People who lunch

I was still stiff this morning. I must say that my back is taking a while to settle. It was a quiet start to the day, and we read the papers and social media over breakfast. Being the 15th, I performed my monthly check on the utility meters... I have been monitoring all of our electricity, gas, and water usage on a monthly basis since we moved in 10 years ago. The spreadsheet recording these readings helps me keep a strategic view of usage and easily allows me to compare the month with the same month in earlier years. It is clear that we used a bit more gas this winter than in previous years, but we did stay much warmer, thanks to the new heating system.

Soon after Lottie arrived to perform her weekly magic on the house, we left to drive up to Milford. We were meeting Jane and Trevor for lunch at The Refectory. The first part of the drive was wonderful, the roads seemingly devoid of traffic. When we reached Chiddingfold, however, we joined the back of a 2-mile stationary queue of traffic and just sat there, immobile for about 15 minutes. All of a sudden, the traffic started to flow, and we were on the move. We never found out what the delay had been. I guess it's one of those mysteries that scientists will puzzle over in years to come.

We pulled into the car park at The Refectory just before Jane and Trevor. We sat down and chatted over coffee, drinks, and lunch. We caught up on all the latest health news, family news, and general chit-chat. We also talked about the river cruises we all had planned for both this year and next. As we chatted, I noticed a famous actress (Victoria Hamilton) and her family arrive and sit at the next table but one. I think she was recognised by a lot of people, but being British, we all left her alone.

It was nearly 4 o'clock before we left. We had a good run home. As soon as we were in, I changed my shoes and went out for a walk; I had stiffened up in the restaurant and in the car and was in need of a good stretch. I wasn't out for long, but it did me the world of good.