd December, 2021

Up really early this morning to a sparklingly clear sky of stars and bright moonlight. Just 4C/39F and felt quite cold. Quite a lot to get through today so out to Sainsburys at 8.00 am. The roads are empty. The carpark is quiet. Even the shelves are not well stocked.

Down to the beach for a walk. Very few people out. I prefer it like this. Space to walk, think and talk. Space to breathe, dream and plan.

To the east, the sun was barely rising over Brighton but it was too cold to stay long and the car drive home was comfortingly warm.

Over hot coffee, I took a telephone call from the Diabetic Paramedic at our Health Trust. It was a follow up to my blood tests. She said immediately, I’ve just been checking your blood test results and then had to check I was phoning the right person because there is no trace of diabetes in your tests. The results are fantastic! It is nice when you’ve been trying hard and consistently to do the right things to be rewarded with that sort of assessment. I was going to ask if she would award me a badge in recognition but thought that was probably pushing it a bit at my age.

Pauline is making jam, preparing food for the Christmas meal we won’t be attending, preparing to home-cure smoked salmon for our own meals plus fit in two hours of walking with me. I’m playing my favourite game of ticking off on my database the addresses of all those who have sent us Christmas cards and those who haven’t yet. I don’t stop sending them even if they have because, quite often, they start again if I don’t give up on them. Got cards this year from people we haven’t heard from for quite a while. It’s a lovely surprise when that happens.

We didn’t manage to get to the Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy because of the pandemic. I now hope to see the Whistler, Woman in White exhibition next Spring.

There is so much in life left to enjoy. I demand 30 more years as a minimum to experience it!

Thursday, 23rd December, 2021

The morning is amazingly warm in contrast to yesterday. Yesterday morning – 4C/39F – and this morning – 8C/47F. My computer has a new picture each day which appears out of the websphere. Today it is the wonderful Canaletto, Venice Grand Canal.

Going out for an early walk. Out on the walk, we usually pass our postman at some point. He is an old man with a limp which is not a good sign. All around him delivery vans from DPD and DHL and Hermes are zipping to addresses and away. Paul the Postman limps slowly along with his wheeled trolley of letters and cards. He gets nowhere very fast. Even our post boxes all have Last Collection – 9.00 am on them but we can’t believe collection is synchronised around the area by one postman.

Paul the Postman stops to talk to so many people and is obviously much loved in the community. He sent each one of us a Christmas card himself this year and the community collected £500.00 and presented him with it earlier this week. Even so, the postal service is rather homespun in nature compared with last century with two deliveries a day. We’ve still got one or two cards to arrive and I’ve only had three, online greetings this year so tradition has prevailed. Christmas Newsletters seem to be even more popular but one of my favourite cards came from Kath, my former cleaner in school, who always signs herself, from Mrs Fernandez.

This is a man in tune with my own spirit. His name is Phil and he is my cousin’s Australian husband. They live in the Charente region of SW France. I love Christmas almost as much as him. They are very sociable people and love good food and wine but, like me, don’t need an excuse to enjoy it.

Friday, 24th December, 2021

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
No one was stirring … apart from me.

A mild, even warm, night for Christmas week – 10C/50F. It contrasts so starkly with previous years. Some snapshots from 2009 illustrate this easily.

On Christmas Eve, 2009, we were hit by a blizzard. Pauline’s mum was too old and ill to travel to Surrey any more and so we stayed in Yorkshire and drove over the Pennines to collect her from Oldham.

We didn’t know then although we had some suspicions that this was to be her last Christmas at the age of 96. At least we were able to make sure it was a happy one for her though we were aware she was struggling.

It is impossible to know how one feels until an important person in their life leaves them. We all react differently. Pauline and her Mum had an incredibly strong bond which was fractured by her loss although she coped with it amazingly stoically. However, our house is littered with memories that she managed to collect over the years and sustain her into the future.

I know that’s all a bit sad for Christmas Eve but I’m afraid I was given some more bad news this morning. My old friend and flatmate, Nigel, who I was reunited with a couple of months ago after a 48 year hiatus and who is suffering from blood cancer, was suspected of catching Covid and was rushed into hospital last night with severe chest infection and breathing difficulties. Now is not the time for emergencies and I will be keeping in contact over the holiday in case there is something I can do to help.

We got up early, did a two hour walk and then packed the car up and did an emergency dash to the Home for the Bewildered in Surrey. A couple of inmates were even allowed to come to the door – under supervision – to receive a fully prepared Christmas Dinner which they only need to re-heat tomorrow.

Embarrassingly, we were showered with lots of expensive presents which we don’t deserve. I always find it so much more difficult to receive than to give. I don’t know why but I generally feel unworthy. There is something so positive to giving and so self-indulgent to receiving. Just shows how socially inept I am. They may be bewildered but they are lovely people who are generous and caring. When I reach their stage of bewilderment, I may need someone else to care for me because I’m not sure they’ll be up to it.

Saturday, 25th December, 2021

Christmas morning 2021 – my 70th – and I woke at 4.30 am to the sound of torrential rain battering everything outside. Up at 6.00 am and (whisper it) eating BACON SANDWICHES at 7.30 am thanks to Mandy.

Started to receive lovely Texts, Messenger and Whatsapp messages from around the country including from Kevin in Leeds who proudly displayed his new guitars that he received as presents. Isn’t it wonderful to use technology to cover the world with chat and good feeling in an instant from the kitchen? I love it.

Somebody actually told me yesterday that they read the Blog and found it interesting. I was flabbergasted. Mind you, she was from the Home for the Bewildered but, even so, I’ll take that! Done a trawl this morning of Christmases past for photo memories. It really does have its uses. I know I’m weird but, at 5.00 am today, I was listening to a talk by a neuroscientist about memory and the loss of it.

I have a fantastic memory … sometimes …. but on other occasions I find I have huge blanks. Sometimes, I find that the pain of the past has been erased for my own survival. There are somethings that seem so unimportant to me that I make no attempt to remember. I have a fantastic, linguistic memory. Often I write a word then think that I’m not even sure what it means but on looking it up find it is exactly the word that I needed. The other day, I found myself using the words frisson and illicit. Most people don’t use them every day and I could sense readers Google-ing them. Frisson – a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill. Illicit – forbidden by law, rules, or custom. Aren’t they lovely words? Just the feel in my mouth gives me pleasure.

I can remember long strings of numbers after one reading because I hear them musically in my inner ear but I often can’t remember how to get to Tesco. I can see my house and I can see where Tesco is. Linking the two together to form a route is the problem and I’ve had it all my life. That is the reassuring thing. It is not a sign of deterioration over time and, as I’ve written before, Satellite Navigation was actually invented for me personally.

I wouldn’t normally list Mandy as subversive – she looks at the pictures in the Daily Express for goodness sake – but she is having a very good go with us. Mountains of confectionary, glorious bottles of wine and some exercise equipment. Which will win. I think she’s trying to kill us!

It was lovely to have an alternative Christmas Lunch of goujons of Monkfish, Cod and King Prawn with roasted Fennel and Asparagus. Wonderful Christmas present wines followed by homemade Christmas Pudding and Double Cream Custard. Can’t wait to get back to the diet.

Sunday, 12th December, 2021

I couldn’t have conceived of this day arriving and yet this year has been momentous for all sorts of reasons. However, this morning I mark the first day of the 14th Year of the Blog. It may be inconsequential to most but, as a record of my daily life, it has meaning for me and what else can I offer?  As T.S. Elliot writes in Sweeney Agonistes:

Birth, and copulation, and death.
That’s all the facts when you come to brass tacks:
Birth, and copulation, and death.

A dark, dampish start to the morning but incredibly mild. Having returned from France, Christmas planning is accelerated. Pauline has been marzipanning two Christmas cakes – once again, something I won’t get to taste! This morning we have to go out to Hobbycraft for decorations. I have done my jobs and printed out banks of address labels, and 70 copies of the newsletter. They will soon be winging their way to friends and relatives in America, Greece, France, Malta and, of course, many parts of the UK.

Out on our walk this morning under low cloud, fine, wetting rain started to fall and made it rather unpleasant. At least it got me clean! Going to finish off in the Gym watching the F1 motor racing and rooting for Hamilton.

Monday, 13th December, 2021

I have an early, Doctor’s appointment this morning. The investigation starts with blood tests. I’m sure I’m dying but aren’t we all? Until then, life goes on.

Christmas cards are going abroad this morning and UK cards out tomorrow. The card pictured above has been on the go, to and from our Norwegian friends, since 1997. Every year a newsletter is inserted and 24 years of to & fro has made it quite a bulky document. The spine has split and is patched up with Gaffer Tape but it appeals to me as an historical document. Nowadays, it goes to their Edinburgh home which we visited three years ago.

Pauline’s laptop is about 5 years old and not good enough for daily use so I’ve been looking for a replacement for her. HP are, in my view, currently the best company in terms of quality and support and that is where I’ve been looking.

PCs are incredibly cheap now and this model doesn’t even have a separate CPU but does include a solid state hard drive, CD read/writer and screen cam..

I must be one of the few people left in the world who have not watched the Norwegian, political thriller, Borgen. It is a drama about a prime minister’s rise to power and how power changes a prime minister. I wonder if Boris Johnson’s watched it. It should be just right for me but it is 3 series of 10 x 1hr episodes. To commit 30 hrs is quite considerable but it could get me across the awful, Christmas period.

Incredibly mild this morning after a warm night that didn’t drop below 11C/52F. It is mid December and I am going out in shorts and tee shirt. Feels good to be able to do it. I’m afraid the news is bad from my doctor’s appointment …. for my friends and family at least. I am expected to live a little while longer.

Tuesday, 14th December, 2021

It’s 6.00 am and I am awake, up and drinking coffee. I am a tormented soul. Yesterday I did a bad thing. Actually, two very bad things. I think it was as a reaction to my medical appointment.

The girl who reviewed my current health was effusive in her praise over my blood pressure, weight loss, skin quality. I don’t say this to brag but to mitigate my ill deeds subsequently. The girl who was reviewing me had a card on the windowsill of her office saying, Just Engaged. As I walked in she said, You don’t look 70! Who was I to disagree? I asked her about the card and she told me she had got engaged over the weekend. She didn’t seem over enthusiastic about it and she immediately pulled up her trouser leg and held her leg against mine, saying, Where do you get that lovely colour from?

She took my blood pressure. I warned her that I suffered white coat syndrome which was exacerbated by beautiful women. She said she would factor that in. Relax, she said. I closed my eyes as the monitor sleeve began to tighten. Suddenly, all hell broke loose and I shot up at the sound of a fire alarm. It was her mobile phone with a call from her boyfriend. It didn’t seem to spoil my blood pressure. She cooed over it. 

Came home feeling pleased with myself. Went out for a couple of hours walking and finished off in the Gym. It all went downhill from there. Wine with our meal …. and then chocolate!! To be honest, one thing led to another. I woke at 4.30 am hating myself. Why did I do it? Must focus and get back on the path of righteousness!

Nice to see that the world of politics is entering a more positive phase. Twitter is alive with anti-Johnson/anti-Tory sentiment.

The local news this morning featured a building that was dominant in the landscape of my teaching life – Hills Stores was the name the huge and beautiful Oldham Equitable and Cooperative Society building was known by.

The architect, Thomas Taylor, was commissioned to build this at the end of the 19th century. It must have been resplendent in its day. My sister-in-Law and her husband went dancing there in the 1950s. Pauline did Troupe Dancing there in the 1960s. When I arrived in Oldham in 1972, the building was already in a sorry state. Now, this Grade 2 listed building is on the Victorian Society’s top ten most at risk buildings. Even I’m in better condition!

Wednesday, 15th December, 2021

Another depressingly dull, dank day. It is mild and we have been 11C/52F night and day for three days now but so boringly dark. We need some excitement!

The political scene is starting to crank up. The Covid scene is coming to boiling point again. The UK Health Security Agency is warning of a huge wave of millions of infections coming by year end which will require far more stringent controls to avoid considerable deaths. The informed expectation is that family gatherings at Christmas will be severely reduced and pubs and restaurants may have to close through lack of staff because they are infected and isolating. This, of course, particularly exercises Tories who believe that we should be left to take our own decisions although they can never say why that doesn’t apply to drinking and driving or drug taking. See what I focus on in these empty, quiet days. Revolution!

Interesting piece on R4 Today this morning. First, a huge rise in inflation of 5.1% – the highest for a decade. Next was an interview with Banking Chief Executives who are announcing the closure of another swathe of branches on the High Street. They are being pressed to create some cross-bank facility for small businesses which are still accepting cash and need to bank it and some old people who don’t have smartphones and don’t bank online.

The only time I have and use cash is in Europe with a stash of euros to get rid of. I virtually never use a credit card directly now. Everything is paid through my smartphone and Googlepay particularly now the limit has been removed. It must be so difficult for people who don’t use and are scared of adopting these methods. This is always the problem with innovation. A few people are left behind and concern about them is a drag on progress. In this particular case, the pandemic has cut through the problem. Not ‘handling’ things like money has forced the move to alternative payment methods and ushered in the cashless society much quicker.

Back in the mundane world, the walk this morning was hard. My legs are heavy and tight. The lack of sunshine makes it more of a chore but it has to be done. My app shows I have missed just one day completing my exercise regime in the past 11 months. I am determined not to pause until that is 12 months. I have managed 10 miles a day every day since April 6th and that will continue until I drop off my perch.

Thursday, 16th December, 2021

Every morning over Breakfast, we update our entry on the Zoe Covid-19 symptom tracker app along with 4.8 million other people across the country. Each day, infection rates in our local area of Arun are reported. Throughout the pandemic, we have been impressively low but not any more. In the past two weeks, rates have exploded, more than doubling in that time. We’ve got a tester coming from the Office for National Statistics Covid Study for their monthly check-up this morning as well. Got to stop living the high life.

I had done something quite revolutionary. I arranged to drive up to Maidenhead to have coffee with my brother, Bob and his wife, Jane. We haven’t done something like that for 50 years. Eventually, I thought the time was right and texted him. Of course, being daft, I chose exactly the wrong time. He has a shielding member of his family who he wants to see on Christmas Day and, although he is happy to meet us, I had to decide to postpone the reunion. Now, we will wait until the new year. A reunion postponed is an event to be savoured.

It certainly looks as if we did our foreign trips just in time. Greece has now moved to much more stringent testing demands for entry and France has reintroduced quarantine. It’s looking like Scotland, Ireland and Wales may close to English travellers very soon to limit virus spread. It’s beginning to look a lot like last year.

Still 11C/52F as I went out on my walk but I wore long trousers because it was so gloomy. A woman walked past – I have no idea who she is. – and rebuked me for not having my shorts on today. We just got home and the Covid tester arrived for an armful of blood. We are so well tested currently, there is little chance of being ‘positive’.

Friday, 17th December, 2021

I try to keep party politics out of the Blog as much as possible but, this morning, it feels as if the tectonic plates may just be on the move as the Tories lose one of their safest seats in the country. It has been Tory since its creation in 1832. Being a world beater, Boris Johnson has managed to turn that around. You can fool all of the people some of the time ….

Christmas is a sentimental time. It recalls friends and relatives. It involves contacts that, often, are only renewed at this time. We receive cards from staff and friends we haven’t seen since the 1970s. They live in far flung parts of the UK and even further flung parts of the world. These contacts always touch me and I make resolutions that I must do something more to keep in contact than an annual card. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. Some memories are more important to me than others. I’m not bothered about Christmas but I really value the personal contact across time and space.

Thought I’d feature a card which arrived yesterday. It is from Mabel who is in her mid-90s and lives in Uppermill. For many years, she was Head of Domestic Science in our school. She even taught Pauline at Hathershaw in the 1960s. Her husband died in his 90s over a decade ago. Our only contact is via our card and Newsletter and her card and scribbled note. The unbearable loss of time and space is encapsulated in that card and I always find it so hard to bear.  

This is why it is so important for me to Blog and record, to describe and remember. Life and the events of life are too important

Back in the real world, the beach was scruffy, deserted and bleak but the sun was pushing up against a blanket of cloud. Lots of little jobs today that amount to … almost nothing. Life is more important than this! I feel isolated from my past in an important way. I have to reconnect.

Saturday, 18th December, 2021

Lovely, sunny day. Did an early walk to blow away yesterday’s cobwebs. On the national front, the government is holding a COBRA meeting this morning with mounting Omicron infections on the agenda. All the informed talk is that there will be a nationwide lockdown with no inter-household mingling mandated as a circuit breaker. The only question is if it comes before or after December 27th.

Posted a card today to a lovely, little girl. She lives in Aberdeen but until recently was our neighbour. She is called Sharon which always struck me as an old fashioned name for someone so young. She split from her husband and moved away to be with her father who has now died. It’s funny and a sign of my age but she must be in her late 30s. Even so, I always thought of her as a ‘girl’.

After all these years of silence, Kevin has taken to sending me ‘stuff’ on Whatsapp. Today it was a Led by Donkies video message about sleaze in the Tory government. At least his heart is in the right place!

With inflation raging – as I predicted – and year end arriving, I am returning to consider what to do with money sloshing around in savings accounts earning virtually nothing. I can’t let it go on any longer.

The climate for buying and managing other properties feels too complicated at the moment. A series of variants and a series of lockdowns would make property management life just too complicated for a simple mind like mine. (You don’t have to agree!) At least in the short term, I need a home for money which doesn’t allow it to be eroded in value by inflation of 5% +. To do this, I don’t want to pay huge, management charges and so I’m considering a passive, FTSE-100 Tracker fund.

I like Hargreaves Lansdown and Fidelity which I’ve used before but I can’t decide how much to commit. Around 20 or 30 years ago, I didn’t worry about that at all. I just got stuck in. Being 70 has made me so much more cautious and I don’t like it. I am Aries the Ram after all. I don’t believe a single word of Astrology but I can’t believe how closely it fits me: “Qualities of Aries are courage, physical vibrancy, a strong will, bold directness and lust for life.” Of course there are some parts of Aries that don’t apply to me: “The irksome traits of Aries are being pushy, lacking any subtlety, wilful and arrogant.” Nobody could accuse somebody as wonderful as me of being arrogant! However, we Aries are risk takers. What is happening to me?

Just thought I’d include this item from social media to cheer up the sad and bored. There is always a bright side.

Sunday, 5th December, 2021

Quite tired when we got home after 2½ hours of M1 +M25 driving. I was driving so that Pauline and her friend could share a bottle of Prosecco with their meal. I drove Christine back to her home after a long and lovely Lunch with lots of talk. Her husband died 4 years ago. She still lives in the house they bought together almost 50 years ago. I sat in her husband’s customary chair. She has three grown up sons which helps but she lives alone and clearly finds it difficult. I felt terrible driving away, leaving her to spend the evening alone having drunk more than half a bottle of wine. It will have felt very lonely.

When we got home, we called in at our local Asda for petrol so we were ready for our French drive on Monday morning. In the bus shelter on a cold and windy evening was a youngish couple with push chair, a small baby, another toddler and huge bags of shopping. They were spending their Saturday evening getting the bus to do the shopping. I couldn’t imagine it and it instantly saddened me. As we drove away about 20- mins later, they were still sitting there, huddled against the cold wind and waiting for a bus. Every instinct in me screamed, Offer to drive them home. but Pauline cautioned me to curb that feeling. Covid has made these connections so much more problematic. They stayed in my mind all night.

Glorious morning today with lovely blue skies and strong, winter sunshine. Going out for an early walk because I have quite a few jobs to do before we leave tomorrow morning around 7.30 am. Clean the car, pack the car’s fridge and prepare all the paperwork for the crossing each way. Of course, yesterday, as we drove home, we heard that an extra testing hurdle had been added. We have to get a test in France before we return. Doesn’t worry me. If they don’t let us back in, I’ll cope.

My mind has turned to the The Menai Strait, to Anglesey and to the Holyhead ferry Terminal. I was last there 55 years ago and it didn’t look like this. It was night time, very dark and the ferry was full of drunken Irish. I was 15 years old and so excited. I have no idea what it cost because I didn’t pay but now it would be about £400.00 return including the car. I have a sister in Ireland who I haven’t seen for over 10 years. I think I’ll have to go over and visit her and fancy checking Anglesey out again.

This chap is my contemporary. His politics aligns with mine and he has taken to writing to me recently from his home in the Scottish Highlands. Social Media is so wonderful. It can cross 50 years and 730 miles at the touch of a button. Pity he doesn’t know how to use an apostrophe!

Monday, 6th December, 2021

Up at 4.55 am and out walking at 5.00 am. Dry, warm and quiet. In a couple of hours I came across just two others. A young girl jogging who I would have cautioned against the risk and a blue light darting across the park which turned out to be a man throwing a ball for his dog with an illuminated collar. Actually, this is a wonderful time to be out and experiencing the world. The mornings are getting lighter earlier and the birds started singing at 5.35 am today.

By 7.30 am, we were on the road to Folkestone. Wonderful drive today with no hold-ups. Almost no lorries which tells you something. We arrived about 40 mins early.

The Tunnel Terminal at Folkestone was almost empty. Normal times they are not. About 20 vehicles on the train instead of 220. The terminal was deserted. We sat in our car until called to load. The crossing was quick and easy and we drove off and straight to our Hotel. Our Suite was ready and it looks as if few guests are booked in for tonight. This hotel is predominantly used by UK visitors and they are in short supply at the moment.

John Ridley and John Morris contacted me this afternoon to wish me well and express regret that they weren’t here too. John Morris had wistful memories of Le Touquet which is one of my favourites as well. I offered to meet them there if they could stagger through all the barriers put up at the moment. I know they haven’t got a chance!

Tuesday, 7th December, 2021

Up at 6.00 am (GMT) on a cold – 3C/37F – morning. Outside, Christmas has visited the Channel Tunnel Constructors’ Memorial.

It was dark but the sun rose quickly to reveal a beautiful morning. I know I quote it with monotonous regularity and I’m sorry but Wordsworth informs the way I see things and Intimations of Immortality plays straight across this scene …

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting
And cometh from afar;
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come ….

A couple of hours walking left me thirsty and starving but I controlled myself with coffee and a banana. Soon we are going out Christmas shopping but, first, we will walk down in to the village to the Pharmacie to enquire about Lateral Flow tests required before we leave.

We had to take our tests within 48 hours of arrival in UK so couldn’t do it until 3.00 pm. The people at The Pharmacie are delightful. Aren’t all French women delightful? Of course we both tested Negative and received paper and digital copies of our certificate. I did all the uploading online and received clearance to travel on Thursday afternoon. 

We visited three fantastic chocolate shops later in the day and managed to splurge hundreds of Euros on stuff that I will never taste. So much French chocolate even feels immoral but we will spoil people on Christmas Day with it.

Wednesday, 8th December, 2021

Woke up early to heavy rain outside and quite windy. After orange juice (from a bottle) and tea, went down to the hotel’s Gym. The Hotel is very quiet for lots of reasons.

It was popular with Brits. Brexit has hit British traffic. It is a relaxed hotel with a fine dining restaurant. Covid has killed the hotel & restaurant trade. It has lovely grounds to be enjoyed in the Summer and Winter weather makes it less attractive.

Our Suite is on the top floor – or prison landing – and looks out over the extensive grounds which appear distinctly sodden this morning.

The Gym was completely empty so I didn’t need to wear a mask which made it much more bearable. Had to listen to French ‘Rap’ music in the Gym which drove me close to suicidal and definitely urged me on to work harder and faster in order to escape the utter madness! Cycled 25 kms today and I’m beginning to feel it now. In between rain/hail storms, we’ve driven out to source Christmas food and presents. Bonkers really as it’s all for one day but it has to be done.

Thursday, 9th December, 2021

A wet and wild day and night gave way to a cool and dark morning at 6.00 am (CET) / 5.00 am (GMT). Out on a 2 hr walk, the ever-present lights of the Eurotunnel Freight Depot polluted the sky but lit the path.

Walking at that time in the morning and in that location is quite magical. In the course of the two hours, the sun comes up and totally transforms the stage.

We nipped down to Auchan for some late fresh produce and then drove off to the almost deserted tunnel. The sun was out. The queue was short and we were on a train around 2 hrs earlier than planned.

The drive back was wonderfully quiet and quick. As soon as we were back, I unpacked the car and then carried out the necessary Day-2 PCR Tests, uploaded all the data online and then drove out to post them off via a Priority Post Box.

My little sister, Catherine (Cathy), lives about 5 miles away from me. In the 6 years I’ve lived here, I’ve seen her 5 times. Two of those occasions have been when I invited her to my house and 3 have been by pure coincidence. We have met in Tesco carpark, in the Garden Centre and today, we met in Sainsburys.

We were supposed to be in quarantine but had to post our tests off so we stocked up in Sainsburys and met this shadowy figure not wearing a mask. It was lovely to see her and her husband, Laurie.

Now I am dreaming of home and cool, white, Egyptian cotton sheets and ….

Good to hear tonight that our work to appeal the Parkingeye charges P&C received and expected to receive have been repaid and rescinded in full. I knew they would be and I wouldn’t have let it go until they were. Just love those fights with petty Bureaucracy. They are so easy to defeat and yet so brazen in their contempt for little people! P&C had two fines cancelled and one that they had paid repaid.

Friday, 10th December, 2021

Yesterday, we performed a DAy-2 PCR test and drove down to the Priority Post Box in the village to send them off to Zava for analysis. We are supposed to quarantine until we receive a negative result. It’s bonkers really because we had to go out to the post and to Sainsburys last night and so we are going out for a walk this morning on what is a wonderful, sunny day with sharp, clear blue sky.

Leaving the French landscape behind, we are back to walking through the park. Looks like it rained heavily in the night although I didn’t hear it. I was quite tired.

Our walk takes us through the park and round the Community Centre that has almost entirely been taken over by Covid vaccinations. Most days, the carpark is packed and Hi-Vis jacketed volunteers are organising entry/exit. The council have recently even spent money erecting this tribute to the NHS. Of course, the complaints about roll out of the vaccination program were expressed, the Tories called it the NHS Vaccination program. As soon as they felt able to claim a success, it suddenly became a hugely successful government program. This sort of duplicity was always likely to fail eventually and so it is:

Johnson’s own dishonesty was always likely to be the fatal flaw. Those who support him have tended to say, Well he’s not perfect but he’s doing his best. as if he’s some Primary School kid who needs encouragement. He’s not and it has all caught up with him. Today, the YouGove Poll for The Times shows Labour with a 4% lead over the Tories.

This afternoon, the Covid Testing company emailed us to confirm we were still negative and were released from self-isolation. We were confident of that even though there was an announcement of a new, French Covid variant found in Marseille this morning.

Saturday, 11th December, 2021

A mild, grey day which felt a little empty. The resurgence of pandemic has prompted us to order more masks and more Lateral Flow tests. The first will be FFP2 masks and will be delivered by Amazon. The tests are free from the Surgery Pharmacy. We order those via the NHS app and collect them immediately. The peak of this latest wave is predicted to be at the end of January and we expect considerable new restrictions long before then so now is the time to act.

A couple of hours of walking was followed by Christmas preparations. About 70 cards to be written. Books of stamps to be purchased and stuck on envelopes. Database -Spreadsheet layout of sheets of addresses to labels printed and stuck on envelopes. Before that an editing job – Whose died? Whose moved? Etc.. I am in the process of producing the annual newsletter. It’s been an eventful year full of surprises to recall.

Cards to go abroad must be posted by Monday. Presents to be sent will need posting boxes so they have been sourced. and shredded Christmas paper to cushion the contents prepared.

It was agreed recently that the meal we will prepare for the family will not involve TURKEY for the first time I can remember. My sister, Cathy, told me they were going out for a Curry on Christmas Day. Maybe the trend is away from Turkey! Instead, we will eat roast Glazed Salmon. Pauline is a technician and always trials her meals. I usually have to eat it at least twice before she settles on a formula. This picture features the first trial which will be rejected. It is layered salmon with pesto filling and citron topping. Nice but not good enough. The next attempt will involve honey & orange I’m told.

I don’t know why I do the newsletter these days. I print it in colour and send it with cards. Why do we send cards? I would happily send email attachments but one or two people don’t have any and most send cards anyway. I feel it is only polite to reciprocate. Everything will be done by tomorrow and then we can get back on with our lives – whatever that is.

Sunday, 28th November, 2021

After a cold night with a magically clear and star-studded sky, the morning has opened distinctly cool at 1C/34F but with azure-blue and gorgeous sunshine. Isn’t life good? Well, we soft Southerners do feel the cold more easily than the peasants in the North who have long been inured to it with their diets of spam sandwiches and fishfinger butties but preparation is all and I don’t have any ‘Thermals’.

Going to have to search out the Damart catalogue that comes through the door on a regular basis.

I have got a woolly hat & gloves + Fleece for my outdoor walk and I think I’m going to need it today. Thank goodness we’ve got efficient central heating which we control over the web at the touch of a smart phone app. Everyone should use Hive or its equivalent.

Well, I’ve spent the weekend updating my circle of friends from College on current news and wishing them well for the coming month. One drew my attention to an article about the Horn Blower headed: Ripon’s first female Hornblower; ‘I feel very proud. It only took 1,131 years!’ For those who don’t know, the ancient city of Ripon has had a Hornblower closing the day at the obelisk in the city square since the year 886 and they have just appointed their first female one. Seems a bit premature to me although she is only an Assistant!

We have a busy few days coming up at the end of the week. Friday to Gatwick to collect P&C from America. This has now been complicated by the forthcoming requirement to take a PCR not just a Lateral Flow Test on Day-2 and then to quarantine until a negative result is confirmed. Hotel in Milton Keynes on Friday night. I then become a taxi driver on Saturday so Lunch with Pauline’s friend, Christine, can include wine. Monday we drive back down to the Tunnel and off to France for a few days Christmas shopping. Once again, this has been complicated by the introduction of PCR tests which have to be sent away and we have to quarantine until a negative result is emailed. Pauline has a hair appointment the day after we return so she will be scabbling around tomorrow morning trying to bring it forward to this week.

This is the same shot I took yesterday on Littlehampton Promenade. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday was grey and cold. Today is bright and … cold.

Monday, 29th November, 2021

Identical opening sentence to yesterday. After a cold night with a magically clear and star-studded sky, the morning has opened distinctly cool at 1C/34F but with azure-blue sky and gorgeous sunshine. Strangely, my mood is diametrically opposed to yesterday when I was happy and relaxed. This morning I feel dissatisfied and uncomfortable. Why?

As the government is struggling to get to grips with the threat of the new, Covid strain on the one hand and with the threat of their Libertarian Right Wing on the other, so we are rapidly readjusting our arrangements in the light of the likely narrowing of possibilities. The change of testing regime at such a moment could really cause us difficulties. The requirement to isolate until a negative test has been posted will also cause us trouble.

However, for the Tories in general and Boris Johnson, in particular, the government have really got problems. Confected migrant crisis – we are in net, negative migration at the moment. Confected Brexit crisis – everything that they don’t like was negotiated by them and signed off by Johnson. The Tories and Johnson’s standing in the party are losing ground quite rapidly to Labour currently. Now their British Exceptionalism theme is under threat because of a resurgence of a new Covid strain. The Far-Right want to deny it’s happening. Oh, we’ve got to learn to live with it. (Code for: We’ve got to learn to die with it!).

The graphics accompanying this are trending on social media and are fairly representative of the current flow certainly on my wing of politics. I love people. I don’t know if I would be considered a Socialist but I love people. I am incredibly moved by people’s circumstances especially if they are less than my own. I instinctively want to help. Some, cynical people, doubt me and, sometimes, I doubt myself but I do try hard to be true to my principles.

Today, our exercise involves two visits to Worthing town centre. Pauline was ‘feverishly’ buying outdoor coats. She accepted hers. I rejected mine. She was happy. I couldn’t care less!

Tuesday, 30th November, 2021

Woke at 5.00 am today on a grey morning. I’ve got quite a few things to get through. Firstly, I’ve had to buy two, new PCR Day-2 tests for our French trip next week. The Lateral Flow tests I bought for £55.00 are now redundant. I have had to buy two more PCR tests for £138.00. Fortunately, I was able to negotiate the return of the initial payment so it is a little less painful. Secondly, I’ve got to prepare PDFs of the documents required to show at the border and in shops, etc to prove Covid-Health-Status.

I am interested in people and, particularly, people through time. I remember very distinctly the shock at the murder of the Swedish Prime Minister, Olaf Palme, who was shot dead in the street in 1986. I was 35 and Palme was 59. Like Palme, I considered myself a social democrat. His murderer was never found. Someone was initially imprisoned but subsequently cleared. Another man, who was long considered a suspect but eventually committed suicide, continues to be a shady prospect. At the moment in the Gym, I am watching this process played out in a drama.

Soon, I will be moving on to the story of Marseille, the Provence city on the French Mediterranean coast. It’s been on my list of places to visit for years. The city has long been a rich source of crime and deprivation seeing a confluence of French North African migrants and the drugs trade. The migrants live in deprived areas of high rise, shoddy apartments. The drugs trade operates rather like the Italian Mafia and the Mayors of Marseille have long been tainted by large amounts of money and the numerous murders associated that trade.

Marseille was founded as a Greek colony and later was a focus of the French Revolution before becoming a centre of French, post-colonial migration from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. The Netflix series I am going to embark on, explores modern Marseille through its Mayor played by Gerard Depardieu. Sex, drugs and political power in the Mediterranean sunshine – what’s not to like?

Just as the pandemic began to strike, I was looking at apartment rental in Marseille so we could explore the culture. The idea was that a month or so there would get us in to the life of a Marseillais.

Had some lovely correspondence from North Yorkshire. Kevin managed a Whatsapp post. Emails from Julie and John Ridley. Both lovely, friendly tone. John Ridley was effusive in his friendship and has suggested that he would like to come down here to visit us with his wife. Because I am an avowed atheist and I’m always ribbing him about his Methodism, he headed his email with a coat of arms reading: Nisi Dominus Frustra (Without the Lord there is Frustration). You can say that again! I issued invitations to them all when we met recently. It would be lovely to entertain them here.

Wednesday, 1st December, 2021

Happy December to all my readers. Incredibly mild for the time of year. Being data-driven and obsessive, every first of the month has a number of obligations. As regular readers will know, that includes recording power consumption for the previous month on my spreadsheet and comparing it with the same time in past years. Yes, Bonkers, I know but … I am.

In the past, we have become accustomed to spending the month of November away in the sun. Because that hasn’t happened this year, I expected a large increase in power consumption but, because the weather has been so mild, we haven’t needed the heating and consumption has been quite low. As all readers will know, it is through data that we know the world and you can rely on me to record it.

However, I am no more bonkers than local newspapers. The MEN featured a major news story yesterday. Pupils throw Snowballs. Can you believe it? This was a Hold the Front Page Shock Horror of Snowfall in Rochdale which encouraged Langley pupils to throw snowballs into a bus as it passed.

Here, in the sunshine, it looks rather grim but we definitely had our fill of cold, snow and pupils slinging ice balls at each other. It was interesting and quite alarming to find the Health & Safety changes that  made us legally responsible, under Public Liability law, for the potential injuries that such traditional winter larks wrought upon us.https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ehek4WPuXZY?feature=oembed

I was looking at the possibility of returning to Sifnos in the Summer and came across this film made about 4 years ago but set on the island and using all those backdrops that we know so well. I even spotted our house in the background. The acting, like so much Greek TV, is awful but the events leading from a ferry journey to walking the streets of the port and the Hora are so evocative that I have embedded it here.

On Sifnos, the Geraniums would easily get through the Winter still flowering but ours are still going in West Sussex. A bit faded I admit but I may get another Summer season out of them at this rate.

Thursday, 2nd December, 2021

Difficult day yesterday. I spent the morning preparing documents for entry and exit from France. This has been made more urgent because we will be away from home on Friday & Saturday. I sat back with a sense of satisfaction in the early afternoon feeling that everything was in order. I made sure we both had on our smartphones:

• photos of our passports
• Pdfs of the French Declaration d’Honneur
• NHS app with 3 x Covid jabs listed.
• French app – TousAntiCovid  
• Pdf copies of the above
• UK Passenger Locator Form
• Day-2 Testing codes

All this just for a short trip to France? Just as I relaxed, we noticed the tickertape on Sky News saying France had reintroduced the entry requirement of a negative Covid Test result even in those full vaccinated. These have to be taken within 48 hrs before travel. How could I arrange that with 4 days until we travelled and how much would it cost?

Early searches suggested it would be very expensive and quite slow to arrange. Costs ranged from £120.00 per person with a 4 day turn around which would be cutting it far to fine. Eventually, we found a company who would deliver today and return our test result within 12hrs for … £22.00 per person. Even so, this raised stress levels.

This morning, and we still don’t know why, just before Pauline went out to the hairdressers, our mobile banking app went down. Another 20 mins of nervous energy spent at 7.30 am sorting that out. I managed it but could do without the stress!

Drove Pauline to Goring for her haircut. The fairly mundane High Street was busy but freezing in spite of the sunshine. I did some walking while the haircut was done. Back home to meet DPD delivery of these extra tests and then out to Town to collect some new, ‘smaller’ trousers!

I have not really enjoyed Christmas since being a child. We have always ‘celebrated’ in the most minimal way. I certainly haven’t felt the need to do what so many of our neighbours do down here and even my sister who lives 5 miles away which is light up their homes. I’ve heard someone say they needed cheering up so started their lights in November. I need cheering up but lights certainly won’t do it!

I don’t know if it’s just me or a common response but I often have the weird desire to jump when I look in to the watery abyss below. In these temperatures, it would be certain death from hyperthermia so there is no chance but that temptation/compulsion is there.

Had to drive back into Worthing to collect … more clothes for me!!! I can’t cope. I’ve never had so many new clothes in my life.

Friday, 3rd December, 2021

Up at 5.00 am on a cold, dark and wet morning. In the Gym for an hour. Orange juice, shower and out on the road for 6.30 am driving to Gatwick Airport. I felt quite flat and the drive was horrible in dark and rain which refracted all the lights annoyingly. Worked out the intricacies of the Short Stay Car Park arrangements just in time to meet P, C & D from their Florida flight.

Drove them back to one of our old stomping grounds – West Byfleet. Always feels strange to return to these familiar yet unfamiliar places, to know instinctively where I am going yet feel uncomfortable in that knowledge.

The cleaners were just leaving the house as we arrived. The next big job after getting them home was to organise the conduct and despatch of their Covid PCR tests. Left to their own devices, they wouldn’t have had a hope of doing these successfully. After the expending of more nervous energy, the tests were done, the online forms filled in and, because they now have to quarantine until the results come through, we took them to the Post Office for despatch to the Lab..

They’ve all gone to bed to sleep off their 12hr flight. We walked to Tesco – about 30mins each way – to buy them a copy of the (shhhhh) Daily Mail. Now we are going to drive about 90 mins to Newport Pagnell to stay the night at the Holiday Inn before meeting up with Pauline’s old, College friend for coffee at her house and then Lunch at a local, Greek restaurant.

Saturday, 4th December, 2021

Well the attractive, Georgian house exterior didn’t quite live up to its billing inside. It lacked the modern comforts of sound and heat insulation. It was too noisy and alternately too hot and too cold. The bed was only a Double. We’ve been married so long we need at least a King-size! We had a Suite but it reminded me more of a Student Flat. I certainly won’t be using it again.

I was up and wandering round the hotel at 5.00 am looking for the Gym. Fortunately, I wandered in to the Kitchens where a young University student was preparing Breakfasts. I was taken up to the Gym by an IT Student from the University of Bedfordshire. We talked IT for a few minutes which was riveting at that time in the morning and then I did two hour’s workout.

We are having Lunch in a Greek restaurant so the workout this morning has been essential. Now, after a shower and cups of tea and coffee, the day is absolutely beautiful and sunny with clear, blue sky. Can look forward to the day now. Plenty of banter to come. We are meeting a self-proclaimed, Mouthy Londoner for Lunch so my style of sarcasm will be right in place.

Had a lovely time with Christine. I felt so sorry for her. Her husband’s cancer at 60 had been declared ‘free’ by age 62 and then reoccurred by age 68 and that’s when it beat him. Nice people should not have that battle.

Sunday, 21st November, 2021

A gorgeous morning although I was up at 5.00 am making a hot drink for my wife who is unwell. Pauline has a heavy cold and has been suffering for a few days. Fortunately, I have not caught it. It is definitely not Covid. We have been tested ‘negative’ 31 times over the recent past and the last one was two days ago. I am on duty today and will be cooking!

The sky outside is clear blue with strong sunshine but the temperature outside is only 7C/45F which is quite cool. Not sure if shorts and tee-shirt will do for my walk this morning. Hard to believe that we are nearly at the end of November already. In fact, because Pauline was unwell and I was awake early, I found myself thinking about my age and that there is so much more behind me than in front. It is scary and is the reason why I feel I’ve got to get on with things rather than sit around. There is no time to waste!

I have been trying not to waste time in pushing my exercise program. It is 228 days since I turned 70 and, since then, I have covered 2300 miles / 3,700 kilometres in exercising. It feels good to be back to fitness and it gives me the impulse not to sit still writing but to get outside doing. Today, I’ve set myself patio cleaning and house vacuuming as well as walking. 

The walk was sharp but delicious. Walks are always times to think. It’s interesting how the movement of walking stimulates the brain and moves thought patterns on. I always find conversation is more fluid when walking and never really understood why.

Today, the Mediterranean richness of the light pulled everything into sharp focus. I woke up this morning thinking about age. I know too much self-reflection isn’t necessarily good for one but I am an addict. My thoughts were crystalized as I walked past the developing Care Home (specialising in Dementia Care I think) on the periphery of our Development. Must get my name down while I remember!

Everywhere we walk there is decay – not to depress you, Dear Reader. Autumn is rapidly advancing and its debris is everywhere in our path. Let’s hope the Winter passes quickly and we soon see the green shoots of Spring. There I go again, wishing my short time away!

Wonderful meal today even if I say so myself. An economic, one-pan special of Chicken Thighs marinated in lemon, oregano & garlic and roasted with peppers, chickpeas and asparagus. Success again. The wine helped!

Monday, 22nd November, 2021

A happy marriage definitely involves separate bathrooms. I remember but don’t really remember living in a large, family home in the 1950s with no central heating and one bathroom. We had a second toilet and Mum & dad had a wash basin in their bedroom but the whole thing seems so centuries ago.

Unfortunately, I had 5 sisters which didn’t help. Of course, boys/men don’t really wash … they just pretend to but the girls take it all so seriously! In those days, baths were the thing and the water was heated by a Back Boiler which rather limited the number of people who could use it each day.

Nowadays, I hardly ever have a bath but I love showers. My wife has the biggest bathroom but I have the biggest shower and with a body like mine, it’s needed. In the Mediterranean, they can’t understand the British love of baths. They can’t understand people wanting to wallow in the water already dirtied by their bodies. Showers are de rigueur and, of course, they use less water for places that are hot, dry and where water is at a premium.

For me, there is something special about standing under a powerful force of hot water after exercising. And the water is always hot. We no longer have to wait for the heating to build up. The facility is there immediately we turn the taps. These are things we couldn’t have conceived of when I was in Primary School and using outside toilets in the school yard in the middle of Winter.

Gorgeous day outside with clear, blue, Mediterranean skies and strong sunshine. Still only 7C/45F but beautiful. Let’s hope we have a good day. At least we will be clean!

Tuesday, 23rd November, 2021

Another beautiful morning but cold – only 4C/39F at 7.00 am. A silver half moon is shining out of a crystal clear sky with sunshine coming over the horizon. At least there is no frost because I cut the lawns two days ago.

Something very strange has happened to me this year. Well a few strange things to be honest. Exercise is one change. For years I’ve been going to the Gym but, since developing a gym in the garage, I’ve taken it much more seriously. Walking outdoors is another thing and improved diet is a third.

On yesterday’s walk, and not for the first time, a man called out, You’re half the man you used to be! I pointed out that my wife had been saying that for years but it was nice to hear. I’m always amazed that people are noticing me at all although I suppose my radiant beauty does shine out and illuminate the area.

Really, the change that has most shocked me is my attitude to Fiction. For an English Lit. graduate and former English teacher, you would expect me to be a big reader of Fiction. As I’ve written before, almost since my initial Degree, I’ve not read Fiction for pleasure but always seen it as ‘work’, as historical evidence, as an empirical challenge. That was accentuated when I did a research Masters and I read 19th Century literature for its representation of historical ideas.

Fast forward to this year. Although I’m still centrally interested in politics and political philosophy & ideas, I have found myself gravitating back to Fiction on television. This has been partly because the post-Brexit political scene has been so unpalatable and partly because I needed distraction while working out in the Gym. I’ve been watching things I would never have even considered in the past. Call My Agent, for example, is a light, French series of inconsequential relationships so out of my experience that I could not believe I was getting sucked in and enjoying it but I was quickly hooked and binge-watched the whole 24 x 1hr episodes in the gym.

I’m now moving on to Glória – a Cold War, Espionage thriller set in Portugal and Germany. I like spy fiction I’ve found. The thing I particularly like about the Netflix platform is that it is cheap and universal. I can watch it on television, iPad or smartphone anywhere in the world.

Wednesday, 24th November, 2021

Overcast and cool morning. Had to go out to collect a parcel which UPS failed to deliver properly yesterday. Why Amazon can get it so right but others have such a poor service reputation, goodness knows. I ordered yet another smart watch, another Garmin. I use mine so much throughout the day to do so many things from telling the time to checking the temperature, to monitoring my activity and heart rate, to reading texts, emails and news flashes on the move that it quickly becomes scratched and battered.

The current one on the left is becoming a bit the worse for wear so I’ve bought a new one which will do all the above plus play music and pay contactless without my phone or cards. Yesterday, UPS sent me a text to say they would deliver today. I went out for a walk yesterday afternoon and 10 mins after I’d left the house, they put a card through saying they had unsuccessfully tried to deliver. So, this morning, I’ve had to drive out to a collection point to pick it up. I now have the enjoyment of setting it up.

Next week, we are going to visit Pauline’s old College friend, Christine. We will first go to collect P&C from Gatwick airport on their return from Florida and then go on to a hotel in Newport Pagnell for one night. We are going to have Lunch with Christine in a Greek restaurant which will be nice and then drive back home before setting off again on the Monday to the Tunnel and a few days in France.

Thinking of taking the train into Gare du Nord and spending the day in Paris. Haven’t been there for a while and it would be nice to spend a crisp, Winter’s day walking the streets and visiting the shops and restaurants. It will be much more relaxing than driving round the Champs-Élysées three times as our sat.nav. once forced us to do on our drive back from Greece. This morning I ordered the Day-2 tests which we still have to go through when we get back. At least I got a 15% Black Friday discount.

Thursday, 25th November, 2021

Feeling happy and lively this morning. Beautiful morning as hell freezes over. Love these skies. they are so photogenic. Perfect day for a ‘selfie’! Waiting for it to warm up a little before going out walking. I’m enjoying getting to grips with my new watch. I’ve set it up without reading the manual … which is a typical ‘man thing’. I will download the full instructions after I’ve tested intuition to the max.

It is quite good fun using the music app to find things I like to listen to on my watch dovetailing in with my phone. 

We have the complex problem of arranging to collect an elderly couple, one of whom is partially sighted, from a flight landing at Gatwick North. Nowadays, you can’t just drive up to Arrivals and grab their suitcases. We have to book the Short Stay Carpark and hope the flight isn’t delayed. The website says it will cost us £35.00 for the privilege even if they are on time. Lovely!

While the temperature is going up outside as the sun takes effect, I am catching up on correspondence. I owe emails to Nigel, Julie, Christine and a Whatsapp to Kevin. I had a chat with a girl from 50 years ago the other day. I had no idea who she was but she knew me. It turns out that she had been the girlfriend of the unfortunate Bob Stephens who died very young of lung cancer. There are some amazing connections like that which give me pleasure. 

David Roberts, who seems to spend his time roaming the country and goes back to Ripon with incredible frequency, posted this advert for the Developers of the old Lecture Building at the College which is finally going under residential conversion. It is amazing how many of the past students express interest in returning to live there. It’s not something that would appeal to me at all. I’m more interested in people than places.

Absolutely freezing this afternoon as we went for our walk. I don’t know if it was the cold but I got terrible stomach cramps as I walked and really had to fight hard to complete. After a rest, I did a Gym session to complete my day. A shower followed by the most wonderful meal of Green Salad and Griddled Sea Bass fillets with Asparagus. There are only one or two things nicer in life than that but I won’t list them!

Friday, 26th November, 2021

Went to bed with a sore throat and painful ears. Slept well and got up early feeling full of life. Pauline is still suffering a bit with this horrible cold and the chat among old College friends is of many suffering from a horrible, persistent cold bug that’s ‘going round’. I refuse to be ill at any time! Watch this space.

It feels really bitter outside this morning and rather overcast. It is only 8C/46F but feels a lot colder. I am going out wearing CLOTHES today. To Rustington to buy fruit & vegetables and Christmas Cards. Later to Worthing town centre to collect new clothes ordered for ME!

Our Marks & Spencer is opposite the pier beach. Down there, the temperature was slightly warmer but, with sea breeze, it felt even more bitter. As you can see, there was no one on the beach even strolling and I didn’t stay long

We were reflecting on one of our favourite topics this morning – the passing of time. It will be six years in March since we moved here from Surrey and over eleven years since we left the North of England. I always think of myself as cultured and sophisticated (irony alert!), of course but as soon as we start to speak to people down here, they say, You’re from the North.

It shocks me because I think I speak with fairly open vowels as my Mother, born in Croydon, taught me. She always mocked the Working Class voice and talked of Received or BBC ‘Estuary’ English speech. Certainly, Working Class or Dialect voices were rarely heard on the BBC in the 1950s and Announcers tended to affect a cut-glass pronunciation. Now Regionalism is in and ‘Posh’ is mocked.

I always remember being shocked and just faintly amused by a senior teacher in my school when I arrived in 1972. He said, I’m going there me. I had never heard that grammatical construction before nor had I heard of goin’ up the brew to the ginnel or wearing Keks. When Mum read stories to us as children, all ‘working class’ characters were given the same, guttural pronunciation. We knew what it was meant to convey – a lesser, lower status.

It was rather like golliwogs which were thought toys or collected with marmalade and had no racist connotation at all. Of course they did but it was so embedded in the culture that even many black people didn’t see it or voice it. How life and culture has changed over my 70 years. It leaves one wondering what those born now will look back on with amazement.

Saturday, 27th November, 2021

Quite a cold night – down to 3C/37F – and only vaguely sunny this morning but what people in our area long to see is SNOW. They almost certainly won’t and many here have never seen snow here in their lives. It was a constant factor in our Winter lives for 40 years traveling backwards and forwards over the Pennines and I will be pleased never to see it again. I checked my records for this time in 2010 and we travelled down from Huddersfield to Folkestone on a wine-buying trip in France but had to turn back because of a blizzard. We had a hazardous journey home and the next night went down to -19C/-2F which was the coldest we had ever experienced. Later that week, we completed a purchase of a property in Surrey and collected our new car. Busy times 2010!

Winter has returned over night to the North of England. The section of the M62 and A62 which we used every day in our professional lives was blocked over night and, although it will be passable this morning especially in a 4-wheel drive, I can well do without the additional risks. Of course, it can be beautiful. You only have to look at this Lowry-esque picture of Heaton Park today but it is not enough to persuade me. At least I am walking round our house this morning in shorts and tee-shirt but with no need for the central heating on.

Our car insurance was up for renewal this week – two named drivers. Last time it was £392.00 and the automatic renewal was £420.00 this time. My wife, who doesn’t give a single penny out when unnecessary, went online as a new customer with LV and was offered the same cover for £361.00. She phoned the company and told them that is what she wanted and saved us almost £60.00. I’ve no idea how that compares with other people but it seems quite economical to me.

Bridget Riley was an artist of significance in my student days for all sorts of reasons. She seemed to hold the zeitgeist in her eyes. Mary Quant, Carnaby Street, The Beatles, The Stones, Le Corbusier, Seurat and Pointillism all came together in her work. I have thought about her only occasionally over the years until a retrospective exhibition of hers was announced in Woking earlier this year. I have illustrated her here looking back from the age of 90 at her younger self. For me and my people it is poignant. Life is poignant, isn’t it?

Our walk on the Promenade today was definitely cooler than usual. Come back Summer. All is forgiven!

Sunday, 14th November, 2021

Rather overcast start to a warm day for the Athens Marathon. We went down to the old, Olympic Stadium for the event. It was very busy but enjoyable. I was ready for the event.

The organisation was meticulous … for Greeks …. All down the street, vans delivered competitor’s clothes and emergency packs if required.

The whole event was really enjoyable. We might make it an annual event. As we left the stadium, our old friend and Notary, Elerania from Sifnos contacted me on Instagram and said she was in Athens and would like to meet up for Dinner. The last time we saw her and her family was in central London about 4 years ago and it will be lovely to see her.

Monday, 15th November, 2021

It was a lovely evening as we met Elerania and her brother, Philipo. They came to our hotel and we walked to a local taverna where we drank wine, ate fish and salad and reminisced. We walked back to our hotel on an incredibly warm evening and drank coffee and watched a film on Netflix on my iPad but not until Pauline had watched the latest vote on Strictly.

We walked to a local taverna where we drank wine, ate fish and salad and reminisced. We walked back to our hotel on an incredibly warm evening and drank coffee and watched a film on Netflix on my iPad but not until Pauline had watched the latest vote on Strictly.

Up and out walking at 5.00 am this morning – a warm and quite humid morning. Few people are as mad as me but one or two, lunatic souls were out in the streets as we walked past the ruins of Greece.

A couple of hours later and back at the hotel, we went for breakfast. It is a buffet breakfast with everything available you can imagine and a lot you can’t. People eating cereals and toast, bacon and fried eggs, poached or scrambled eggs. Salad and smoked salmon. Cheese and ham, yogurt and fruit, croissants and Danish pastries, Greek cakes and biscuits, creamy rice puddings and crème caramels, coffee, tea, orange juice, pomegranate juice, etc. The only thing is that Covid restrictions mean masks and disposable gloves which rather takes the shine off it. 

After breakfast, I had to go online and complete our UK Passenger Locator forms which take forever to do and are rather badly prepared. I did do them on my iPad out on the balcony in lovely, warm sunshine and, an hour later, they were complete. It has been complicated by my email address, which I’ve used for 30 years, suddenly stopping working. I phoned BT three days ago and have spent at least 2 hours on my mobile talking to them without resolution. Just as we were going out to Dinner last night, they phoned again and I’ve had to leave them sorting it out when we get home.

Took Pauline out to the Leather Shop for some more belts she had been thinking about. Three more today brings her total to six new, handmade belts this trip. Goodness knows when she will wear them but, if it makes her happy …

Tuesday, 16th November, 2021

Last night we had Dinner outdoors at a lovely restaurant/old-style taverna on Metropolis Street. Excellent food and I was amused to be an Englishman asking a Greek for a French Sweet in a mixture of all three languages for “Δύο (2) Mille-feuille, please.”

Final day started at 5.00 am and on the warm Athenian streets by 5.30 am. No one could accuse us of wasting our days. We were out for about 90 mins and gentle, light rain started to fall half way through. 

Back for Breakfast and then Pauline packed while I waded through about 900 emails that flooded in as BT restored my email address over night. Feels good to have my main communication mode, other than my mouth, back and working.

We are not flying until this evening so won’t leave for the airport until afternoon. We went down to the City Central Market to buy some more dried herbs. We use them a lot in cooking and the quality of Greek herbs is fantastic. As we walked, hot sun broke through and the sky cleared.

Athens Airport is so quiet. There are only 2 flights to UK – a BA to Heathrow & EasyJet to Gatwick. Almost all others are Domestic, inter-island flights. In 40 years of travelling, never seen it like this before.

Wednesday, 17th November, 2021

I was desperate to get back to Athens and absolutely loved my week there but it is just as enjoyable to come home. Just at the moment that the wheels hit the tarmac at Gatwick, a warm feeling of happiness enveloped me. The whole process of travel had been delightful. The people we had met had been lovely and the experiences of the week had raised my spirits.

Of course, I was aware that I was putting us in some risk and we did take two (negative) tests during the week after travelling on the plane and then crowded Metro trains.

This morning, we had to take our official, Day-2 Tests, photograph them and upload the images to an on-line testing site. Fortunately, we both tested negative again.

After going through the mountain of mail that had built up on the mat, we went out to Sainsburys to buy mountains of fruits and salads as we redouble our diet after a week of self-indulgence. We’ve got just under three weeks until our next trip to France and we are going to visit Pauline’s old College friend for lunch in Milton Keynes before then.

Absolutely beautiful , sunny day today as we go out for our walk but about 10C less than we were enjoying in Athens. I really am a sun worshipper at heart and the hotter the better although I do think age has tempered that a little.

We had to go down into the village and it’s late Autumn setting was lit by lovely sunshine from delicious blue skies. I was still wearing shorts and tee shirt as I did in Athens but it was not uncomfortable. Going to finish off in the Gym.

Thursday, 18th November, 2021

When Theresa May dismissed, deprecatingly, those Citizens of Nowhere who preferred remaining European, she was describing people like me. I have never felt rooted in any particular geographical place. I loved living in the North of England. I loved living in Greece. I love living where I am on the South Coast now but my memories are for people rather than places. I certainly have no longing to return to the place of my birth. I revisit it to remember the people not the place.

I found the village of my birth stultifyingly limiting and unprogressive. Even now I’m older, I have no sentimental longing to return. There was a thread on Twitter recently where people were asked to say how far away from the place of their birth they now lived. It demonstrated that there are two, distinctly divided opinions. Some haven’t moved more than 20 miles from the place of their birth and longed to remain strongly in touch with it. Others, like me, had been desperate to put as much time and space between their childhood experiences and emigrate to Erewhon. I suppose it depends how much you enjoyed your childhood, family life.

Got a Whatsapp message from Kevin in Leeds this morning. He was born in Huddersfield and hasn’t moved far nor has Christine. Heard from Julie yesterday and she lives only a few miles away from the place of her birth. Nigel and I have both ’emigrated’ to other ends of the country. More important are people and memories of people in our lives.

Pauline has integrated a number of objects that remind her of her Mum who died at the age of 96 – a lampshade in our bedroom, a moneybox made by her father. Last night she was so upset to smash a glass her Mother had given her many years ago. They are simple, cut glass tumblers of little monetary cost but so much human value.

This morning, we are having the next episode of tests – PCR and Antibody – from the Covid19 Zoe Project. Never has a couple been more tested.

Friday, 19th November, 2021

Quite a busy morning with trips out to Tesco in West Durrington and then shops in Worthing town centre. It is a mild but grey morning. I’m searching for something warmer and brighter. The town was quiet and rather downbeat. A few Christmas decorations were lit up and a Town Cryer announced shopping opportunities to a crowd of about 3 potential shoppers. I am an inveterate people watcher. I love people, our differences and commonalities and seaside towns are wonderful places to indulge that interest.

The local shops were stocking their ‘free’ Worthing Lifestyle magazine which advertises a much more up-market view than the reality. We had the debate once again about whether to send Christmas cards or not. Tradition won out because we don’t want our friends feeling cold shouldered by impersonal email contact and it is no great sacrifice to us. Regular readers and receivers of Christmas cards will know that I am obsessed with robins. We have so many living around us all year and I prefer them as an Atheistic substitute to Christian, Christmas scenes. There are not so many around this year that I have not already sent in previous times.

We drove home via the beach and, in spite of the grey light, the tonal quality of the colours was beautiful in its own way.

Drove home for coffee before setting out on the day’s walk. Could do with some sunshine or something to brighten the day.

Saturday, 20th November, 2021

Today I am reflecting on the change, over time, of being grounded in location versus the search for contentment further afield. The history of my ancestors illustrates this change quite well. The literature of the 19^th-20^th centuries delineate that change and non-more than the writing of D.H.Lawrence who writes of man being grounded in woman at the core of life while being the explorer of new opportunities through The Rainbow and Women in Love.

My family moved to the East Midlands village of Repton, on the borders of Staffordshire and Derbyshire in the 1850s. They were Presbyterian/Methodist, entrepreneurial and political. They quickly established themselves as Millers, Carpenters and Builders. They featured centrally in the life of the village and Congregational Church with music and literature. They became leading politicians in the local district and nearby towns. They featured strongly in changing the conditions of working people and they became teachers.

Of course, in those early days, people didn’t travel much further than their villages. Forms of transport were limited. Horseback or horse & carriage were not conducive to long distance travel. Employment was mainly agricultural and locally based. Increasingly, industrialisation changed this – a change that informs Lawrence’s writing.

The Rainbow tells the story of three generations of the Brangwen family, a dynasty of farmers and craftsmen who live in the East Midlands of England, on the borders of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The book spans a period of roughly 65 years from the 1840s to 1905, and shows how the love relationships of the Brangwens change against the backdrop of the increasing industrialisation of Britain. The first central character, Tom Brangwen, is a farmer whose experience of the world does not stretch beyond these two counties; while the last, Ursula, his granddaughter, studies at university and becomes a teacher in the progressively urbanised, capitalist and industrial world.

Lawrence’s world was one in which he saw the woman at the centre, the home maker and sexual, emotional source of comfort as the male ventured out to explore the world. Because we live in a world structured by gender, the other sex is forever to some extent a mystery to us (and non-more than to me), with a dimension of experience that we can imagine but never inwardly know. The prevailing theme of Lawrence’s novels is that, in desiring to unite with the other sex, we are desiring to mingle with something that is deeply not ourselves, and which brings us to experience a character and inwardness that challenge us with their strangeness.

Modern invention changed all this for Lawrence’s characters and for members of the Sanders family who are now resident all over the country. Lawrence’s view of male/female relationships looks very outmoded. However, in all great literature, there is the kernel of truth, the delineation of a fundamental condition and the irony for me is that we travel to be grounded once again.

Busy morning down here on the South Coast: Haircut, Lawn Mowing, Patio spray-cleaning, Exercise routine. Got to get all this done in the morning so I can watch a big football match this afternoon.

Sunday, 7th November, 2021

Better sleep last night but we were still up at 6.30 am. Out walking in sunshine before 9.00 am. It is a lovely time to be out in a lovely place. While so much of the world still sleeps after a hard week’s work, they leave the countryside and beach to us.

It’s lovely and green around our house and the grass, trees, birds, rabbits, squirrels combine to make it an enjoyable walk.

Our beach is not so easy to walk on because it is loose, deep shingle but the paths along the edge are there to encourage us.

We have done a couple of early hours of exercise because we have guests for Lunch today. I’m looking forward to it. We’re having line-caught, wild sea bass griddled in the garden. Wonderful!

Monday, 8th November, 2021

Had a lovely day yesterday and a really enjoyable Lunch with M & P. We griddled fish outside in glorious sunshine and ate with the conservatory doors open as the sunshine streamed in. Lovely conversation. We talked about plans to visit them in Florida in March next year and about property prices. We are still looking for somewhere to invest from our Greek House sale. We have flitted from UK …. to France … to Spain. What about Florida? Property prices are incredibly cheap.

I was inspired to do some research. I have been looking in Manatee County, Florida near Sarasota on the coast just below Tampa. This property featured above is on at under £400,000.00. It’s on the Lakewood Ranch and comes with this lovely pool and fitness centre, a kitchen you’d need binoculars to see the ends of and 4 bedrooms plus 3 bathrooms. I don’t know how US property is in terms of an investment potential but it could produce a rental income when were are not there.

The world is a wonderful place. Yesterday I posted images of the present. Today I post pictures of the past and the potential future. John Ridley sent me this autumnal photograph of a scene from Ripon.

Lovely sunshine again this morning as we set out for an early walk. Tomorrow, I will have to be up very early to get my exercise in before we drive to Gatwick. Virtually everything is ready …

Tuesday, 9th November, 2021

Many would say I’m mad. Others say I’m obsessive. I prefer to think that I am committed to my goals. So it was that I got up at 4.00 am and was jogging down the road soon after. Got to get my exercise routine largely completed before we fly. Delightful morning. Really warm and quite light. I did my route with a happy heart. Exactly at 4.55 am, the birds started singing. I beat them to it by almost an hour.

Back home by 5.30 am , it was all systems go with last preparations before driving to the airport. First flight since November 2019 and first ever wearing a mask for the entire time. Going to be an interesting experience.

Everything about the flying experience illustrated how hollowed out it has been by the pandemic. The Long Stay carpark was half empty. Normally, we have to search for spaces. The airport was quiet and our flight half empty. We had 3 seats for 2 people. 

Having been up early and out exercising, I slept through a lot of the 3hrs 20mins flight although there was terrible turbulence as we crossed the snow covered Alps which woke me up. In Athens airport we have never disembarked, gone through security, collected our bags and got a taxi so fast in our lives. It was all down to lack of passenger demand. A 40 mins taxi ride – €45.00 – to our hotel, the Electra Palace.

More than 30 years ago, I read a book by Austen Kark, former Head of BBC World Service. It was about his love of Greece and described the journey he and his wife had gone through to build a house in Nafplion on the Greek mainland. It inspired us to buy a field and build a house on a small, remote Cycladic island over 20 years ago. Austen Kark was married to Nina Bawden, author of children’s fiction like ‘Carrie’s War’ which I had taught in my early career. As they supervised their house build, they would stay in the ‘Electra Palace Hotel’ in Athens. 

Sadly, Bawden was badly injured in the Potters Bar rail crash in 2002 in which her husband, Austen Kark, was killed. I went on to build my house and stay in exactly the same grand, old hotel in Athens. We have been staying there every year sometimes a number of times each year for the past 20. We really missed not going in 2020 and have returned this week to reconnect. This photo is of the little Lobby.

Wednesday,10th November, 2021

A lovely morning although we were up a little late … 7.00 am (Greek Time) / 5.00 am (UK Time). I ate scrambled egg for Breakfast and felt absolutely ‘stuffed’. Our table overlooked the Acropolis and so does the balcony of our Suite. It is really lovely to be back in Greece, in general, and Athens in particular. I want to share the experience with everyone!

After Breakfast, we went out to Monastiraki Metro Station and bought 5-Day travel passes for €8.00 each.This allows us unlimited travel and we set of for Kalithea in the sunshine.

We walked, went into a supermarket to buy some bottles of wine and then took the Metro back to our hotel. Coffee and newspapers and then out for a long walk through Kolonaki and the Embassy area towards Panepistimio and the University area all in lovely sunshine but quite busy and noisy with City traffic everywhere.

This evening out to our favourite street-side restaurant for grilled sea bass and salad and another walk before an earlier night to recover. Actually, it will be midnight (Greek Time/10.00 pm UK Time) for Pauline and 1.30 am Greek Time (11.30 pm UK Time) for me. I have to watch Sky Newspaper Review followed by BBC2 Newsnight before I can sleep.

Thursday, 11th November, 2021

A delightful evening visiting old times like the Ithaca Restaurant we ate at one cold night perhaps 20 years ago. We walked down Odos Ermou – Athens Oxford Street – and listened to the buskers and the excited chatter of all the young people. We were young once. Time is running out and we must take every chance that lies ahead. This chap was waiting just for me. I sent the photo by WhatsApp to Kevin. We ate griddled Sea Bass and Greek Salad for Dinner and walked back to our hotel to watch a Netflix film.

Slept quite well although I’m not coping with Breakfast. I’m really going to have to give it a miss. Went out for a sunny walk to look at the Omonia Square development. It wasn’t half as impressive as the Greeks would have us believe. Two years they’ve been working on it. We went round the huge fish and meat market. Pauline bought bags of dried Oregano for her store cupboard and we fended off all sorts of desperate hawkers from restaurants to clothes shops and two determined young women who insisted I was the double of George Clooney and should buy my wife a single stem rose. Funny to see all the Greeks wrapped up as if it was mid-winter whereas I was in shorts and tee shirt. They would never survive in Northern England!

I spent an hour on the phone to Scotland this afternoon talking to a delightful girl from BT who was working from a shed in her garden as she tried to sort my email delivery out. It often goes wrong when I’m abroad and it is difficult to live without it it. The hour was enjoyable but not completely successful.

At least we managed to enjoy a complimentary bottle of the hotel’s red wine as I talked. Scotland, apparently, was cold and wet this morning and she had the heating on in her shed. I was sitting on the balcony overlooking Athens.

Friday 12th, November, 2021

We walked back in the darkness across Metropolis Square from the restaurant last night and then got up at 5.00 am this morning still in darkness. The Acropolis was still lit up and visible from our balcony.

We decided to go out for a walk in the quiet, dark streets that were still wet from the street cleaner’s work overnight. We walked around the base of the Acropolis past the Museum, through Thissio – the home of Theseus, the legendary King of Athens. Few people were about but lots of stray cats and the occasional homeless man, huddled under coats and sleeping on cardboard. We walked for about 90 mins and then returned for breakfast.

This is a lovely, old hotel and our suite is very comfortable. The corridors feature copies of ancient artefacts and reliefs like this one outside our door. The modern, top floor Restaurant looks out across the city.

The modern, top floor Restaurant looks out across the city and out towards the hills of Athens.

After breakfast this morning, we are going to take the Metro down to the port of Piraeus to renew our acquaintance with the ferry traffic that we have used so much over the years.

Saturday 13th, November, 2021

Beautiful morning. The sun is up. The sky is blue. We’ve already had breakfast even though we pledged last night not to have any because we were so full. It is 7.30 am (GT)/ 5.30 am (UKT) and I’ve found my thoughts straying to what I’ve left behind just as much as what I’m going to do today. Strange but true. 

Yesterday was so warm and sunny. We took the Metro down to Piraeus and walked in the sunshine round the port we know so well. It was very quiet with Ferry boats tied up and few passengers. The colours were beautiful. 

“Deep greens and blues are the colours I choose.Won’t you let me go down in my dreams and rockabye sweet, baby James.” I just love the colours of the Mediterranean/Aegean seas, the warm air and the delicious smells as foreign languages drift over the city.

We took the Metro back to Monastiraki station and bought huge punnets of  sweet, ripe figs to carry back to the hotel. Pauline called at her regular leather shop in the Plaka where she has bought so many bags, sandals, shoes, etc. This time it was belts which all needed shortening and new holes punching. Lovely people who do the whole process from tanning hides in the local factory to selling finished products in their market shop.

The city is preparing for the Athens Marathon tomorrow. I’ve have been hard in training and think I’m ready. Unfortunately, my wife believes I would die in the attempt and, despite the lure of the insurance payout, insists I can only spectate although I could walk the course today.

Sunday, 31st October, 2021

I love time. I love to know where I am in time. I love to place myself in the context of time and history. That is one of the reasons for the Blog. People, Places, Time – the stuff of Life! I hate wasting time although I’ve done enough of it in my life. Since Retirement, I’ve learnt to push myself and not to waste time, make the most of what I now see as a finite resource. That is why I am so (probably too) forceful with people.

Today is such a moment when Time is of the Essence. Clocks going back gives us an extra hour – not in bed but to do things. We have driven out in torrential rain at 8.00 am to travel 20 miles to Chichester for our Booster Jab. The roads were awash and many trees were down. The dual carriage way was wheel deep in water, wood and leaves.

When we got there, we had to get through a massive security system They had been besieged by mad anti-vaxxers yesterday and had erected caged barriers manned by burly security men this morning. When we got inside, it was full of ‘old people’ and I was the only one wearing shorts & tee-shirt. I don’t know why! It is gorgeously warm. Lovely volunteer people running the system. We were through and back home by 10.00 am.

John Ridley contacted yesterday to say he’d just had his Booster. Dave Weatherley is having his this week and David Roberts has to wait a fortnight. If we hadn’t demanded it, we might have been well behind the curve.

I have a huge confession to make. Whether it was for comfort food or the elation of getting our booster in time for flying to Athens, but I felt starving and ate some TOAST!!! Already, I feel terrible about it but it can’t be rescinded now. I’m going to have to live with that original sin. It won’t happen again I can assure you.

At the risk of boring you after my return to College roots, the Blog is a useful aide memoire of experiences through time. Until just over 20 years ago, we lived in or around the Pennine villages of Meltham & Helme.

We left in 2000 just as we were designing our Greek house with our Athens architect and starting an exciting, new chapter.

Just 5 years ago, just after we had finished furnishing our new house here in West Sussex, we were spending the month of November in the warmth of sunny Tenerife.

It was our 4^th month in two, turbulent years. Nobody could accuse us of standing still and that will be my watchword until the end – keep pushing for new things, old things, new experiences, renewing old experiences, staying alive!

Monday, 1st November, 2021

The irony of it. Loving time and not knowing the date. I’m going mad! Anyway, belated happy November to all my confused readers.

Gorgeous morning of blue sky and warm sunshine. Out for an early, two hour walk. Felt absolutely great – healthy, fit and vigorous. I don’t remember getting up each morning with so much energy since I was 18. Might be a bit of an exaggeration because I can’t really remember what I was like 52 years ago but you get the idea.

When we got back home, all the conservatory doors were thrown open because it was so hot. I had my hair cut in the kitchen. It looks as if we won’t only cook outside but eat outside as well today. Good preparation for next week in Athens. I’ve been planning possible activities / trips while we are there. Of course, I will still have to do my exercise routine in the hotel gym & pools where I will be getting in touch with my feminine side because my wife has bought me pink swimming shorts, but I am also going to use the ancient Olympic Stadium – the Panathenaic Stadium (Παναθηναϊκό Στάδιο) which is within walking distance of our hotel. I’ll walk round the track a few times each morning just to say I’ve done it.

We might take a short ferry journey to Aegina Island for a day trip. It is somewhere we’ve never been or Poros Island where Ellerania’s parents own property.

Throughout the 40 years we have been visiting Athens, the decaying, neoclassical Omonoia Square (Πλατεία Ομονοίας) has been a seedy area of drugs and prostitution. Now it has had a major facelift and I am looking forward to seeing it with fresh eyes.

Tuesday, 2nd November, 2021

Up at 6.30 am after rather a fitful night. Woke at 4.00 am and didn’t go back to sleep. Glorious morning with sharp, clear blue sky and sunshine but quite chilly. We went down to 3C/38F last night and all the semi-ripe figs fell off the trees.

Busy day today. I’ve just written a To Do List of some 14 tasks to be completed or at least started today. In addition, Royal Mail have just sent me a text to say our Day-2 Lateral Flow tests which have to be taken on our return from abroad will be delivered this morning. A lot of the tasks are related to travel including booking the Airport Executive Lounge and deciding clothes to pack so my assistant can iron them. I have to vacuum the house and book a steam cleaning service for all the carpets which are coming up to 6 years old. I must also tidy the Office which is starting to drive me mad with so much out of place.

Don’t know if it is because I am tired after a poor night’s sleep but I’m feeling a little down this morning and I shouldn’t be. There are too many good things going on. Going out for an early walk which I hope will lift me for the rest of the day.

I record my life in words. Kevin Sellers records his in pictures. Must be wonderful to be able to produce such paintings up in the wilds of Northern Scotland although he’s currently in Tasmania where his son lives.

It’s not even mid day and I’ve managed half of my list of jobs including booking the Executive Lounge at Gatwick. It is ‘free’ through our Bank Account although there are very few Lounges open at the moment. Of the two, airside ones, I chose No.1 Gatwick North.

It really is such a lovely day that we are determined to spend a lot of it out in the garden including cooking and eating. Mixed fish platter! I’m looking forward to it after all the hard work.

Wednesday, 3rd November, 2021

Much better night’s sleep even though my Full Fibre Broadband went down at 10.00 o’clock last night. Nowadays, that sort of emergency is much more significant than it used to be. Everything in the house is connected in some way to the internet. All the televisions except the primary one in the Lounge are fed by the internet. Our home phone works exclusively over the internet – VOIP …Voice Over Internet Protocol. We have no copper wire phone line. Our central heating and home security is controlled over the internet. All communication is over the internet. I have a mobile phone which uses 5G but, most of the time, I’ve set it up to take its signal from the nearest wi-fi.

I have the fastest broadband that it’s possible to get in UK currently. A large chunk of the country doesn’t get much above 50mps download speed. Mine is 1000 mps. I pay for a premium service. Last night, I immediately chatted with BT Helpdesk on my mobile and was promised the service would be back up by 2.40 am but, if it wasn’t, a broadband dongle would be couriered to me for this morning to get my service back up.

I did wake feeling a little bit anxious a couple of times but managed to quell my concerns and get back to sleep. This morning such sweet messages sent by …. The steady blue light on my Broadband Hub. Normal service was resumed. Not only that but the world outside was bathed in beautiful sunlight. The day will be good. I feel more relaxed knowing that the travel planning is complete. The Day-2 Tests arrived yesterday afternoon and will be ready for our return. My assistant has agreed my choice of clothes for Athens and is busily ironing them in preparation for packing. All is well with the world.

Done a lovely walk in beautiful sunshine this morning. Got a real spring in my step. Ah, the power of the internet!

Now travelling is back on the agenda, Spanish Property is coming back in to focus. Right Move sent me an invitation to an on-line Property Show which immediately threw up interesting contenders.

Really good value properties overlooking the Harbour and Marina of Águilas with its lovely micro-climate. I am quite taken by a newish, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, top floor apartment with large, rooftop sun terrace for just £90,000.00.

Thursday, 4th November, 2021

Quite chilly, grey morning. Up early with lots to do. Out shopping to Asda & Sainsburys. I was the only one in shorts and tee-shirt. Back home, I had to write what Kevin described as an Encyclical for him to read out at the College Reunion tomorrow in Ripon. I will not be there because it is a long drive just days before I go abroad. I have told them that I will try to make it next year – just 50 years since I last saw them all. There is so much time to catch up!

I find these sorts of things easy and enjoyable to write. I spent about 40 mins on it and sent it over to Kevin with the instruction that it should be read to the backing of a recording of Handel’s Ode to Joy – the European Union Anthem. I tried to weave in comedic anecdotes about as many members of the original group of men I could remember. Kevin reminded me that I coined the original term, The Company of 24 although I don’t really remember it. Kevin will enjoy being in the limelight as he hams up presentation of my address.

Going out for our walk, the temperature was really cold in the sea breeze and I was forced to put on a long sleeved tee-shirt to keep comfortable.

By the time we had done our couple of hours and got back home, BT had already delivered my supplementary Broadband Hub which is independent of the existing one. It receives its feed from the 4G mobile network. This mobile network will be free to me so I can take it on my travels and plug it into my car to increase my internet sphere.

Continuing to look at properties on the Murcia coast on RightMove, I found this new build, 2 bed property for £130,000.00 just above Mazzaron where our friend, Margaret used to own and just below the more ‘popular’ resorts of Benidorm, Alicante and Torrevieja. It would have to be checked out and be a viable, rental property to be worthwhile.

Friday, 5th November, 2021

Glorious morning of clear, blue sky and gorgeous sunshine highlighting flight trails high above the garden. We have a frost – light but obvious on the roofs and grass. Just the right day for an insulation firm coming to look at treating the Gym ceiling. Got to make sure the wine store is safe! I’m also looking for some patio heaters so that we can continue to eat out in the garden over winter.

Long ago – maybe 30 years ago – we were in Le Touquet during a Winter Half Term and chose a Fish restaurant to eat at on a very cold day. Being young(er) and more enthusiastic, we chose to eat outside on the terrace. It was heated by huge, patio heaters and I have an abiding memory of eating delicious seabass in the open air comfortably heated by bottled gas burners. In Greece, Winters can be very cold but Greeks still eat outdoors with coats and scarves on. After all these years, it is rather in our blood.

Early walk in glorious sunshine for a couple of hours before the insulation man arrives. There is real evidence of increased air traffic across the sky from Heathrow and Gatwick towards the Continent. Looking forward to being up there myself next week. If you click this photograph to enlarge it, you will see that our helicopter security team tracked our progress on our walk and you will also see our next home in the process of being built to the left.

A couple of things to tie up before we go away. The insulation contract has been agreed at £1500.00 and will be done in about three weeks. Secondly, it looks as if I’ve managed to get 2/3rds of the Parkingeye fine my relatives received rescinded and I’m just left to retrieve the initial payment of £60.00 returned plus the ex-gratia bunch of flowers. I have contacted them again this morning and will not allow them to get away with any of it. Lovely people at Parkingeye …. except when they’re not! 

Saturday, 6th November, 2021

What a weird night that was. Got to bed around 11.30 pm and woke at 4.00 am. Drinking endless cups of tea, watching Sky News and reading The Times from my iPad until the sun rose. It was too late to go back to bed so freshly squeezed orange juice and freshly ground coffee provided a platform for an early walk.

The College reunion yesterday was a rather spartan affair. I understand that this was largely down to fears of Covid and that it may be back to better numbers next time. Kevin, who has taken to communicating with me on Whatsapp, kindly sent me some pictures of some people who were there and I was likely to know.

Also present were Andy Henderson and Dave Roberts plus a couple of others I couldn’t put a name to. In a way, I’m rather glad I didn’t make this year my first to attend because I think I would have been rather disappointed. Maybe next year ….

Sunday, 24th October, 2021

What a wonderful world we live in. Floating on air this morning! Out early for a walk. Came home to construct my newly delivered rowing machine.

This will now become part of my regular routine. The tall, slim, sexy German from next door may be using my former X-Trainer but this old, chunky English man will be toning up his stomach muscles on a rowing machine which will take him through the next decade up to his 80s. Stay with me as I Blog along.

Been out for our walk this morning and come home for Pauline to make bread and then construct the gym equipment with me. Actually, nothing would have been completed without my wife’s technical brain. I would have employed a ‘little man’ to do it for me.

We griddled chicken in the garden this afternoon and ate it with salad. I am now preparing for our Greek travel followed by France. Against a backdrop of rising Covid cases, we have tested ourselves after our week of travel, kissing friends and close mingling. We were negative on the Lateral Flow test and hope to remain so. I have always felt responsible for smaller people in my life and do even now. I will help anyone who needs me for as long as I am capable of doing so.

Monday, 25th October, 2021

Sometimes life can feel so good. Had a great week last week and we are off to Athens in a couple of further weeks. In between, there are plenty of nice things happening. I’m going to go hard diet and exercise wise. The morning opened with light rain although very mild. By mid-morning, the sky had cleared completely to a delicious blue with strong sunshine just in time for us to go on a walk. The world looks lovely at the moment even though the first real signs of Autumn are on display.

I am very poor at human relations and really have to be guided and reminded by others. I have always been like that and those close to me often despair. Actually, I suspect that women are much better at it than men, in general and most people are much better at it than me, in particular. I suspect I am in the lowest percentile for most things. Last week was organised by three women, Pauline, Chris and Julie. What I am good at is words and communicating. I have resolved to use that skill.

I have decided to not allow my relationships with those from my past to deteriorate into the mists of time again. I am going to communicate with them on a regular basis and it is up to them whether they want to do the same. I will soon know where I stand based on their response. I have told them to make it clear if they don’t want to receive stuff from me and I will understand.

This morning, I have contacted 6 friends using a multiplicity of platforms including Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Whatsapp, Email and Text. They all have a different preferred platforms for communication. Nothing earth-shattering but just telling them about things going on in my life since I last saw them and wishing them good luck with their immediate projects. Although I was in a College of 500 or so students, I actually knew very few. I was always otherwise engaged. It didn’t/doesn’t worry me but when Christine sent me the photo above of a reunion in 2019 and asked me how many I could identify, my isolation was emphasised.

I can identify 7 out of the 16 people. They include Christine herself, Derek France, John Ridley, Peter Holgate + wife and, in black, Judy Hall who is now deceased. Judy was Chris’s best friend and this was the last time she ever saw her as she died of breast cancer which is shocking in itself. The woman in the front centre is Liz Stansfield, a pretty and very shy girl who did subsid. Drama with me. Just as I was leaving the North to move house to Surrey, I discovered she had been living 5 miles away in Holmfirth all those years

Tuesday, 26th October, 2021

Up early and completed a few house jobs, ordered a large, fresh fish stock for delivery on Thursday and then set off for our walk. An hour and a half later, we showered and set off to drive up to Surrey. The task of the day was to help P&C sort out a travel insurance policy for their month of November in Florida with their daughter.

What an eye-opener that was. A sign of things to come. They are in their mid-80s and have pre-existing conditions as most people that age do but the cost of a single-trip travel policy for the USA is incredible. The cheapest price we could find for two people was £1,850.00 and the most expensive was £18,065.00. Who would pay that? Eventually, we settled for Staysure single trip cover of just under £2,000.00. It really does bring it home to us that we must travel as much as possible while we can.

Everything had to be done on -line. Phoning would have resulted in huge delays and agonising amounts of time. Policy documents could have taken a month to arrive – time they did not have – and payment required the use of the net and a smartphone for the Bank’s security checks. How any old person can do this alone, I don’t know.

Incredibly mild today, we drove home to griddle swordfish steaks in the garden after I had done my gym routine which was hard after the stress of the day and a strange sense of sadness that I had carried round with me all day. Must keep optimistic and fighting! My new clothes are starting to feel too big already and will not carry me much beyond our trip to Athens. In fact, Pauline is already ordering new things for me before we go away.

Wednesday, 27th October, 2021

Yesterday, we were helping relatives in their mid-80s navigate the intricacies of purchasing travel insurance on-line. It isn’t easy even for younger, more tech-savvy people and it did stretch us to the limit but we got it done. It did leave us wondering how much we will have fallen behind in 15 more years. I do try hard to keep up but you really need to be at the cutting edge to spot innovation. I design web pages and Blogs but with quite old software now.

Feels incredibly warm today for the end of October – 16C/61F at 7.00 am. This week in 2008, the Pennines were blanketed in heavy snow whereas heavy rain is forecast for the Northwest this week. In 2008, it was extremely cold. We were preparing for an Ofsted Inspection and feeling frazzled.

This week in 2009, Pauline’s Mum was still alive but suffering from painful Shingles across her eye. We were driving across the Pennine A62 road to visit her and I recorded the scene over the beautiful A62 which was the trans-Pennine crossing used by the pack mules in earlier centuries and which was replaced by the M62 in the last century. The A62, Nont Sarah’s route was always the most wonderfully relaxing drive back from work in the evening particularly as the moors displayed these gorgeous, Autumnal colours.

In the same week, in 2009, we received a letter from Northern Rock Bank confirming that we had just paid off the last £270,000.00 of our mortgage. We were mortgage-free for the first time since 1978 and it was a lovely feeling. We have never needed to borrow money since which is an empowering position to be in.

This morning we spotted our Fish supplier had one large Turbot – know as the King of Fishes in the restaurant trade. This one has been caught in local waters by a South Coast trawlerman. This 3 kg example is not cheap at £24.00 per kilo but it should be worth it. We ordered it immediately.

Thursday, 28th October, 2021

Beautiful morning with clear, blue sky and pink hue of the sun criss-crossed by orange-tinged plane exhaust trails leaving and arriving at Gatwick and Heathrow high in the sky. We have an early trip to the Local Authority tip to get rid of Gym equipment packaging. Back to see the window cleaners and receive £300.00’s worth of fresh fish. While Pauline skinned and portioned it for the freezer, I worked on the necessary travel documents for Athens. All these Covid conditions are easier but still a pain.

It is lovely to have a much healthier lifestyle now. I do still drink too much wine but I eat good food and I exercise plenty. I gave up smoking on the 15 November 1985 at 9.00 pm. I was sitting in a Masters degree research group at Huddersfield University delivering a paper on R.H.Tawney when I lit the wrong end of a tipped cigarette. It was disgusting and I resolved to give up there and then. To my surprise, I did it having failed so many times before.

In those days, I was smoking 2 x 20 cigarettes each day. They cost £4.00 per day or about £1,460.00 per year. I took out an investment plan instead and cashed it in for around £25,500.00 eventually. Today, the Budget put up the price of 20 cigarettes to £13.60 or, for me, £9,228.00. I would definitely have to give up.

Friday, 29th October, 2021

Lovely day but rather overcast. Out shopping and then for a walk. Really enjoyable. Had to help out elderly relatives who had been caught out on a new, parking fine at their surgery. Parkingeye had been introduced and they were being fined £60.00. They were panicking because, although they had paid the false, first fine, they had also been back twice since to the Pharmacy. We contacted the Surgery and cancelled the last two visits. They had paid the first one and we have claimed that back.

Been preparing for Athens trip in a week. Really looking forward to it after two years absence. Greek cooking, Greek food, Greek smells, Greek voices, Greek television, Greek chaos … heaven!! Really like the irony of staying in a 5* Hotel but eating in a street corner taverna.

I’m coming to a momentous conclusion in the gym. I’ve spent the last 24 hours of exercise watching the most superficial soap/serial called Call My Agent. It is French and with subtitles. It should never be my sort of thing at all. It is like Hollyoaks on steroids but I’ve loved it. The characters are well drawn and the storyline is consistent and well constructed. I have really enjoyed it. It has taken me along some three weeks of exercise and I’ve lost myself in it against my will. I will be sad to lose it tomorrow when I finish the 24th hourly episode.

Saturday, 30th October, 2021

Busy day today after a rather fitful night. Finished the Appeal to the Parkingeye fine for Pauline’s sister. It is quite demanding but I love doing this sort of thing. I’ve done it before – challenging officious dogsbodies. They rarely put up much resistance if the challenge is powerfully worded. I enjoy the battle. I am confident that the fine will be returned fairly swiftly and I might follow that up with a demand for her to be sent flowers to compensate for the upset caused.

Next, I’ve completed the Greek Passenger Locator forms for our Athens trip. These things are a nightmare and all UK citizens will have to complete them online every time they visit a European destination for evermore. It is so unnecessary but that is a consequence of Brexit. Our trip to Athens and another to France in December will be the last times abroad that our mobile phone plans are useable in Europe. From January, roaming charges are reintroduced … because of Brexit.

We went out for a 90 mins walk under traffic light skies – brilliant blue with strong sun switching quickly to thunderous black clouds and torrential rain and, just as quickly back to blue again as the sun dried us out. Very warm throughout which was nice and shorts and tee-shirt was fine. While we walked, the company who are coming to insulate the Gym roof for the winter phoned and we sheltered under a tree and spoke over the noise of the rain. They will be with us on Friday.

Back home, I continued in Greek Geek mode. We have had a store of Euros for about 3 years and I’ve been reluctant to pay charges on converting it back to Sterling and then rebuying Euros later so they have been stored in our Travelling Folders. The last time I counted them and recorded it on my spreadsheet was December 2019. We’ve had two or three French trips since then so I re-calculated this morning. We’ve got more than we started with. Pauline was hiding it in reserve. Should be enough for meals and shopping for a week in Athens.

Ordering the Day-2 Tests we have to do when we get back to UK. At least they are the cheaper, Lateral Flow ones which will cost us £25.50 each. We perform the test ourselves but have to photograph the test strip and send that evidence by text or email to the testing company to prove we don’t have Covid. We have also got to complete a UK Passenger Locator Form … as a result of Brexit. We will have to do this every time we return from Europe in perpetuity. This last form can only be finally completed online 48 hrs before landing in UK and it must include the pre-booked Covid test code which must be administered within 48 hrs of landing in UK. I have just spent 3 hrs on the process today already and I’m going to ‘relax’ in the Gym for an hour.

Sunday, 17th October, 2021

Up at 4.55 am and out on the walk by 5.00 am. Incredibly dark with few street lamps on although the sky was clear and full of stars. Never been so grateful for the ‘torch’ facility on my phone to light the dark paths. This shot after two hours walking was showing an interesting sky beginning to appear.

In the whole of my walk, I only met one other person – a tall and skinny girl with the longest legs you’ve ever seen. The moment she saw me, she began to (pretend to) talk on her phone and, with me around, who could blame her. Just as I got in the last half mile, I met my neighbours out for a walk with their dog which is massive – as big as a camel. Must cost a fortune to feed. They remarked on me being out early. I told them I was pleased to see they were as mad as me.

Over orange juice when I got back, this lovely and rather frightening photo fell out of my memory bank. It is a picture of the lifelong atheist godfather and little Julia Dagg who is now a gorgeous, 45 year old woman. I am going to meet her for the first time in 35 years on Tuesday.

We broke our journey into two parts. The first three hours took us to Repton to visit my parents grave for the first time in two years. We always visit at the same time of year and it is always, damp and Autumnal. So it was today and the weather seems to set the emotional scene. We didn’t stay long but I did my duty. Another 90 mins, including an annoying M1 hold up, saw us arrive at our hotel. We seem to have enough luggage for a year and it took me almost as long to carry up to our top floor suite.

The drive was amazingly quiet with almost no lorries all the way up. The most noticeable thing as we arrived is how far advanced the Autumn is up here compared with the South Coast. Still, it’s quite mild and we were able complete our exercise routine outside. I think I’ll be in the gym tomorrow morning. It opens at 6.30 am.

Monday, 18th October, 2021

Sheer madness after a long drive on Sunday but I had so much pent-up energy that I was up at 5.00 am and out walking. I dragged Pauline with me, poor girl. Did an hour and a half and came back for orange juice and a shower.

Drove to Oldham around 8.30 am and got to the Crematorium for 9.00 am. The Book of Remembrance was open at the right page for Mother-in-Law’s name. Fortunately, the toilets were also open because I was DESPERATE!

We drove on to Shaw to visit Brian & Val. I employed Brian and I love him. If you wanted someone to totally depend on and save your life, Brian would be the man. Ex Murder Squad / ex Drugs Squad in Manchester, he is one of the most honest people I know. Coffee with Brian and his lovely wife, Val, and then we drove to Huddersfield town centre to take Pauline’s reading glasses to Specsavers to be repaired after they fell apart yesterday. She’s using mine to read her Kindle/Book. We had to leave them to be collected later.

We left Shaw and drove to Netherton to meet old colleagues and girlfriends of Pauline. We met at Hinchcliffe’s Farmshop Restaurant for a long catch-up after two years absence. Had a lovely lunch. The girls all had huge slabs of carbohydrate in the form of doorstep sandwiches. I had braised cabbage with garlic chicken and crumbled goats’ cheese. It was really well done. Lovely long chat about people we knew for years but haven’t seen for ages. Enjoyable!

Drove back to our hotel via a very busy Huddersfield town centre packed with hoards of scruffy, University students and evening rush hour traffic. Pauline’s glasses were ready, repaired with no charge and she was able to read her bedtime book although she was almost too tired because I’m pushing her too hard.

Tuesday, 19th October, 2021

Awake at 4.3o am and got up to write yesterday’s Blog. As I logged on to my iPad, I was contacted by John Morris from my College days. I asked what he was doing up at 4.30 am and told me he had got up to go to the toilet, tripped over the dog, decided to do the Guardian crossword and nap later. That’s the high life, isn’t it? I was also contacted by Dave Weatherly who lives in Bolton – well, someone’s got to – and is 72 today. As a sign of the times, he will spend it looking after his granddaughter.

By 5.00 am, out walking for 90 mins and then back for orange juice, shower and check postcodes for the sat.nav. this morning. I am preparing to drive to Ripon to have coffee with John Ridley, move on to meet Chris & Kevin for lunch and then on to York to meet my ‘goddaughter’, Julia. She and I have been communicating on line recently and she is absolutely delightful. I am quite enchanted by her. She was just unlucky to get a godfather who has been a life long atheist. Doesn’t appear to have harmed her.

Damp start to the day which made the motorway very difficult as we drove up to Ripon. Typical of John Ridley (John-2), he wanted to meet us on the steps of the cathedral. Fortunately, by the time we met, it was dry and we walked a short way to have coffee. We sat and just talked for two hours. The time flew past. I felt quite emotional and ‘exposed’ which probably explains why I’ve been reluctant to do this over the years. 

We eventually agreed to meet Chris and Kevin in Shadwell at a pub/restaurant. It was great to see them again. We talked over a meal. As usual, I talked too much even though I was only drinking sparkling water. There was a lot to reminisce about and to be updated about those we had known. They have four lovely children and we heard about them. 

Later, we drove over to Julia’s house. It is a very interesting, former pub which they are converting. Julia is lovely, bright and vivacious – quite captivating. 

As we drove back to our hotel which we learnt was the setting for Julia’s wedding reception, all these thoughts of the day were coursing through my mind. Shortly after we got back, I fell fast asleep. The early walk, the day, the emotion had clearly caught up with me and drained my resources.

Wednesday, 20th October, 2021

Up late this morning – 6.00 am. Cup of tea and then out for a 90 mins walk. It was fine and dry with a clear sky and bright stars. Back for a shower and freshly squeezed orange juice. Everyone of the people I met yesterday had contacted me over night, thanking me for meeting them and requesting that we come back soon. I have already said we will but it is nice to have it confirmed. We didn’t bother visiting the college grounds yesterday because the buildings have almost totally been altered but John Ridley sent me a sad photo of the Art Block in rapid decline which he took after we parted.

Over coffee, we prepared our day in Huddersfield, where we were going and who we were seeing.

As we talked, the heavens opened and it poured for about 10 mins. The picture above illustrates the view from the window of our suite about 10 mins later. 

Out in Huddersfield town, the atmosphere is more down at heel than ever. It has the developing hint of Bradford. The commercial centre is increasingly boarded up. The going concerns are fewer and further apart. Not surprisingly, the number of shoppers is much smaller and the shops we went in were carrying little stock. Interestingly, the number of people wearing masks was much higher than the places we visited in Greater Manchester and North Yorkshire. I predict that another Lock-Down is on its way. This afternoon, we’ve just managed to book our Covid Booster in time for our trip to Athens. We have to go to Chichester next week.

We were still mentally and emotionally tired from yesterday and we have another difficult one tomorrow so we are pacing ourselves today. Mind you, I find shopping quite stressful in itself. We returned to our hotel rather earlier than we had anticipated and I used the time to write to lots of people and to plan the timings for tomorrow. I was last in Bridlington many years ago when we drove up there with for a Boxing Day picnic. Be interesting to see it again.

Thursday, 21st October, 2021

Up at 5.00 am on a crystal, clear morning. Lots of stars and a beautiful, full moon but cold. I was in shorts and tee shirt. My phone said it was 3C – feels like -5C. It certainly did. Within 10 mins of setting out, I couldn’t feel my hands. I didn’t give in, telling myself to scoff at cold temperatures. By the time it was finished 90 mins later, my hands so frozen that I couldn’t hold a cup of coffee.

We set off for the Bridlington coast in the most glorious sunshine from a clear, blue sky. The journey was delightful through the most wonderful, rich countryside. We arrived just before 11.00 am and Julie appeared minutes later. We were both wearing masks in the coffee shop but recognised each other instantly. We sat and talked for an hour and a half as we looked out over a sun-drenched beach. Memory is a draining, painful thing and the meeting absolutely tired me out.

We left the coffee shop and walked to Nigel’s Gallery. He was expecting us and we all four walked to the sculpture on the promenade that Julie had been involved in producing. That’s where I chose to take some commemoration photographs.

I walked and talked with Nigel for half an hour. I was preparing myself to meet a sick and frail man. He looked exactly the opposite, I was delighted to find. We walked arm in arm down the promenade and talked as if it was 1971 not 2021. It was really lovely. He was really lovely. I left them pledging to see them again soon.

Friday 22nd, October, 2021

Driving back South this morning with a feeling that I have achieved most things I set out to do. Up and out at 5.30 am.

It was dry and much warmer outside but, after 30 mins walking, the rain came and we ran back in and spent an hour in the Gym. In the days when we were members here, people queued at the door at 6.00 am to get on equipment. This morning hardly anyone appeared.

Workout completed we went back for orange juice and showers. Fielded and replied to texts/emails/social-media messenger contacts and completed packing. Feels sad in some ways to be leaving but we will return as long as we stay alive.

Great drive home – 5hrs door-to-door. Weather was good and traffic excellent even on the M25. Back home, I unpacked the car and opened all the week’s post while Pauline cooked us a lovely meal. Strange feeling this afternoon. This is one of the first times we have returned and thought, This is Home. At last we have lived here long enough to begin thinking that. More often than not, we have asked ourselves, What are we doing here? We don’t really belong anywhere. It is just two weeks until we go away again. Really looking forward to greeting the people of Athens again after a two-year break.

Saturday 23rd, October, 2021

Bit of a late start after a hard day’s drive yesterday. Didn’t get up until 7.00 am but woke up incredibly happy and satisfied. Not completely sure why. The Gym equipment delivery which had been listed for last Saturday has been rescheduled for this afternoon. Just as we were about to go out shopping, they phoned to say it would now be this morning.

We rushed off to Sainsbury‘s and the experience was really interesting. Our diet has improved so much over the past decade that almost everything this morning came from the fresh fruit & veg. section where we spent £37.00. Unfortunately, this was made quite difficult by the huge swathes of empty shelves which had been infilled with photographs of produce which wasn’t available.

You can’t cook and eat print-outs. Ironically, this was featured in a number of newspapers this morning although we didn’t see the same problem in the North of England. It wasn’t restricted to fresh produce either. There was an absence of refuse sacks and paucity of bottled water. This is a Brexit-related problem and will not get better any time soon.

We rushed home to meet the Delivery men – absolutely charming, if simple, Romanian characters who just wanted to do a good job. I thanked them for their work and immediately completed the on-line review form giving them a glowing report.

The irony of all this is that you pay £700.00 for a piece of equipment that you then have to build for yourself. To some people, it may be simple but to a technical illiterate like me, it is life challenging.

Even the assembly manual is marriage challenging. I will probably have to lock Pauline in the Gym with the bits and the instructions and refuse to let her out until it is constructed. Notice above is only Page 10/Step 6 of the process.