where art collides philosoperontap

Time was, getting out of Berlin was difficult, if you didn’t have friends in the right places. On this occasion the taxi provided by the hotel was there waiting for us and the time of day was favourable with all the traffic heading in to the city with deskbound commuters, chains rattling behind their Volkswagens as they stopped and started into town. Bag drop was quick. Why wouldn’t you check in online beforehand? 

Security was interesting. I suppose Fast Track must have made a difference but it didn’t feel like it and then, typically, my hand luggage was taken to one side for further investigation. I’d left a small pot of jam in it. Doh. It wasn’t particularly liquid but I’d forgotten it was there. I only whipped it because it was apricot and mango which I’d never heard of let alone tried so figured I’d give it a go. Had to wait for it to pass through the scanner again.

The cashier at the duty free asked what I thought of identity cards being considered for use in the UK. I should have told her to mind her own business but I said I didn’t mind. Turned out she was a conspiracy theorist. Moved on quickly.

The walk to the lounge was a bit of a hike. Until I discovered the moving walkway on the other side of the wall. Kept looking around to see where passport control was but it was nowhere in sight. It looked like we had an even longer hike to the gate. Then the guy in the lounge informed us that all we had to do was walk through those doors over there and we would be right at the front of the queue for passport control and the gate was directly after it. Result.

Looks as if there might be a delay to the flight which is a mild irritation but we are comfortable enough where we are sat. The biggest issue is the twelve twenty five planned arrival time at LCY versus the fourteen oh six direct train departure from Kings Cross. We bought flexible tix just in case. I’ll keep you posted obvs. In the meantime I have a book…

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Farewell to the friendly frauleins of Friedrichstrasse.

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Miracles do happen. Plane arrived on time and our bag was first through on the baggage carousel. Priority tags do sometimes work. THG had just said “It’ll probably take ages” to which I responded “no it will be the first through” and lo… It’s all about attitude innit. 

Only negative is that the retractable handle on my red suitcase is knacked. Doesn’t mean it has no further use but the suitcase will certainly be replaced for the next jaunt. It’s seen plenty of action in its twenty or so years of service. Doesn’t owe us anything. The new purchase won’t be for a while now as we have no big trips planned before my next hip hop at the end of October. Christmas maybs.

Nice to be back in the U U U K anyway. Train is rammed. We have seats E11 and E12. E13 and E14 were unreserved so I sat opposite THG in the latter. Was just settling down when some bloke in a 3 piece suit rocked up and stared at the seat. Turned out he had just bought the ticket and accompanying seat reservation. No problemo. I moved. Then someone else arrived to claim the fourth seat so now on our table that is a perfect size for two we have the full complement of four bums on seats. First world problems.

Bought a couple of bots of Tanqueray export strength gin at the Berlin duty free. 47% instead of the usual 43. Twenty five quid a bottle. Same price as the coop or perhaps tesco but a bit more kick.

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Given up on the Dissolution of the Monasteries book btw. It was so detailed it was getting repetitive. I got the gist.

Wall to wall sunshine in prospect in Burlin. Another beeootiful day. We wake up somewhat stuffed after a night out in Potsdam with Stefan and Katja, and our John. A good time was had by all. Unusually we went to a creperie called La Madelaine. I’m somewhat astonished that it’s taken me nearly 64 years on this planet to try a galette. Finished off with a calvados. Couldn’t squeeze in a pud. Comes to something when even your pudding stomach is full.

These weight loss jabs really do suppress the appetite. Up until now I’ve shed a modest amount of weight. Enough to notice the difference but not the great strides I’ve seen with others. Then last week I met a bloke who had lost five or six stone. He told me that the real progress only kicked in after three months. This is where I am at right now. However, in the run up to my next hip hop I have to stop taking the jabs so it feels as if it could be the new year before I start up again. Will ask the doc.

Previously at the Barberini gallery we went to an exhibition of the works of Camille Pissaro. You probs know he was an impressionist and unusually the whole gallery was turned over to this exhibit. Hundreds of his works. OK I didn’t actually count but there were a lot. What struck me was that the impressionists were famous for painting using dots rather than long brush strokes. Pissaro soon got fed up with using dots as a painting would take too long to finish. There ya go. Learn something new every day innit.

Got back to the hotel lateish and decided to go for a nightcap in the hotel bar. This is when we found out that the hotel doesn’t really have a bar. It’s more of a nightclub. One or two blokes there seem to have dragged their daughter out! We only had the one as the noise was too much and the drinks service v slow.

Retreated to the room and had a beer from the mini bar whilst following the Ryder Cup coverage. You have to wonder whether there were any American fans in the crowd that have ever actually played golf. They are just yobs with no understanding of golf traditions and etiquette. The European team has let the golf do their talking. Should be a fun day today. We only need 2 ½ points out of twelve to retain the Ryder Cup.

Then overnight it felt as if Berlin was a war zone. Sirens left right and centre. Could hear them even in our triple glazed room on the thirteenth floor. Going to ask this morning if there was something kicking off last night. Probably just a normal night in downtown Berlin.

We are having a more chilled day today. The lad is cooking lunch for us. Broken out a new pair of bamboo socks in honour of the occasion. THG is still dozing away and there is no rush to get up for brekkie. It is a good breakfast here fair play. Will pick at something 🙂 

Back at the room last night was thrilled to receive a message via Ancestry from a cousin in Wales. Not met him. This is very exciting as our mutual great great grandfather had a woollen mill called Rhiw’r Adar (Birdshill). Prior to that it was called Felin Obaith or mill of hope. This I knew but he has visited the gaff. I know where it is. Just haven’t had the time to go myself yet. It’s two hundred and fifty miles or more from Lincoln. It’s also something I have to pick the right time to do as these visits are best done alone to get the most out of the trip. Last spring Rhiw’r Adar was on my list of places to see but I would have needed an extra week or two to get around to it. All v time consuming. All in good time.

We are gradually coming to here. Getting up. Ciao bebes.

Berlin calling, Berlin calling. Lovely little restaurant near the hotel last night. Ottenthal. Austrian cuisine. Apaz. Had a small wiener schnitzel and a bit of apfelstrudel for afters. We had thee stools at the bar which worked very well. My one very small frustration was that when we arrived the chef was doing some spectacular pyrotechnics with a frying pan. I didn’t get my camera out quickly enough to record the event for posteriority. I spent the rest of the time in the restaurant poised ready for the next time he did it but the flippin flambé never came.

Early night and a leisurely breakfast this morning. We had considered visiting the Reichstag building having heard good reports. However the earliest slot they have is Tuesday and in anycase it isn’t worth the effort of trying to get in on the day as you need to be registered with the local rozzers, a process that takes a minimum of three hours. Apaz. It can wait until the next time.

THG is now readying herself to do some retail and I am half thinking of visiting the spa. V shall c. I did bring a book with me – the Dissolution of the Monasteries one. It’s taking me ages to read as it is packed with interesting facts that I have to keep going over again to make sure I’ve understood.  Will have forgotten most of it by the time I finish the book but I assume that some of it will stick.

This afternoon we are off to a Camille Pissaro exhibition in Potsdam with @Stefan and Katja (and our Johan). It’s how we roll. In one sense it is wasting time to chill out in the hotel all morning. This is partly driven by the hip (2nd hip hop scheduled for the end of October) but partly by the fact that I seem to remember places by the bars and restaurants rather than the sights. Ok you do need to do the sights, I suppose. 

I remember visiting Prague on rugby tour years (decades) ago where we definitely only saw the bars. We even drank the bar dry in the rugby club, a fact of which we were rightly proud. We lost the game about seventy five nil. This was partly because we had all had about six pints each before going on the pitch. Hey…

V cosmopolitan place is Berlin. Just a shame that most of it is modern, for reasons we all understand. 

Berlin calling, Berlin calling.

The timings worked well for us this morning. Leisurely breakfast of croissants and tea and picked up an Uber at sjhortly after ten. LHR T5 by eleven. Good job I checked in online as the wait in the relatively short queue at the business class desks was an hour. Systems still not sorted out from last weekend. Into the lounge where we were told our gate would be A21, a short hop skip and a jump from the bottom of the escalator. Left the lounge and they had just started boarding as we got to the gate. No hanging around and straight on the plane. New aircraft with extra large overhead lockers apaz. We are in 3A and C. Look up and wave at that plane. Could be ours.

BA WiFi not playing ball. Maybe they can sort it when boarding has finished. Not the end of the world. Probs v slow anyway. I’ve got some riting i can do. Just been told it ain’t working. They refitted the aircraft but have yet to refit the networking.

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Didn’t do much scribbling. Really needed connectivity and it wasn’t there. Listened to a few tunes, watched part of the first episode of band of brothers, drank some red wine, champagne and we were there.Berlin.

Nice dinner just down the road from the hotel. Concierge sorted for us. Sat at the bar and ate a small portion of wiener schnitzel. Was enuff. John has now gone home and we are in the room (suite) relaxing.

V good do yesterday afternoon. Terry’s retirement presentation followed by a few sherberts in the Waterman pub. I think it was the Waterman. We had a room in the courtyard at the back which was a bit cold and I was glad I’d brought my coat. Raspberrypi did him proud with a few prezzies including a 12inch wafer with one of his chips on it. I gave him a 4 inch wafer with one of his SoS chips. Then we had ham egg and chips in  the pub 🙂

Now on the absolutely rammed 0909 Cambridge to Kings Cross. I’m glad I bought a First Class ticket as economy was overflowing and I was fortunate enough to find a seat before the great unwashed overflowed into my coach. It being Cambridge none of them looked unwashed 🙂

Tis a v bright sunny morning where I can easily tell the train is heading south in the right direction because the sun hasn’t risen very much above the horizon yet and it is to my right – I am sitting with my back to the driver. Actually can’t see the driver. It isn’t an open cab. He is locked behind a closed door. Even in the open cabbed days of steam you wouldn’t be able to see the driver because of the blimming great coal truck between you and the locomotive and looking out of the window would in anycase not make much sense. Unless you wanted a face full of smoke and steam. Steam and smoke.

Up early. Bacon on the go. Joiner Mark Sutton is coming at half eightish to fit a new window to the potting shed and to slap some filler on the other one. THG already left for her morning lane swimming session. Worragirl. Busy day ahead starting with finishing packing for our trip and then an important funeral. Not enough milk left for me to drink with my bacon sandwich but ok for teas. Sfine. The sound of the kettle accompanies the sizzling of the bacon. No wireless. S’all sh!te.

Yesterday I was glad we had a heater put into the workshop as it was cold in there for the first time. Finished off the lifebelt “station” and the sign. Going to be installed in situ at the lake this morning. Safety first. Mind you I didn’t do a risk assessment. It’s just intuition based on sixty three years’ experience of lakes, and life. Love lakes, love life. Live it to the full.

Also had the heating on in the shed where THG and I had cosily ensconced ourselves to watch the footie. Nice just the two of us being in there. Cosy, like I said. My new drinks shelf is coming into its own. A perfect place to put down a can of diet coke, cold from the fridge. Every shed should have a fridge.

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The news is the lifebelt needs a bit more work. The rope didn’t glue on to my satisfaction and needs another go around. The sign however is ready and will go in before we leave for the funeral this morning.

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THG dropped me off at the stayshun after we had been to Chris Weston’s funeral. A good turnout of old rugby pals. He was one of our camping mates and chairman of the non playing section (of one) of our little golf society. The first of our little crowd to go and as such very close to home. Ajax did a very good job of reading his poem fair play. Now life has to move on. We have to support Karen.

Made me think a little more about how I’d like my funeral bash to go. I’ve already stipulated burial (ie no cremation), loud Hawaiian shirts and a raucous party. I’ll add to this now. I don’t want some anonymous person running the proceedings reading a script written by the family. I also want it in a church with lots of singing and participation from family and friends. The church bit isn’t about religion for me. It’s about tradition and venue. Far more theatrical than a crematorium. The whole event would be my last show.

I do quite like the idea of attending my own wake. I could organise one whilst I was still living and invite all my friends and family. Trouble it that would be tempting fate too much.

Now on the train to Peterborough en route to Cambridge. Going to present Terry with a gift at his retirement do. He doesn’t know this. I’ve had a Silicon on Sapphire wafer framed together with a sticker of the MAS31750 radiation hard microprocessor designed by Terry in our Marconi days. He complained once that I have all the SOS samples and he, the designer, did not. This remedies that sitch.

This back route to Peterborough is one I have only travelled once before, years ago. On that occasion a bunch of loud school kids got on and I promised myself never again. I’ve kept that promise until now. The connections make sense and at twelve thirty four there are no kids. Currently in Metheringham. I sense it is going to be quite a scenic trip. Maybe.

I have decided that constructing the raised beds is not an urgent job. I was helped with this decision by the Royal Horticultural Society who I had resorted to for advice on the filling of said raised beds and clocked an off the cuff remark on their website that this is typically a job left for winter time. The dark winter months. I have the scaffold planks ready down the side of the house. 

Ideally I would make a start on the new compost bins but time is running short before we head away on our next trip and I need to get some packing done. Not that it will take long to do the packing, once the decision on which underpants/tshirt/trousers etc has been made. Decisions decisions. Half thinking of taking my love and peace leather jacket but it might be too warm for that. Will let you know obvs. Natch.

Taking one suitcase between us. My red one. THGs is yellow but we aren’t taking that one. Will be away five nights. Ordinarily I try to avoid hold baggage but it makes sense on this occasion. We have an allowance of 3 x 32kg suitcases each! Don’t think I could fit 32kg worth of stuff into mine unless I was smuggling gold bars. Do you need to smuggle gold nowadays? Don’t have any gold anyway so this is a bit of a red herring. A pointless thread. If I did I certainly wouldn’t put it in a hold bag. Kiss that gold goodbye. Could be iron bars I suppose but I don’t have any of them either, afaik.

Today is therefore going to be a gentle day of preparation. I do envisage finishing off the DANGER DEEP WATER sign. It just needs the words painting on it. I’m not a signwriter but if I practise a bit I’m sure it will be foine. Gonna be red writing and I’ll use the same red to finish off the lifebelt which will then be ready to put in place by the lake. The set of acrylic paints came with a variety of brushes, one of which is very thin and ideal for delicate sign writing jobs like this. Keep you posted.

This acrylic paint has already had more use than the watercolours I bought to fill the shuttered empty void of lockdown. I am going to need one of those small plastic paint pallets with little wells to hold different colours. Only realised that when I saw that the small tubes of paint have a hole in the top through which you squeeze the paint. I already have a tropical trefbash tiki can to hand for use when washing the brushes and the brushes themselves are already proudly standing in another, pink tiki can. Gotta keep your workspace tidy innit.

Ok guys Monday it is. Yay. Good. Brill. Made it. Again. Would be terrible if I went to bed on Sunday and woke up on Tuesday. What a waste of a Monday. It isn’t as if I’m hibernating or owt. Did stick the heating on in the shed for an hour or so yesterday evening whilst I was watching more ww2 documentaries on the tube. Heating and a fridge = not having to hibernate. If grizzly bears had a fridge to keep them going in their caves through the winter they would probably spend the time doing something more productive than sleeping. Knitting for example. No, I’m only joking. Jigsaws. Philosophising.

Over the weekend I assembled all the hawaiian shirts in my possession for moving into hibernation for the winter. Except for the Tropical Trefbash one which I’ve only just remembered is in the wardrobe. That can stay there. I do need to sort through these shirts as some of them are waaay past their best including quite a few Tommy Bahama numbers which have seen good service over the years. I have a shirt spree in mind for the spring. Not sure what sort of shirt yet. Plenty of time to research that over the long winter months ahead. In the shed. 

When I bought a shirt from Chesters to wear for Hannah’s wedding the bloke in the shop mentioned that he got a stock of flowery shirts in for the summer. Not sure that flowery is where I’m gonna be. Maybe the time of loud shirts has passed. So yesterday. Maybe simplicity is the way forward. Like I said I have the winter to mull it over. The long winter.

Because I could I asked Gemini to write the next paragraph for me:

“On Sunday evening, I finally managed to finish a book I’d started reading quite a while ago. It was a thriller, one of those where you think you have it all figured out, and then the last few chapters pull the rug out from under you. Definitely a good read for a cold, dark evening. It’s rare I get to finish a book these days, so that was a minor victory. Now to find a new one to start before the truly deep winter sets in. I’ve got a few lined up, mostly historical fiction, which seems appropriate for the shed, somehow.”

Gemini clearly doesn’t know me. I don’t think I want Gemini to know me well enough to have written a paragraph I’d be satisfied with. Most of my stuff is random drivel that just appears on the page. I know not whence it came.

Good day yesterday. Made some progress with the lifebelt and the DANGER DEEP WATER sign and results on the field of play with wins for both the imps and the peul. The three points from their early kickoff momentarily left Lincoln top of Division 3 before results from matches played at three pe em brought them back to third which still ain’t too bad. 

After that we moved on to watching the England laydees beat the French demoiselles. I was sat amongst a crowd of mad keen rugby supporting English folk including THG who isn’t really a fan of the game but does like the craic. There ya go. Now you don’t need to nip out to buy a paper as I’ve told you everything you need to know.

When we got home a parcel was waiting. My acrylic paints have arrived yay. Once I’ve finished a couple of high priority THG requested jobs I’ll be able to get on with the arty bits of the lifebelt and sign. I’ll need to wait for the background layer of the sign to dry before painting the text. Signwriting. Sign of the times. Of its time. The important thing is it will save lives.

Mildly disappointed this morning to learn that I am not eligible for the Hilton for Business offer of diamond status in exchange for ten stays before 15th December as I already am diamond. I had seven nights already planned before that date and it was easy enough to book three cheap hotel nights as “burners” just to get the requisite number of nights. I’m now going to cancel them. They were all booked semi flex just in case. This really marks the end of my corporate travel life. Down to blue with BA and likely silver at best with Hilton. I am ok with this. Comfortable in my own skin. Before the end of this year I will spend any points I may have with both airline and hotel chain and be done with it.

A list of the finest drinks according to Tref:

Water
Timothy Taylors Landlord as long as it’s well kept
Lager shandy after a hot round of golf
A nicely brewed cup of tea at the right moment
A cold glass of milk, particularly with a sandwich

My chosen life partner (CLP – rhymes with THG) has a different selection:

Water
Green tea
Lime and soda
Occasional glass of prosecco

I don’t include any wines in my list. None of them stand out enough in my mind. Not even Pol Roger which is my fave champagne but as drinks go doesn’t rank as highly as those listed. I do quite like a cocktail of freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juices at breakfast. Rarely have it and doesn’t make the top tier. 

I rarely have coffee. I like the smell but the drink itself often doesn’t live up to its aroma. I certainly can’t drink instant coffee as I overdosed on the stuff when swotting for my first year university exams. Every fifteen minutes I’d get up from my desk to make a cup “for a break”.

I guess a drink is all about the moment. Milk not beer with breakfast. At uni I’d consume three pints of milk a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’d also drink several pints of beer a day. If you weren’t in the pub by seven pm you didn’t get a seat. It’s different nowadays. Beer is too expensive for students who seem to load up on vodka before going out at ten pm. In my day it was forty pence a pint. The cheapest I paid was twenty nine pence.

Usually I have two cups of tea before getting up and a third with breakfast. I seem to have throttled back on making tea during the day but will take one if it is offered. 

This morning I have the prospect of a cooked breakfast. Not started it yet. Not even got as far as getting the ingreds out of the fridge. There is no rush. THG informs me we have a nice new sourdough load in the breadbin which will make nice toast. She has already eaten. Saturday is Park Run day. Book early. I am told that we have some cooked potatoes. One of those will do very nicely fried with bacon and sausage. Was going to grill but the presence of a spud changes the plan. You can’t really grill a potato.

These days every day feels like a Saturday and funnily enough today is a Saturday. The sabbath. Football at twelve thirty followed by women’s rugby at three thirty. I don’t normally watch women’s rugby but there is a gathering of our camping pals for the game so we are going along more for the craic. I don’t watch women’s football either. Not because I think it is rubbish. Based on the various tournaments that appear on the telly from time to time, which I do sometimes watch, the women’s game is generally more entertaining than the men’s. Certainly less cheating which annoys the heck out of me with men’s professional football. It doesn’t serve as a good example to kids. This is a bit of a generalisation and not every footballer should be tarred with the same brush but it happens often enough for me to have made the mental note.

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In other news, Operation Cobra is happening at RAF Waddington. Thought I heard loud jet sounds in the garden the other day. Lots of plane spotters gathering on the road outside the base making a nuisance of themselves for traffic apaz. Probs the occasional spy as well. You can spot them. They wear capes and a funny shaped hats and carry a cane and have a miniature camera hidden in their buttonhole. Should be easy enough for the Military Police to round em up innit. Speak with foreign accents too.

I am now sat with a cup of char in the conservatory. It will interest you to know that I’ve finally straightened the Cezanne print on the wall above the radiator. Been bugging me for ages. Got up off my arse this time and sorted it. Wasn’t even on the jobs list. Neither is replacing the spent lightbulbs in the kitchen but it has to be done. Not sure the picture is completely straight. I’m going to have to get the spirit level out to check. Better than it was anyway. It isn’t much of a print. Well faded, being in the conservatory.

Seven ey em. Eight ey em. There was a gap of one hour between the composition of those two sentences. If you can call them sentences. I thought it was a good idea to start today’s post in bed at the time mentioned but after writing it down ran out of inspiration. Probs decided it wasn’t such a good idea still being a tad dozy. A cup of tea was on its way. Now I am downstairs getting on with the day.

I have a day of doing stuff in prospect. THG is out all day at various functions, weight training, walk with the girls, charity coffee morning, lunch, afternoon craft session in the community room at Waitrose. That kind of thing. It leaves me with a free rein to potter. 

There are no doubt a few jobs I can get on with. Painting the windowsill of the workshop for one. Shifting some planters another and putting the rest of the glasses away in the garage. We have a few boxes of party glasses that are occasionally put to use. Used to borrow them from Waitrose or Tesco but it is a lot easier if you have your own. I think there was one year where we didn’t reserve them early enough and they were out of stock of the glasses we needed for a particular bash.

I also want to get on with making the lifebelt holder for the lake and the DANGER DEEP WATER sign. With lake ownership comes responsibility. Those hedgehogs need to be warned about the watery perils that lie before them. Get it done before winter sets in. I daresay there will be other things that grab my attention.

Feels good being now into autumn. When I went out for dinner in the Woodcocks with the boys last night I threw on a sports coat. I was already wearing jeans. I got there early and sat at our reserved table. It’s a good job J had booked it as a steady stream of punters were turned away as the place was full. 

The Woodcocks is rubbish really but it is conveniently on the way back from the golf course so that’s where we go. 40% off mains last night. I got their discount code off the website earlier in exchange for my email address. Needn’t have bothered as they didn’t ask for the code and gave us the discount anyway. It’s ok though. I use my hotmail address for such purposes. They can spam me until the cows come home and I’ll never see it.

Don’t want to hurry time any more than it is already going but I’m quite looking forward to seeing the first winter at the lake. Rising mists, frosty reed beds and trees around the edge. All v atmospheric. Yet to see my first kingfisher. Bit of competition for Brian. I foresee an afternoon in January or February where we can light a fire pit and gather on the deck looking out over the lake to watch the seasonal winter action. Would be a good excuse to buy a fire pit now that the kadai firebowl is kaput. It served us well.

The kids are all back where they belong. John Berlin, Hannah on honeymoon with George in Morocco and Tom and Joe in Laandan. All is well. It feels like a Saturday but really it is not.

Ciao bebes.

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Made some good progress with the lifebelt. I reckon it will be Sunday before the reveal. Maybe Monday. Got some acrylic paints coming tomorrow. It will probably be erected with no fuss. No fanfare. It isn’t the sort of thing you invite the press to. A lifebelt is quietly put in place and left there for the benefit of all. Walk away once the job is done and permit yourself a quiet sense of satisfaction. I may yet add a sign that says LIFEBELT.

Simon the plumber arrived at quarter to eight. Slightly earlier than expected occasioning a mad dash (well sort of) to don tee shirt and trousers and get the hell out of the bedroom. We are having one of the radiators removed prior to redecorating. We’ve arrived at that part of the Forth Bridge whose turn it is to be painted again. If they ever take the Forth Bridge down, and it won’t happen in my lifetime, “we” will no longer be able to use that analogy.

Some excellent sourdough toast has been consumed and I have repaired to the conservatoire where I shall shortly take a second cup of tea.

Today our fourth born, John, is heading back to Berlin. It’s been good having him home for a few days. We’ve had a few laughs, been to a wedding, done a few jobs, watched a couple of footie games and today I’ll set off with him to Nottingham East Midlands International Airport whereupon he will be dropped off and left in the care of Ryanair for onward transportation. I have a corporate policy of not flying Ryanair but for John it makes sense. Convenient.

Otherwise, and apart from my usual midday swim, today will be devoted to seeing what jobs THG has in mind for me. See what’s on the jobslist. Maybe nothing. Le weekend is, after all, not so far away. Not that I do jobs on the weekend in particular. Certainly not on the sabbath which is both Saturday and Sunday depending on your perspective on these things. In any case this Saturday is a big day of sport wot with the Liverpool derby at twelve thirty and the England laydees v French demoiselles rugby at three thirty, both of which THG is particularly keen to watch.

A gentle rain has started. With the chance of precipitation at only 30% this must be a good day to get a bet on. At least Dean the window cleaner did some gutter clearing and drainpipe unblocking yesterday. There will be no spectacular waterfalls descending onto the conservatory roof today and in reality the rain is only a few measly drops. In walking to the shed I’d be able to sidestep the raindrops, probs. The humidity detecting extractor fan in the workshop is spinning away. As I speak the few drops have turned into a steady, relaxing light drumming.

Simon the plumber has just appeared in the garden with a yellow hosepipe. He is just about to drain the system. The name Simon the plumber sounds like the English equivalent of Maxim le Forestier. Completely different I know but the thought just came to me. 

Years ago when we only had two small kids we were staying with friends Sarah and Didier in Paris. I had been on tour to Le Mans with Lincoln RFC and joined the family in Paris by train after that leaving the lads to slum it on coach and ferry.

That first night in Paris I asked whether they had any Maxim le Forestier records they could play. They did not but they did put on Ne Me Quittez pas by Jacques Brell which has since made me a lifelong fan. Just playing a bit of Maxim right now. 

On the way home we got to CDG an hour before the flight only to find a huge queue at check in. When we got to the front they told me that the flight was full and that I should have checked in on time. “We would have to catch the next flight at four pm”. I pointed out that we had arrived at the required time but their queue was mahoosive. The reason we wanted the lunchtime flight was in order to get the kids home at a sensible time and that they should bump someone else. They had clearly given our seats away. The attendant totes understood, disappeared behind a screen and returned saying we could go in business class where not everyone had turned up yet. She then spent the next half an hour trying to get us checked in but the “line to London” was down. More likely the BA system. 

Anyway after this it was too late for us to board and she offered us £25 per adult compensation to catch the next flight. I declined this less than generous offer and settled for one hundred and fifty GBP in used notes plus a restaurant voucher with no upper limit. This cheered THG up no end (she wasn’t known as THG in those days) and we spent two out of the four hours we had to wait feeding on fifty quids worth of pizza and orange juice. Remember this was about thirty years ago. Fifty pounds was a fair old wodge at the time.

When we arrived in Manchester my name was called out and Tom and I were met by a member of the BA staff who took us to the office to hand us a brown envelope full of the aforementioned moolah. I trained Tom to respond “take the money” when I said “open the box”.

The delay was not a killer and the compensation was well received especially taking into consideration the fact that the flights had all been booked using air miles.

Right, tea consumed, Simon le plombier has finished and it is time to get on with le jour.

It is totes chucking it down and, father I cannot tell a lie, I like this weather. Sat in the conservatory the roof sounds like a drum and rivers of water are hammering against the glass windows. Well not quite that bad but it does sound as if the gutter is overflowing onto the conservatory roof. Just put on my Tilley hat and went out to check and yes indeed the gutter is overflowing. The drainpipe just isn’t coping. Will need to get Dean the window cleaner to unblock it next time he comes. 

Also checked the shed drainpipe and whilst there is water coming down through it there is just as much overflowing down the outside. I had already decided yesterday that it needed unblocking. To do this I need to unscrew the brackets and completely remove it as it is blocked to about three quarters of its height. That is not a job for this morning.

Hoping to get a swim in today. Was too busy Monday and Tuesday. Lunchtime. Before that I have a few jobs THG wants me to get on with together with half an hour or so of work work.

The shed is brightly lit and from the inside I can see waves of rain descending on the garden. The lake is as full as it has ever been. I am looking forward to its first overflow and subsequently the flooding of the surrounding meadows. The natural silting that occurs when this happens is a great help towards the production of new flowers in the meadows. Well ordinarily it is but this being a new lake there isn’t any silt. That will come in time. Perhaps hundreds of years. We have to be patient. Sometimes you make an investment knowing that it is the next generation who will benefit.

The Tilley has provides the right level of protection against the rain. It is mostly worn to keep raindrops off my glasses but has a wide enough rim to keep much of the body dry. Assuming there isn’t much wind which there ain’t at the mo. Rain is best enjoyed on a windless day. There is a fair bit of movement in the tall trees bordering Lincoln Christs Hospital School over the road. There are now more windfalls than apples left on the tree. They all need gathering. Manãna.

…

Not only has Dean been and cleared the blockage in the drainpipe but he’s cleared the gulley behind the chimney stack and unblocked the shed drainpipe. Result. Also managed 30 mins front crawl and ten mins in the spa/jacuzzi.

A day of rolling up the sleeves in prospect. Borrowing a van and heading to the farm to dismantle some old festival infrastructure. The wood is going to be repurposed, now that I have a workshop. Need to pick up some pallets as well to get going on the compost bins for THG. I envisage two of them side by side and we can then ditch the existing plastic job bought from some diy gaff yonks ago.

Meanwhile all is quiet in the kitchen. My next pot of tea is brewing and THG is finishing off the yoghurt mixed up with some of her very fine granola before tucking in to a couple of croissants. V sophis in this ouse. Tres continentale. I will at some point need to get up and fetch a clean mug as coffee was accidentally poured into my tea mug. Norrabiggie.

Woke up in the middle of the night and must have made a noise as THG asked if I was ok. Said I couldn’t get back to sleep so we put on the shipping forecast on a fifteen minute timer. THG soon dropped off again but I made it through to the end. Can’t remember anything about it though. Gales no doubt, westerly veering southerly later.

Need to pick up a load of windfalls today as next weekend is cider making weekend. If you have any going spare, preferably already picked, feel free to shove them our way. No idea if we have enough manufacturing capacity but we can address that as we get nearer the weekend.

Discovered last night that the panel heater in the shed is kaput. The control panel light comes on but not the heat. There is time to sort it and I have a Dyson fan heater as a backup but it will need to be fixed before we go into hibernation for the winter. It’s the only way we survive the harsh conditions that prevail in the badlands of Lincolnshire where we are exposed to the east winds blowing in from the Siberian tundra. Or is it taiga? Matters not. The log pile has been accumulated and the wood shed has kindling a plenty all tidily (ish) packed in plastic crates that we needed to find something to do with. We should be warm enough.

…

Just nipped in to the shed before picking up the van to find that I’d fixed the heater. Tested it by ramping up the temp and it came on. Did the same thing yesterday but nowt happened. Just hadn’t set the temperature high enough. Turns out it is already quite warm in’t shed. Result.

A beautiful walk to the shed this morning. Stopped by the lake cam but nothing of interest. Did have a couple of vulpine visits over the weekend plus the mum and kid deer were back. See vids. I’ll need to delete the media sometime as most of the pics and vids are of people going back and forth to the shed.

Got my “work” jeans on. I quite like the idea of buying a pair of overalls, especially now that I have a workshop. Brown ones maybe. Will look into that. Might ask Santa for some for Christmas. Or should they be blue? Hmmm. I associate blue overalls with mechanical engineering whereas the workshop is biassed towards wood. Doesn’t preclude the occasional bit of metalwork but were I ever to buy a lathe it would be one of the wood turning variety. I am a million miles away from that right now. Too much else to be getting on with.

The confetti has settled after a wonderful wedding weekend. Ecologically friendly dried rose petals natch. The bride and groom set off contentedly after lunch on Sunday for the first night of their honeymoon. The rest of us collapsed in a smiling exhausted heap. Bath and early to bed.

The bash could not have been better with Hannah’s brothers Tom (poetry), Joe (trumpet and keyboards) and John (sax and keys) playing an active part and George’s brother Harry doing a good job in the best man role. New suits abounded. Don’t think I’ve worn a suit in over thirty years. I have one now that should last the duration. THG looked stunning in her new dress and Hannah took gorgeousness to the next level.

People laughed at all the right moments during the speeches and I was given space to “gush” a little at the achievements of my girl. The one aspect of the wedding over which Hannah had no control.

We had a family meal on the Friday night followed by a singsong which reached a crescendo with a full blown and slightly modified take on Hey Jude where Jude was replaced by George. Against all the odds and recent form I stayed up until the end on both nights until lights out.

The dance band was terrific and had practically all the guests on their feet all evening for non stop bopping. Even aunty Pat and uncle Ted who had just celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary got up and danced. Ties found new homes as bandanas. Even my new “wildflower” bow tie with a matching pocket square. The square stayed firmly in the pocket.

Other than fantastic memories I don’t think we left anything behind but we have come across some specs. If anyone has lost a pair let me know.

…

Two trips to the railway stayshun later and I’m sitting in on a conf call. Back to earth with a bang. Not having to do owt. Just listening. Shed is brightly lit and whilst I’m not yet at the stage of switching on the heat I have to confess I am sporting a pair of jeans and a jumper. Both are fairly tattered. Two of the belt loops on the jeans plus one of the button holes are broken and the jumper is a tattered Fat Face sweater. Yanow what, it’s all about comfort innit.

THG has gone out for a spot of lunch with some pals. They will have plenty to chat about after the weekend. While she is out I have an architect coming for a looksee. Looking at a project for next year. 

In the meantime I’ve put the conf call on mute, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher and brought the recycling bin around the back. Blimmin eck I didn’t realise we had so many coffee cups.