where art collides philosoperontap

It a was Tuesday felt like a Monday. Doesn’t seem quite right that does it? Being punished for having a bank holiday on the Monday by making Tuesday feel like a Monday. Not that Mondays feel any different to Tuesdays really 🙂 Some people don’t like Mondays.

Saw a large herd of cows crossing the road yesterday. Traffic must have been stopped for between five and ten minutes. Then I got to the Park Hospital. Just before the turning there was a long queue of traffic backing up from some distant lights at a junction. When I eventually turned into the drive leading to the hospital there was a long queue of cars going the other way. Workers heading home. Must have been a factory emptying out at 4pm.

The doc said the other hip needed sorting out but he is waiting for the first to finish mending. Bone growth to cement the titanium job that now sits atop my femur.

En route the screenwash ran out. I’ve refilled it this morning from two separate containers, one of which is now empty but the other still has some in. THG’s car needs a wash. It is covered in the sticky crap that falls from the trees at this time of year. 

I am now in the shed. I’ve watered some of the garden, especially the wildflower meadow in front of the deck, and the hosepipe remains in place for me to finish the job this evening.

Today I’m going to emptied some of the drawers I haven’t looked in for perhaps years to sort some clothing out. I am loth to chuck things 🙂 However I have two full under the bed drawers that are going to be chucked almost in their entirety. Old conference tshirts, jumpers I haven’t worn in donkeys, shirts that are two sizes too small. Some of the stuff is being kept. I’ve realised that under the bed is where I’ve been stuffing shorts at the end of the summer to keep them out of  the way over the winter. Also got rid of a box full of ties I haven’t worn in decades.

Sbeen a good bank holiday weekend. Today is the actual holiday so I plan on taking life easy. That isn’t to say I’m not going to do any jobs. Today is the day the irrigation system is set up. Probably 🙂 

Sat now, alone in da kitch, waiting for our house guests to appear. I’ve had a shower and am dressed and ready for the day. THG brought the first cup of tea at six thirty ish, it being her turn, but there is a cafetiere of cawfee in front of me and I think I’ll avail myself of a small cupfull.

I am minded to just have toast for breakfast. We’ve eaten and drunk a lot this weekend. There is a nice multigrain sourdough for me to slice and pop into my new long slot toaster. After a couple of adjustments I am optimistic that today the setting will finally be just right for my favoured level of browning.

…

Later, guests gone, strolled to survey the shed. It is cold this morning so have the panel heater on a low level. THG has headed out into the city to run a few errands. These include the purchase of dishwasher tablets as our machine is full but the box where we keep the tablets is empty. The alternative would be to remove all the dishes and wash them by hand. That point of desperation has not yet been reached. We still have some clean plates in the cupboard anyway.

Didn’t make it to Doddington Hall gardens yesterday. The weather wasn’t particularly nice. I was going to say shite but it wasn’t that bad. Just cold with the occasional raindrop falling on my head. Certainly not conducive to a pleasant walk around the gardens. Instead went to the International Bomber Command Memorial. I am now a “friend” of said memorial. I like the idea of dropping by every now and again to peruse the exhibits. Twas very full. A constant stream of people queueing at the desk to pay their entry charge. The caff was also rammed. No spare tables so we went elsewhere.

Did you know that Lincoln Cathedral is actually in the parish of St Mary Magdalene which is the church just through the arches between Minster Yard and Castle Hill. Nipped in yesterday and had a nice chat with the folks in there. They typically get 15 to 20 worshippers in for Sunday Service. It isn’t the most accessible of churches as the Bail is often closed off for events.

When we lived in Greetwell Gate we were notionally within the parish of the cathedral but now we know it was St Mary Magdalene. Extends as far as the Peacock at the end of Greetwell Gate I believe.

They didn’t have a hymn list on the board as a printed order of service is handily provided. They do also hand out hymn books which is a practice abandoned at St Peter’s since covid times.

There is however a list of incumbents that I herewith provide for your information and interest.

ST MARY MAGDALENE LINCOLN INCUMBENTS

VICAR

? Geoffrey de Whicham – Chaplain
1250 Godred- [previously chaplain]
RECTOR
1275 John de North Leverton
1293 William de Blighburgh
1305 William de Harpeswelle
capalanus
? John de Bolun alias Bohun
1322 Richard de Hilletoft
1340 Ranulfus de Harrington
? John Branspath – qui obit 1376
? John de Searle
1384 Walter de Windesore
1403 Robert de Hoggesthorpe
1406 William Skaytt
1422 Robert Gylman
1453 John Walpole
1456 William Kirksgarth
1461 John Sharpe
1468 John Waltham
1484 William Skelton
1492 Henry Farley
1520 Thomas Willson
1522 Nicholas Bayte
1527 John Cook, Walter Ireland, Robert Kelsey
1529 Christopher Massinberd
1551 Robert Arnold
1552 Bartholomew Warde
1558 Robert Taylor
1560 Edward Parker
1564 Richard Halliwell
1565 William Mann
1570 Jeremias Loveday
1583 Christopher Diggles
1608 Peter Walter
1623 John Crispe
1665 Walter Powell
1712 Anthony Reid – qui obit 1714
1714 Johannes Crisp
1721 Nathan Drake – qui obit 1752
1753 Thomas Sympson – qui obit 1786
1792 George Jepso
1797 William Gray
1826 S. Martin
1829 Richard Garvey, Snr
1862 Henry Woollaston Hutton
1876 William Barber Lightfoot
1878 Peter Llewellyn
1879 George Tyson Harvey
1894 William Neville Usher
1901 Henry Leigh Bennett
1904 Arthur Roland Maddison
1907 Cecil Edward Bolam
1926 Charles Harold Scott
1940 Euclid Curry Butterworth
1945 Cyril Theodore Henry Dams
1952 Hugh Frank Riches
1967 David Nigel Griffiths
1973 Victor Read
[Priest-in-Charge: St Mary Magdalene w. St Paul-in-the-Bail]
1973 John Benson Bayley
[Priest-in-Charge 1973-75]
1975 The Benefice of The Lincoln Minster Group is created [Rector: Lincoln Minster Group 1975]
2003 Edward Michael Crispin Bowes-Smith [Priest-in-Charge: Lincoln Minster Group]
2012 The Benefice of The Lincoln Minster Group is dissolved
VICAR
2014 Matthew Alexander Whitehead
2018 Adrian Paul Smith
2021 Hugh William Fawcett Jones [Priest-in-Charge]

We are sat quietly in the kitchen. The shopping list has been compiled and mention has been made of the upcoming Lincoln Jazz Festival at Lincoln Cathedral on 4 – 6 July. Feels strange that the jazz is not being played in dimly lit nightclubs but hey… Also I am concerned about the acoustics at the Cathedral but am prepared to give it a go (again) because of the nature of the entertainment. If anyone else is going/thinking about it lemme now.

Outside it has cooled down a bit from the searing and unseasonal temperatures of yesterday (when all my troubles seemed so far away) although it is still set to reach twenty degrees which should be considered to be very pleasant.

In my mind I do have an outside job to do which is to sort out the log pile. Lots of kindling to be chopped and logs to be split ready for winter. Not that we use the open fire much. In order to properly do this job I have decided to purchayse a splitting axe.  The felling axe we currently have doesn’t cut it, so to speak. Probably needs sharpening. The real plan is to have all the kit ready for when our John comes home for a few days in the summer. Nowt like a good log pile.

The irrigation system for the greenhouse will also be put in place today together with a Waitrose shop and a birthday cake needs baking for that special person’s birthday. All is in hand.

Although it is a Friday (I’m told) it feels like a Saturday. The absence of the park run provides the clue here. I do have a conference call to do this pm. I only do calls that I like nowadays so no dramas there. Probs take a look at how my upcoming dinner signups are doing. I throw a dinner in London every now and then for industry pals. They are great nights. If you’ve never been invited, sorry 🙂

Ok thassitfornow. Going on a garden inspection with THG. Ciao bebes.

…

Gonna try to avoid looking at the family tree stuff for much of today. You get sucked in. It is a real modern day detective story trying to piece together the parts.

Another stunner of a day in prospect. Early to the shed with a cup of tea and the doors are open wide allowing the empire of The Head Gardener to permeate its innermost cervices. For crevices there are in this shed. Whilst the basic design is rectangular the shed has many nooks and crannies occasioned by the disorderly positioning of the furniture.

A busy day ahead. Ordinarily I’d suggest that it was going to be too hot to play golf but I have booked a buggy, in particular as this is my first outing of the season post hip hop. That and the other hip is still giving me gyp. I will therefore be golfing at a level of comfort that will allow me to focus completely on my game. Apart from the fact that I can’t easily bend down enough to insert a tee into the ground and my swing will be v restricted. I expect it will improve the golf 🙂 

There are other “chores” to be done. Meat to buy from Fosters. Leg of lamb, or shoulder, for the bbq rotisserie on Sunday. Also need to see if Morrisons garage has been resupplied with propane, just in case, and drop some HP laserjet cartridges off at the Post Office for recycling. My printer had been throwing a few software wobbles but seems to have settled down which is good because I’d have been cross if I’d have had to throw a set of nearly full ink cartridges. They ain’t cheap.

I am also tempted to finally buy a toaster. Been dithering over this one for months. Kind of settled on a Dualit long slot job on the basis that they are a quality brand. The ability to take sourdough is importante to me.

Last night I finished booking most of the travel for our jaunt to Italy next March. Haven’t booked the return flight from Naples yet as I baulked at the evening takeoff. However most  the airlines flying from Napoli to the UK seem to have the same issue so I’m just going to have to crack on. Might get a car to pick us up from LHR Friday evening rather than spend another night in London.

You might have noticed a short pause there whilst I booked the flights. Used Avios as I want to be able to easily cancel/amend the trip seeing as the rugby dates haven’t yet been confirmed. We are basing our dates on what the travel companies are assuming. Presumably they are in the know.

Don’t normally bother flying business class in Europe but seeing as it is a Friday evening I figured we might as well enjoy a drop of fine Amarone or whatever plonk BA dish out on these flights.

The beef stock turned out ok btw. I think. Won’t really find out until it is used in culinary anger. Does make a difference using home made stock compared with the stuff you buy in shops. Got to figure out where to store it now. A good few litres. Some in garage fridge and some in freezer.

Another stunner of a day in prospect. Early to the shed with a cup of tea and the doors are open wide allowing the empire of The Head Gardener to permeate its innermost cervices. For crevices there are in this shed. Whist the basic design is rectangular the shed has many nooks and crannies occasioned by the disorderly position of the furniture.

A busy day ahead. Ordinarily I’d suggest that it was going to be too hot to play golf but I have booked a buggy, in particular as this is my first outing of the season post hip hop. That and the other hip is still giving me gyp. I will therefore be golfing at a level of comfort that will allow me to focus completely on my game. Apart from the fact that I can’t easily bend down enough to insert a tee into the ground and my swing will be v restricted. I expect it will improve the golf 🙂 

There are other “chores” to be done. Meat to buy from Fosters. Leg of lamb, or shoulder, for the bbq rotisserie on Sunday. Also need to see if Morrisons garage has been resupplied with propane, just in case, and drop some HP laserjet cartridges off at the Post Office for recycling. My printer had been throwing a few software wobbles but seems to have settled down which is good because I’d have been cross if I’d have had to throw a set of nearly full ink cartridges. They ain’t cheap.

I am also tempted to finally buy a toaster. Been dithering over this one for months. Kind of settled on a Dualit long slot job on the basis that they are a quality brand. The ability to take sourdough is importante to me.

Last night I finished booking most of the travel for our jaunt to Italy next March. Haven’t booked the return flight from Naples yet as I baulked at the evening takeoff. However most  the airlines flying from Napoli to the UK seem to have the same issue so I’m just going to have to crack on. Might get a car to pick us up from LHR Friday evening rather than spend another night in London.

You might have noticed a short pause there whilst I booked the flights. Used Avios as I want to be able to easily cancel/amend the trip seeing as the rugby dates haven’t yet been confirmed. We are basing our dates on what the travel companies are assuming. Presumably they are in the know.

Don’t normally bother flying business class in Europe but seeing as it is a Friday evening I figured we might as well enjoy a drop of fine Amarone or whatever plonk BA dish out on these flights.

The beef stock turned out ok btw. I think. Won’t really find out until it is used in culinary anger. Does make a difference using home made stock compared with the stuff you buy in shops. Got to figure out where to store it now. A good few litres. Some in garage fridge and some in freezer.

Great to wake up in the shire. A window is open and the sound of birdsong fills the kitchen. All is good. Sgonna be a warmun. Perfect spring day.

The plan is to get some admin done and settle back in to a routine. One or two jobs including fixing the toilet roll holder in the shower room. Also need to catchup posting to philosopherontap. Must be a good month since I’ve done so. Not looked.

2,404 pics and vids backed up to NAS in no time whatsoever really. I’ll then back up to my tertiary backup online which will probs take a bit longer. Rewind, backup to Amazon has been ongoing so only 150 or so files to do which has happened almost in the time it’s taken me to write this.

For reference, today is a Tuesday. I know that this info is of use to some people. Some info is more useful than others. For example Thursday is when the lads play golf and this week I am going to see how I get on with a few holes. Will be a hotun.

This morning we leave the confines of the hotel and set the navigation computer on a bearing north. Not that we’ve particularly kept to said confines although a couple early nights after long days on the tourist trail have been had.

It must be said I am looking forward to getting home after essentially a month away with occasional visits to the shire to do the laundry and power nap. We are very much coming to the best part of the year. Spring is in full flow. What changes will there be to see in the garden?

Some of the sycamores will be becoming more established and need removing. The wildflower meadow had shown no signs of renewed life before we left home but there may be some green shoots there when we get home. Lots of leaves still though. We also want to plant a couple of rows of peachy and pink dahlias for reasons that will become apparent.

Our lawn is gradually being consumed by non grass planting. THG is talking about a new veg plot in front of the kitchen. Makes sense doesn’t it? “I’ll just nip out for some runner beans. Back in ten seconds.” This doesn’t mean to say we won’t have a lawn. Just one of a shrinking variety. The bugs have helped here. The lawn was somewhat devastated over the winter. Problem is you need ot work on a lawn.

…

Just been down for breakfast. Didn’t quite hobble quickly enough to the lift before the door closed and I guess the woman in the white top didn’t notice me as she was staring into her phone. So I called the lift and when it opened a very similar looking woman in a white top came out saying “third floor, yes this is what I want”. I thought they were the same woman. Odd I thought. Hey…

Then when I was getting some orange juice a member of staff showed a  woman the location of the vegan section at the buffet. The women in the white top! Funny what you notice innit.

In the car park a joiner was shaving a piece of two be two with what looked to be an electric plane. Then he carefully picked up the shavings and put them in the back of his van. V tidy I thought. He walked into the hotel carrying the slightly smaller two be two. Couple of minutes later he came back out with the same bit of wood. No idea what’s going on ere. Then back into the hotel he went, with the wood.

After that, out he came and picked out a piece of flat plywood from his van which he proceeded to cut to size on a workbench. That’s where I left him. The van had “Crown” written on the side.

Checking out shortly. More in due course I daresay.

…

Karen, KAREN. The whole crowd joined in. One of the marathon runners had arranged to meet Karen just where we were standing. Karen did not show. Poor man. He had just run 12 miles to get to her and there she was not.

Think of the disappointment. What’s the back story? Did Karen choose the moment to leave him? Was she held up? Was she involved in an accident on her way there and there is no way of getting the message to him.

It was a moment of drama that passed by and has now disappeared into the aether, forever. We will never find out how the story ended. Karen, Karen, Karen, Karen, Karen.

…

Bridge ECML-10, Holloway. Passed under it to get back to the hotel from Highgate Cemetery. We were waiting in a queue of traffic. Funny what you notice innit. Just googled it whilst sat on the train waiting to depart. Blow me down we are about to go over Bridge ECML-10. It’s on the East Coast Main Line. How cool is that? Obvious when you think about it. Had originally got it down as ECMI not ECML.

Meanwhile, sat as I am in seat E8 on the 10.06, a train has just pulled in next to us on platform 8. The door marked “CREW USE ONLY” Has a symbol beneath it: Golden Spanner 2023 IC225 Fleet. I asked a member of staff but she had no idea and suggested I googled it which I did.

Another result. The Golden Spanner is awarded by “Modern Railways”. The 2023 awards had a record 450 attendees. Wots not to like. Was a hot ticket with after-lunch speaker John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight, sharing his reflections on train maintenance.

I unashamedly suggest you check it out here https://www.modernrailways.com/…/record-attendance-2023…

My actual reserved seat is E6 btw but we’ve spread out onto the table for 4 and am in an unreserved seat. If the carriage fills up I’ll go back to my originally allocated place obvs.

You can google Bridge ECMI-10, Holloway if you want more deets.

This year btw is the 200th anniversary of the founding of the railways in the UK but I guess you already knew that.

Another snippet of information gleaned on the train is that the old diesel stock pictured is destined for use in the main timetable as of December 2025. They are slower and less efficient than the new Azumas and haul nine carriages instead of the now standard five. They are being reduced to seven carriages for the December timetable change in order to make them more economical to run.

Wonderful what you can find on tinterweb innit.

…

Back in the shire. Sycamores had invaded the wildflower meadow so I took the mower to them. None of the flowers are coming through yet. Just sycamore and the odd weed. Don’t mind the odd weed. I may scatter some more seed just to “add body”. Got a load left in the box and been thinking about where I might sow it anyway. I also have a spot in the corner in mind.

Also mowed the lawn, fwiw.

Will the flying fishes ever play again? Where the dawn rode up like thunder outer China ‘crost the bay. The news, which I don’t like listening to at the best of times, is not good from Mandalay. The romantic image of the place has been shattered by an earthquake. Shaken out of a dream. A dream that almost certainly never matched reality anyway.

This morning I had gran o’la and berries with yo and a whole grapefruit which needed eating as Joe and I bought it last weekend on our walk to Tesco. Well Joe did the actual shopping while I finished a pot of tea in the caff.

This weekend I have determined that the walk should take me to Lincoln’s Historic Bailgate area where there are other cafes frequented by locals and tourists alike. THG has said she will meet me there after church tomorrow. I don’t have a favourite cafe so not sure where we will end up. Perhaps the one in the cathedral. 

The Cathedral Visitor Centre is a click from our place so two km there and back, the return leg being very gradually downhill. Doable especially with a break for a cuppa at the halfway stage. Will find out soon enough. Tomorrow.

Some of you will have noticed that I’ve just joined a Facebook group for brick lovers. Fans of the baked clay. This feels very complementary to my growing collection of books that include Wood Recognition (or something like that), the History of Railway Signalling and The Adjustable Spanner.  I must have a clear out of the bookcase in the shed so that I can keep all these worthy tomes in one place. “The Religious Census of 1851” will sit well in the collection as will “The Methodist Church in West Wales between 1737 and 1754” or similar.

It is quite exciting to see that the AGM of The Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society happens to be on the weekend that I am in Llanllwni in April. How cool is that? Perfect timing. I just joined the society this month. They are also putting on a lecture “The Rise and Fall of  A Gentry Family: The Lewis Family of Pantyrhaidd, Conwil”. Conwil Elfed is on my list of places to visit, or more precisely Cwm Duad, which is just up the road. We lived in a farmhouse called Tir Shimau before Benjamin Davies moved on to own a woollen mill. Another objective in that part of the shire is to find out in which church our Ben was a preacher. Plenty to be getting on with.

Today’s news is that the woolly socks have been consigned to the back of the cupboard until next autumn. We are now into cotton socks plus a few bamboo ones thrown in for good measure. I have noticed that the pair I have on today, a black and burgundy design, has a hole in the left sock. This could be a hole in the right sock as they are interchangeable but a hole it definitely is. Shame really but in our throwaway society this pair of socks will no longer be on my list of socks to wear when the weather warms up. I daresay THG will repurpose them. 

This morning I’m doing some finishing off work for next week’s event in Antwerp. I had occasion to call the local printer but their voice messages are in Flemish and despite being a man of the world didn’t really get it. Pressed #1 and got put through to music on hold. Have emailed the guy. Waited a reasonable amount of time for a response and rang again. This time I pressed #2 and someone answered. The bloke I’m trying to get hold of isn’t in today! I got his mobile number and have now called and messaged.

Excited to report that the memory stick with all the scanned in editions of The Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society publications since T0 on it arrived whilst I was in London. Unfortunately the Maesnoni stuff I want is in earlier as yet unscanned editions.

Sign in Antonio’s Barbers shop. No public toilets. Sorry for the inconvenience.

1.2km 32 min round trip including stopping at the lights in each direction and for a chat with neighbour Dale. Paused the clock when I was in getting my hairdo 🙂 Nice and short now. Couldn’t do a thing with it before.

Photos include a blue tit calling out other blue tits across the back gardens, the early emergence of apple blossom and a bloke running whilst juggling three clubs across the road from the barbers.

Mildly frustrated waiting for the lift this morning. I noticed one of the LEDs that indicate which floor the lift is at occasionally displays lots of writing. The second time I saw this I whipped out my phone to take a pic but wasn’t quick enough. The lift came and I went.

On my way back to the room I hung around for a short while in case the photo opportunity reappeared. Gave up in the end. I only have this morning to take the pic and I suspect it isn’t going to happen. Ah well. Worse things happen at sea. I suppose.

In other news the roof opposite my hotel window has a couple of loose slates. Doubt anyone has noticed. Looking elsewhere I notice that one slate is missing right at the top. I won’t mention it although there is a massively remote chance that the owner of the building will read this and jump into action. I’m on the 5th floor of the Doubletree in Pepys Street for reference. Glad to have been of help. Update: it’s the Crutched Friars building. The second and third floors do not appear to be in use.

I now have the whole morning to kill before the CCUK council meeting at 2pm. We are nobbut a stone’s throw/cannon shot from the Tower of London here but tbh I don’t want to spend the morning walking around. I’m not quite at that stage of recovery yet. The hips took a bit of a hammering being on my feet for much of yesterday. Left one mostly. No point in pushing it too hard at this stage of the game.

Have moved operations to the exec lounge. Some knobhead is on a conference call on his laptop without using headphones. I really can’t be arsed to transcribe the meeting for your benefit. It sounds v boring.

…

Sat down at the table for four but soon realised that the single seat opposite was going to be far more comfortable. The old guy who was sat next to me has put his coat on my vacated seat. Huh. Looks a bit of a boring scrote. Glad I’m not sat next to him. Biggest issue was legroom. Didn’t really want to play footsie with the guy sat opposite. I note his “golf” diamond pattern socks look a bit synthetic. Huh.

Everyone seems to be ordering soft drinks. I have a double gin and slimline tonic. One can of tonic. No messin. Got to finish my can of neck oil first though. Bag of ready salted crisps. Listening to “tref’s faves” on spotify. Everyone’s a Winner, baby.

Today I applied for a reader’s ticket in the Carmarthenshire Archives. I have the exciting prospect of a morning in April looking through leases and mortgage documents from the early nineteenth century. Living the dream. I am also a reader at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. This I like. 

After Newark the carriage is slightly emptier. The bloke with the socks has stretched his legs out into the aisle. My god they are long legs. Good job I moved. His shoes look a bit plasticky.

My God he’s just stood up. Having to bow his head inside the carriage he is that tall.

Looking out of the fifth floor window at the end of the corridor by the lift I noticed five TV aerials. Odd I thought. A sixth aerial sat a few yards away.  They were all pointed in the same direction through a gap in the surrounding tall buildings. This is the City of London.

Breakfast was taken by a window. Outside, mostly suited city workers hobbled unenthusiastically to their places of work. Smokers, vapers, backpacks, slim and stylish laptop bags. Tourists in trainers make their way towards the Tower. Deeply engrossed lovers, woman with greying bushy curly hair held down by headphones, expressionless bald slim bloke with Lenin moustache and beard ambles by in blue shirt and pink sweater under a green jacket. Blue shirt and jacket with cream kecks and a mackintosh slung over his forearm looks down as he walks. Blue jeans with hole, dark blue fleece with pink zip worn by sullen looking Mexican holding a bright red phone.

BUNZLl Catering Supplies, The Sausage Man (Always Delivers), Fresh Direct We’re the Plum, Reeves Butchers, Brakes Bros. It’s all apnin. Feeding the business world.

Hotel lobby. Loud background buzz of voices. Suits on the mezzanine. Outside the revolving doors is a taxi rank. 

Friday. A perfect day to leave the Isle of Man for pastures fresh. Here the weather is back to normal. We, windy and a miserable ten degrees. London is showing cloudy but dry reaching the giddy heights of sixteen degrees. 

Lovely breakfast round at the Fletchers to finish off the trip then off to the Aeroporto which is where we are now. It must be said that the check-in process was pure joy compared with the experience on the mainland, LHR T5 First wing excepted.

Sat here now in the departure lounge looking across to King Bills. A bleak and windswept spot for a school, chosen no doubt to toughen up the boys and prepare them for life in the Indian Civil Service, or wherever their chosen life destination took them.

Noticed also a jet terminal with words like Dubai on display giving us a clue as to the type of destination for private charters. The Isle of Man is after all a tax haven and financial centre. I do have a Manx social security number fwiw.

Travel update. 45 min delay due to crew rotation. After they started boarding! Waiting for a crew from an incoming flight. They must have known before boarding began, surelement. Three quarters of an hour is bearable. We need to be at Sophies restaurant in Soho for five thirty which means hotel for 4pm ish latest. Elizabeth Line to Farringdon then either bus, tube or taxi. See how it goze.

Ironically I think the original time for this flight was 12.05. At least that’s what I had in my calendar. I think I must have clicked to accept the time change to the earlier slot without updating the calendar entry. Now it’s back to more or less what it originally was.

Overheard conversation about instagram followers. Don’t really use it although I do have an account. Worradinosaur.

…

Finally boarded t’plane. Looking forward to my cup of tea and Cramel wafer bar (if it is the will of Allah). Who knows, Loganair being a Scottish airline we might get some neeps and tatties or a spot of haggis. I’d settlke for the ham sandwich THG made me. She is however several rows back in the Emergency Exit back row.

Girl sat next to me playing kandy krush on her device – not sure if that is the right spelling but woteva. I know I sbeld woteva rite. I have with me as entertainment on this flight my copy of Dick Winters’ autobiography “Beyond Band of Brothers”. I’ve read it a few times but it is the archetypal boys own story. Adventure, excitement where the goodies win. I only ready books where the goodies win. Life is too short…

On your farm today was all about legalized cannabis growing. I dozed off, totally relaxed. Then before I knew it the wireless was spouting war and destruction in the middle east. This woke me up so I switched off the news and will switch on again when the religious programming comes on. This is not a totally reliable stratagem as the religious reporters amongst us like to veer onto political topics that involve people of religion. Religious wars as well.

Strangely enough I’m OK with gory wars such as the crusades where Christian knights and Saracens clashed under the hot desert sun leaving blood and guts everywhere, helmeted  heads rolling loose left right and centre. Just not the modern stuff where people clearly haven’t learned from the mistakes of the past.

Switched on again by request. All about the old Pope who is not v well right now. Well he is the current Pope but he is old. Definitely. Everything medical science has to offer is being thrown at him. Metaphorically obvs. Nobody is picking up bits of kit and chucking it. It’s a saying. Obviously things that are not relevant to his ailment are not being used. One would assume.

Movin on. Online worship is now a thing apaz. Since lockdown. Anything to avoid chucking money in the collection plate. Covid has apparently reduced churchgoing in some denominations by up to 25%. Died off probably. It was ever thus. The debate has been raging for hundreds of years. Since Henry VIII upset the equilibrium. 

…

An element of the artistic in today’s Sunday Service. I’m ok with it. Quite relaxing. I left to go downstairs to the strains of  “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind”, I am reliably informed by the household hymn expert and of which I approve.

A fine bowl of gran o’la for breakfast with a couple of slices of wholemeal toast, President butter and orange marmalade. I like President butter. Has more flavour to it than most of the stuff you see in the supermarket.

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Another big milestone passed. Managed to get my right sock on this morning for the first time in nearly six weeks, ie before the hip hop. I can now officially dress myself. Don’t laugh. It might be you one day 🙂 . Put the left sock on as well obvs, for balance. Would have been odd walking down the road with only one sock on. One foot would have been colder than the other for one thing. Plus the height imbalance might have resulted in me walking in circles ending up in the same spot. Our house.

Big news. Made the tea this morning. Uhuh Tref, I hear you say, what’s news about that? Well making the tea involves going downstairs,  assembling the tea tray and then carrying it upstairs. This I did using both legs and without holding on to the bannister. I’ve not been able to do that for months. Maybe six months or more. Probably August or September. That, in my book, is big news. A visible sign of progress. Improvement. Wow.

Not quite running the London Marathon yet but headed in the right direction. Truth be told I have no ambition to tun the London Marathon. Never have. For one thing the training is a hugely lengthy process. You have little time for anything else. 

Also I’d need a new pair of trainers. I imagine you have to have a specific type of trainers for long runs. When it comes to running marathons, go fast stripes are not needed. It’s all about go longer stripes. The pair I have at the moment are fluorescent green and almost certainly need a wash. No idea what sort of stripes they have, if any. It’s been a while since I wore them.

Now downstairs having half listened to Farming Today. They carried the same hare coursing story that I’d heard in the week on the earlier programme. Clearly the expected audience on a Saturday morning is different to the early risers in the week. Mind you the milking needs doing whatever the day of the week it is. Saturday mornings probably attract weekend wannabe farmers and people like me who just like to hear about cows, sheep and carrot crops. Why not eh?

They don’t always cover cows, sheep and carrot crops so tuning in can be a bit hit and miss. Other farming subjects are available. It’s a risk you have to take. Does anyone else have a favourite farming subject? 

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The robins and wrens were v vociferous as I walked, cup of tea in hand, to the shed this morning. They were joined by a starling just as I arrived at my destination.

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16 mins round trip to the traffic lights on the corner of Wragby Road and Ruskin Avenue. 640m ish. Google says a fit person should take 8 mins so that ain’t bad in my book. When I can do it in 8 then we will all know things are back to normal. Mind you not sure I’ve ever walked at Google’s expected pace.

650m or so seems to be the range at the moment. The obvious next target is a km. The Morning Star is around 800m one way so pretty doable I’d say. With a lift home obvs. A round trip to the Star, at 1,600m feels still beyond what is sensible unless the stop for a rest with an accompanying drink would set me up for the return leg.

I’m away for most of April, one way or another, so I think a walk to the Star is a reasonable objective for when I get home. After all I‘ll have had a few walks along the prom in Peel under my belt together with a stroll from the Witehouse to the Royal to the Miller’s T’Ale to the Central to the Marine to the Peveril to the Creek. Fortunately we are staying in Charles Street near the prom. It’s also near to Davison’s Ice Cream Parlour. What’s not to like?

Almost tropical in the back garden. So much so the heater in the shed is switched off, the doors are wide open and the tropical trefbash sign has been switched on.