DNA

It's a lovely day down here on the Sussex coast. As we were reading the daily news, an email popped into Diane's inbox. It was from "Ancestry" reporting a new DNA match. This always creates a frisson of excitement. Is this a person we already know? Is this a person opening up a new branch of research? I logged on and started to dig into the DNA database. The match was previously unknown to us. Her family name is not one that we know from our research... but she shows up as a 2nd or 3rd cousin. Disappointment set in. She had no tree that I could examine. In the end, the only possible course of action was to write to her. I eagerly await her response, but experience has taught me that if there is a response at all, it could be many months before it arrives.

Having been delving into "Ancestry", I did look through some of my own matches and managed to find several 3rd cousins of my own. They were related to my Great-great-grandfather's second marriage (he remarried after his first wife, Caroline, died).

As the day wore on, I received a call from Jane. The news was not good. Dear Aunt Margaret (wife of my Dad's twin brother, Peter) died, peacefully, yesterday evening. She had been discovered by cousin Nick when he went to her flat to see what she wanted for dinner. She had died, peacefully, in her chair. This must be an immensely trying time for my cousins. I managed to talk with Zoe and inform her of the news, and early this evening I also spoke with Kim so that she knew. It's a sad day. 

Discount

 The day started. This was just as well because I was awake. A coffee lubricated the mind and joints and by 9 a.m. I was ready for the cousins' call. The call had no particular theme today but was 40 minutes of general chat and banter. The only time it became contentious was when Tim admitted he didn't really like Stephen Fry and I had to admit that I agreed with him. Given that Helen (like Stephen Fry) is a denizen of Norfolk, this almost caused an attack of the vapours.

After the call, Diane went shopping with Zoe. She was able to use her staff discount for the first time this month. This, apparently, saves over £70 on today's shopping. I left them to it. The thought of wandering aimlessly around various local stores did not fill me with enthusiasm. 

I spent the time completing the last of the "pre-boarding" tasks for our imminent cruise.  Then I hit the photos. There were a couple of months of photos that needed identifying and filing. With my helper code, the filing of these photos took a few seconds. The confirmation of all of the facial recognition took a bit longer.

Service

We were up early. Ellie was dropped off soon after 7. Clearly, she had only just woken up and wanted to snuggle back down and grunt for a while. Eventually, she emerged and discernable words emitted from her mouth. 

After breakfast, I had to take my Fiesta to the local garage for its annual service and MOT. As it was a bright and clear morning, I decided that I didn't need a lift back. It would be a pleasant walk. It takes about 30 minutes to walk back but it was good exercise.

The rest of the morning was spent doing bits of admin and responding to questions from Ellie (who was stuck to Nana, like glue). After we had some lunch I took her out to the park, to see the ducks, and then on to another park. Unfortunately, there seemed to be nobody else around so she didn't get a chance to play with any friends.

It was a relatively quiet afternoon. Ellie was playing and watching TV. We pottered. Eventually, I had to return and collect the car. It got a clean bill of health (as expected) and the MOT certificate revealed that I had driven less than 300 miles since the last test in September 2022.

Pete came along to collect Ellie after her dinner and she has gone back with him for the weekend.

Tooth Fairy

Ellie slept well overnight. Apparently, she fell out of bed at one point but got back under the sheets and went back to sleep. It didn't disturb us, so we were none the wiser. It was 7:00 before she came in to see us. A very acceptable time.

DI had her regular blood tests at the surgery while Ellie and I waited for Ocado to deliver. Once all the shopping was stowed away we did some colouring until it was time for us all to head for Chichester. I had an appointment with the tooth fairy dental hygienist, and Di had some questions for the dentist regarding her medication and any special considerations it may involve before dental treatment. From there she took Ellie into town to get new school shoes and a few hair accessories. I caught up with them when the hygienist had finished mining in my mouth.

Walking back through town there was a shout of "Ellie!" and one of her friends, Eboni, ran up for a cuddle. We got chatting with her mum and all ended up having lunch in "Crispin's".

It's been a grey and wet afternoon. Ellie was happy to sit and watch a Disney movie (Encanto).  Diane had a query to resolve with the cardiac team regarding her latest INR results, and I dealt with an email from P&O... I had some final information to give them and could then print the boarding passes and luggage tags for a forthcoming trip. Other than uploading a couple of passport-like photos, and confirming times for the taxi, all is now complete.

Just stuff

 Diane had an appointment at the hospital, first thing. We were clearly the first on the list, so Diane was seen immediately and we were in and out in about 10 minutes.

Zoe dropped Ellie off mid-morning. She will be working a late shift in Hove today so Ellie will stay with us overnight. She was very good through the morning and she took Grandpa out for a walk to try and find various items that were on an I-spy list. While out we bumped into her friend Sophia so I left them to play for a while.

This afternoon, Ellie helped Diane in the garden with some weeding, dead-heading, and watering. This evening I made a curry for her dinner and then she insisted on going onto the lawn outside the front of the house so that she could run around, do handstands, try and do cartwheels, and do the splits. It was exhausting just watching her.

She's in the bath now and winding down for bed.

Tariff

 There was no hurry this morning. Though Diane had the Cardiac Rehab session, there was nothing on my agenda. After a leisurely breakfast, and waving goodbye to Diane, I worked my way through the post-holiday ironing. Once that was clear, I started on the list for this week's Ocado delivery.

Once Diane was back,  I headed for the study. There was admin to complete... first, the Ocado shopping list had to be completed, then our details for the Dartford River Crossing needed updating after they changed supplier, and then I had to look at our current energy tariff to see if there was a better deal. The energy tariff was changed (saving a couple of hundred pounds), The DART Charge was reset to a new debit card, and finally, I managed to complete the accounts.

We had a quiet afternoon with our books, though Mrs Tiggywinkle did phone for a chat with Diane.

Reminders starting to arrive from P&O regarding the upcoming cruise... bizarrely, we hadn't forgotten (given how many years this saga has been running).

Limo

I was up at 7:00. Ellie was being dropped off and I wanted to be ready for the tsunami that would, no doubt, accompany her. To be fair, she was pretty restrained and settled down for breakfast without any disruption.

Mid-morning we had to head towards Highleigh Pound (about 8 miles from home). Jasper needed collection from his Spa and I was driving his Limo. He had clearly had a good time with Mark (the Cat Whisperer) but it was time to return home and torment us. He was deposited in his carrying basket and then whined and moaned the whole way home. Ellie, sitting next to him, tried to calm him but he was having none of it. Back home, Jasper leapt from his basket and did several full tours of the house before settling done, content that we had changed nothing in his absence.

Early afternoon we had to take Ellie to the optician. She had managed to get glitter in her eye on Friday and was treated at the time, This was a follow-up appointment to take the opportunity to test her vision. The glitter seems long gone, but today's tests show a slight long-sightedness in her right eye. This is not related to the accident with the glitter. It does need to be monitored and, if wanted, they could prescribe some glasses that would help. Personally, I don't think she should embark on that route as yet. She is not exhibiting any symptoms related to difficulties with her sight. I think she should hang fire and see if the problem rectifies naturally as she grows.

Home again, naturally

It was time to pack up, hit the highways and byways, and make our way home. We had a leisurely breakfast before I started on numerous trips up and down to the car. There was no hurry but we managed to get on the road by 10:00. We had a good run home. The only delays were from the bottom of the A34, along the M3 and down to the M27. We were home in about 2 hours 40 minutes.

Before checking out, I had asked the hotel whether they have a charging station for EVs. They don’t. The land owner won’t allow it. What’s more, there are very few chargers in the whole area… the nearest being at the motorway service station on the M5.

Once home, we unpacked then settled down for an hour or so with our books. Then we wandered around the corner to Zoe’s, where we had been invited for a BBQ. We stayed for a couple of hours, then left them to it.

It’s nice to get away - but it’s lovely to be home.

A Golden Day

The forecast overnight deluge must have swept through but we slept through, undisturbed. When I got up, the sun was shining and it looked like the start of a nice day. We opened a pile of Anniversary cards (though we had deliberately left presents at home). It seems unbelievable that it is 50 years since Diane was daft enough to say “I do”

After breakfast we gathered our stuff together and headed out into the wilds of the Midlands. We had selected a couple of National Trust properties that looked worth a visit. Zipping up towards Solihull (security escort and outriders at hand) we pulled into Baddesley Clinton. This is another charming moated Manor House dating back centuries and boasting various additions and improvements over the years. It was home of the Ferrer family who could trace their family back to the Norman conquest. One of the Ferrers was interested in genealogy and rather than draw a family tree, he had stained glass windows made to recount the family’s history. It was a wonderful place complete with a priest’s hide. This was used during one raid and 9 Catholics shinned down a rope into the sewers and remained there safely until the searchers had given up and left. We left the house and wandered into the gardens where we got chatting to one of the volunteers (and her husband). From there we walked along to St Michael’s Church where most of the Ferrer family are buried (12 generations under the chancel itself).

Exhausting what there was to see we drove 2 miles down the road to Packwood House. This was another NT property. We were too late to claim a ticket for a tour of the house, but we had a chance to wander through the gardens. The walled garden was awash with colour and decorative grasses swayed in the breeze. Behind the walled garden, however, was the Yew garden. This had over 100 yew trees that had been shaped, trimmed and trained. It was quite incredible. I don’t think I have ever seen such a display before.

Unable to tour the house we hopped in the car and headed back to the hotel (with a brief stop for petrol on the way). When we arrived back, the hotel had decorated our room with balloons, left us an Anniversary card, and bottle of Prosecco. What a nice gesture! We sat out on our balcony in the sun, sipping Prosecco and reading our books before getting reading for dinner.

Malvern, Morgan, and Worcester

There was early morning rain but it ws due to clear. The hotel seemed a lot busier when we went down to breakfast. This was probably because all of the golfers who usually out on the course had decided on breakfast and a late start to avoid the rain. We were in no hurry so it made no difference to us.

Mid morning we headed towards Malvern. We had booked a tour of the Morgan Motors factory. Whilst I think their cars look lovely in a retro kind of way, they are not cars I would ever really have entertained for us. They are, however, hand built and we were intrigued to see the process.

We gathered in the coffee shop and were handed headsets so that we could hear the guide (Mike) over the sound of the tools. The tour started with an introductory video and we were then taken across to the factory site (about 100 yards away). Mike showed the aluminium shells stacked up, waiting to be turned into the final car - a process that took about two weeks in all. We were then taken to the top of the site and worked our way down through each of the sheds, following the progress that the cars would make. We saw the engines (supplied by BMW) stripped of the electronics and fitted with Morgan’s own electronics, we saw the suspension being built, we saw the frames on “the spit” where they could be rotated over 360 degrees so that they could be worked on in comfort. We then moved on to the next shed where the panels were shaped and fitted to the frames. 

Here they also pressed the air vents into the bonnets using huge presses that were controlled purely by eye. The next shed showed the fitting of ash frames to the shell and the area where the master cabinet maker (and his apprentice) formed shaped and veneered the dashboards. Across the other side of the yard was the upholstery shop where all of the leather work was done. Hides were stitched and turned into the seats (with bespoke patterns and stitching, if required), the tonneau covers were made and fitted to their frames, and the car assembly was finished before being taken back across the yard to the pre-delivery inspection area. 

The tour finished in their Archive/Museum. Whether you are a Morgan aficionado or not, this is a tour well worth a couple of hours of your time. It is great to see traditional craftsmanship and such pride in their work.

And no… we didn’t buy one

From Malvern, we headed up to Worcester. We didn’t have a particular objective but we both like the City and thought it would be nice to have a wander about. We parked down by The Old Rectifying House (a once great restaurant, flooded once too often and now turned into a Turkish restaurant) and then wandered up into town. 

It’s 15 years since Worcester was my home from home during the week and it has clearly changed a great deal. There appears to be a rule in the City that every 3rd shop has to be a barbershop or hairdresser. Intervening shops can be vape shops or tattoo parlours. Having said that the town centre seemed to be very busy as we wandered around. It was good see that The Cardinal’s Hat (Spur 0, as we knew it) has reopened, and the Chinese Chung Ying Garden is still there. Many of the other restaurants that we frequented seem to have fallen by the wayside. We strolled back down to the river and walked along the riverbank for a little way then sat and watched the swans as they paraded back and forth.

Late afternoon we returned to the hotel and had a quiet evening with some fish and chips in the bar. Who says we don’t push the boat out!

Tyntesfield

It was a warm and bright day, without being sunny. We met up with Rebecca for breakfast and, as we finished were joined by Tim and Beth, and Simon and Clare and the kids. Becky had to check-out and was heading down for a camping weekend in Dorset.

We had originally thought of visiting Berkeley Castle but it turns out that it is closed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for private functions. The second position on the visit-list was Tyntesfield House. This had intrigued me since it was sold to. The National Trust in 2002. I remember seeing coverage on the News, at the time. It would appear that among those seeking to purchase the property were Kylie Minogue and Madonna. Fortunately, the NT won through.

Tyntesfield is a few miles south of Bristol, about an hour away from our hotel. It was a pretty easy journey, being Thursday, but I would not have liked to do it on Friday or Saturday when the holiday traffic fills the M5. After fighting with the parking machine I managed to get a ticket for the windscreen and we made our way onto the property. We passed the Home Farm and walked up through the woods and approached the house from the back lawns. The driveway was lined with shaped holly bushes and manicure lawn stretched in all directions. On our left the ground rose and the lawn disappeared through an enchanting woodland filled with copper beech, horse chestnut, cedar, birch and, of course oak.

We made our way to the front of the house and entered. It was high gothic revival in style and still contained about 70,000 original artefacts from when the Gibb family were in residence. Like most NT buildings, in an attempt to protect the contents from light damage, all of the blinds and shutters were drawn. This meant that visitors wandered round in semi darkness. Having completed the circuit downstairs, we climbed the main staircase and had a peek at the one or two rooms that were open on the first floor before going through to the chapel. This is reputedly, the second largest private chapel in England. (When asked where the largest was, they could answer… but I suspect it might be at Arundel Castle).

From the house we wandered down to the Orangery and walled garden. We were able to grab a pasty and a cup of tea before wandering back up to the house and then back to the car. It was a good run back to the hotel and we spent the remains of the afternoon on the patio with a drink. Beset by wasps, we finally gave in and went inside. For dinner, we stayed in the bar and had a bar meal.

I had been in touch with Stuart from Worcester in the hope we might meet up during our sojourn in the area. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get a slot that suited both diaries. Maybe next time.

Nuptials

No not ours. One of reasons we are here in Tewkesbury is that Jon and Caroline had decided to get married.Today was the big event. We weren’t required until mid-afternoon so we spent a quiet day at the hotel, sitting on our balcony - or when it got too hot, sheltering in our lounge.

Rebecca arrived mid-morning. She couldn’t check-in until the afternoon, so she came to our room to chat and get changed. She was in the party that attended the actual wedding service, so her taxi came to collect her at 11:30.

We followed on at 15:30 and pulled into the car park just behind Denise and Dom. The venue was the most enchanting location you could imagine. Birtsmorton Court is a medieval moated manor with the earliest parts dating back to the 13th Century. On a sunny day such as today it was like an imaginary castle from a film.

The wedding breakfast (why do they call it that, when it was clearly lunch?) was just dispersing as we arrived and we were directed to the lawns where we could mingle while being entertained by a couple of member of Alan’s band. Diane and I took the opportunity to wander round the outside of the manor and have a good look from every aspect. Returning to the lawns we chatted with Denise and Dom, Rebecca, Craig and Caroline, and various other guests. A drone was used to take group photos (or were they videos?). I will be interested to see how they turn out.

We were directed back to the outbuildings and lawns where they had had the Wedding Breakfast. The rest of the evening was spent there. An ice cream cart was providing cooling cornets, A pizza truck arrived and fired up the oven. Throughout the rest of the evening pizzas were provided on demand (the only problem with this was that it was the sole choice - and Diane doesn’t eat pizza… and hadn’t eaten since breakfast (fortunately we had some shortbread in the hotel room).

The whole event was superb. Alan’s band took to the stage at about 21:00. It was a bit loud inside so we remained out on the lawn. They did sound very good and there loads of people up and dancing. Having checked that Rebecca had a lift back to hotel, we said our goodbyes and headed back here to Puckrup Hall.

What an excellent day.

Short Break

We thought we had tricked him. We got up at the usual time. Had breakfast in the usual manner and went about a few hours of normal chores. There were no piles of clothes. No suitcases had been retrieved. There was no hint that we were planning a short break and that Jasper would be staying at the Cattery.

That’s what we thought.

Jasper knew. Jasper had hidden behind the drawers in my study. Jasper was not coming out without a struggle. The struggle was short but resulted in Jasper emptying the contents of his bladder all over my study carpet. Sorting this out was not one of my planned items for the morning but suddenly leapt to the top of the list. Jasper was soon deposited with Mark, the cat whisperer, and we headed home to pack. Jasper can enjoy his own spa break for a few days.

We set off across country. It was a journeyI used to do weekly and took in some lovely countryside as we swept out of Sussex, through Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and into Worcestershire. We pulled in to car park at Puckrup Hall and decanted our luggage from the car. We were soon checked in and shown to our suite. We have a large living room, a dinning room, a bedroom, a bathroom and a second washroom. We also have a lovely balcony looking out over the golf course and across the countryside.

After the long drive we decided to eat in the hotel tonight.

Rude Awakening

We had a rude awakening. It was 5 minutes past 4. It was still very dark outside. Jasper had just helped himself to some of the supper we had left out for him.  He had bolted it down too quickly and, having galloped upstairs, he promptly vomited the lost over our bedroom carpet - in various deposits around the room. That was it. We were awake. The light went on and we both set about the process of cleaning it up and spraying it with a cleaner that enable us to do a deep clean come the morning. Diane managed to go back to sleep. I didn't.

Eventually, it was time to get up for coffee and start on the overnight news and emails. I then set about the pile of ironing before heading for the study to catch up on the accounts and attack the carpet with the spot cleaner. To be fair, it did a good job and the carpet looks fine again now. The rest of the morning was filled with other chores.

This afternoon was spent with our books.

Oh dear!

 In a fit of unparalleled laziness, it was nearly 8 o'clock before I saw the light of day. I snuck downstairs in an attempt to leave Di to sleep in peace. It was a relatively quiet morning. I was looking at various "...by Candlelight" shows and trying to find something that would suit us in terms of subject and location. There were a few but none that screamed at me.

Talking with Trevor and Jane, yesterday they asked whether we had considered river cruises. The answer is that we had, but had never done anything about it. After several hours of research and further discussion with Trevor, I might have accidentally booked a river cruise along the Danube next Spring. Jasper is booked into the Cattery, VIP transport is booked to and from the Airport, and flights are booked, so we are off to Vienna to pick up the boat.

Rumours

Well, that was an evening to remember. 

The day started much as usual. I had the cousins' call and then we got on with our normal pottering about. By mid-afternoon, it was time to head out. We set off for Woking and were surprised that the traffic was so light. We pulled into the shopping centre car park a couple of minutes before Jane and Trevor. Having met up, we went for a stroll to kill some time before the restaurant opened.

We had a pre-theatre dinner booked. We were first to arrive but over the next 30 minutes the restaurant filled up and people were being turned away. I started with some calamari followed by Pollo Milanese while Di had the Sea Bass. The staff were delightful and very attentive and the food was delicious. With dinner finished, we made our way to the theatre.

We had tickets for "Fleetwood Mac by Candlelight". This was a production featuring West End singers and a live band. We had excellent seats in Row C of the stalls, right in the middle. The view was perfect.

We had about 2 hours or so of excellent Fleetwood Mac classics starting with "The Chain" and carrying on through tracks such as "Rhiabnnon", "Don't Stop", "Gypsy", "Black Magic Woman", "Sarah", and many more.

It was a wonderful show and I'm glad that we made the effort to go up to Woking for it.

We got home at about 23:30, so it wasn't too bad.

Very quiet

It was a little grey but lovely and warm when we got up. Diane had an outing with Kathie planned. I had volunteered to take her across to Worthing to meet with Kathie and Kathie would take it from there. They were off to see the Sussex Prairie Garden near Henfield. I left them to it and drove home for a tranquil afternoon with my book. 

I went back to collect Diane early in the evening and that's about all there is to report.

Celebrate

We had to get going this morning. Diane was due at the surgery for her blood tests before 9:00. With that done we then had the usual Thursday morning shopping extravaganza with Ocado delivering and Sainsbury's filling in the things Ocado couldn't supply.

By midday, it was time to ship out. We were collecting Kim from Zoe's and all of us we heading out to lunch to celebrate Zoe's birthday. Ellie had her friend Sophia with her. Our destination was The Black Horse at Binsted. Diane has been there before and it is clearly a regular haunt for Darren and his family. It is a charming gastro-pub, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and overlooking a golf course. We settled in their garden room and waited for Barbara (Darren's mum) to join us.

The menu was impressive and I had no hope of remembering everything that was selected. I started, however, with a bucket of King Prawns. These were served with lovely granary bread and spiced mayonnaise. That set the scene nicely. For the main dish, Diane had sea bass and I had a Wagyu beef burger. Both turned out to be delicious. Finally, we had dessert. Diane selected the lemon posset and I had chocolate brownie cheesecake with ice cream.

The meal was superb and Ellie and Sophia were very well-behaved, but I'm sure the fact that they could roam off into the garden helped.

It was a lovely celebration but eventually, we had to head home. We dropped Kim and Barbs off at Zoe's, then wandered off home.

Cobblers

There was no hurry to get up this morning. I had cried off the football to give my knee some time to recover. All that was on the agenda was to enter the Ocado shopping list and to pop out to fill the car with petrol.

I had been expecting the delivery of some new shoes. The casual slip-ons that I had been wearing were showing serious signs of wear and the inner soles were falling apart. So much for the incredibly comfortable Sketchers. They may be comfortable, but they don't last. The new shoes, from Pavers, arrived just after breakfast. They looked very nice and I was pleased with the choice. Well, that is I was pleased until I tried them on and found that they were much too big. The problem is that the next size down is likely to be too small. The shoes were packaged up and returned.

Diane got stuck into some ironing for the first time since before her surgery. I had offered to do it, but she insisted that she should give it a try. I burrowed into the internet looking for some alternative shoes. Clarks, Hotter, Ecco, and M&S were all tried, but in the end, I selected a pair from Amazon. Let's see how well they fit when they arrive tomorrow.

Ellie and Zoe have had a day out with Kim today. They went to Worthing and clearly had a wonderful girly day at the Petite Fairytale Boutique.

It was obviously a very pink day of beauty treatments.

I can't think why I wasn't invited!

iMac

Diane had to go to her cardiac rehab class first thing this morning. I stayed put and enjoyed a second coffee and read the news online. Recently Jasper has shared the contents of his stomach with us, several times. We cleaned up and sprayed the carpet in the appropriate places at the time. I took the spot/vacuum cleaner upstairs and attacked the various stains. It took a while, but the carpets are clean again now.

At lunchtime, I was expecting delivery of a refurbished iMac that Zoe/Darren had requested. It turned up soon after 12:30 and when Diane and I had finished lunch we went to Zoe's and I set the system up. I have made a small contribution towards the cost as part of her birthday present. Considering it was a refurbished machine, I was impressed with its quality. Needless to say, the first thing that I set up was the backup system. This should tick away in the background for the next few years, protecting their data and giving them a fallback should anything be accidentally lost.

We managed a quiet hour with our books when we got home.

Vets

I eased into the day soon around 7:15. Coffee was consumed, the news was digested, and the day began.

The morning chores were soon out of the way and I decided that it was time for a haircut. Strolling into the village I concluded that the problem I have been having with my knee is not settling down. I have been wearing a knee brace for football, but the problem is not improving. I have decided not to play this week in the hope that it will settle with rest and gentle exercise. As I finished at the barber's he asked (again) if I was a pensioner. I said I was and had been for many years. His response was that I obviously had a good life and a good wife. What could I say? He got it in one!

This afternoon, Jasper was scheduled at the Vet. It was time for his annual checkup. We managed to sneak up and drop him into his carrier without too much drama. Having said that, he yowled the whole way to Chichester and then, in a fit of pique decided to empty his bowels. The aroma in the car was deeply unpleasant - it was a good job that we were virtually at the Vet's when it happened. Anyway, the annual check was completed without incident and he was given a clean bill of health.

Back home we had a quiet hour with our books before I started on dinner.

Cream crackered

 I was up soon after 7:00. Once awake, I see no point in staying in bed. I had football scheduled. That meant that coffee was off the menu - it has too great a diuretic effect. One cup of coffee seems to stimulate several gallons of urine just as I am ready to play football. Tea was the order of the day.

The teams seemed evenly matched. Having said that, we were soon trailing by two goals. I managed to claw those back with a couple of goals. By halftime, the score was about 5-all. In the second half, we swapped our goalie. This seemed to make the game more competitive. The game was played at a blistering pace and I was shattered by the end of it, Final score was about 12-12 and I had managed a couple more goals to chalk up 4 for the day.

Back home, I was useless. I had clearly expended my allocation of energy for the day. The afternoon was spent in the Orangery with my book and the occasional nap! By 4pm I had snapped out of my lethargy and got dinner of lamb shanks under way.

Exploiting the Web

I was up by 7:00. I was rested and ready to go. It was pouring with rain and Jasper (having completed his early morning choir practice) had gone back to sleep. I luxuriated in the first coffee of the day and made my way through the online news feeds.

At 9:00 I had the morning call with the Empson cousins. Unfortunately, Tim wasn't on the call so the visual joke I had set up will have to wait until next week.

Much of the remainder of the morning was spent looking at options for Internet access during our cruise (and incorporating the time that we would be onshore), I think I now have a clear view of what we need to do and have set up reminders to instigate these offerings at the right time.

Early afternoon I got a call from the dry cleaners. My jackets were ready. 

I hopped in the car and set off. Just around the corner, a red and blue car pulled out. It was only as it passed that I registered that it seemed to be driven by Spiderman - in full uniform (including the mask).

Reviewing the image later, I realised that the number plate was SP02 DEY (which I guess is pretty close to Spidey).

I assume this was a children's entertainer and that we don't live near Peter Parker's retirement complex.

Zoe collected Ellie from Pete. today. Ellie had been with Pete for the last couple of weeks. Today, she was coming home. Mid-afternoon they dropped in to see us so that we could have a cuddle and a chat with Ellie, having not seen her for 2 weeks. She seems to have grown some more and was very serious as she discussed the choice of best friend to accompany us to lunch on Zoe's birthday this week.

It was lovely to see her.

Studying

We were up fairly quickly this morning. Diane had an appointment at the hospital and we had to allow for traffic.

There was no traffic.

We were there with 30 minutes to spare. Today's appointment was not directly connected to her recent surgery. At least, that's what we thought. It was a discussion regarding Lipoproteins (Little a) which had been flagged in a blood test. The doctor was a specialist. Boy, was she a specialist! We had a 30-minute discussion of microbiology, the effects of this reading, the implications, and so forth. We saw diagrams of cholesterol molecules and the LPa molecules and had a lecture on their purpose and the velcro-like tails that the carrier molecules can develop. It was riveting. It also gave us the cause of the problem that had recently been addressed by the surgery. (Apparently, the cardiologists and microbiologists don't really communicate with each other).

Returning home, with Diane signed off by the hospital, I then went and watched a Webinar on the subject which has been developed by Heart UK. 

The rest of the day has been taken up with household chores and a bit of reading, though we did get a chance to talk with the Sonning Crew only to find out that Trudy and Ian have only just recovered from a bout of Covid. It just goes to show that it is still about!

Respite

We had some respite from the recent wet weather. Having said that, it hasn't really been too bad down here on this little section of the South Coast. 

Being Thursday, we had the usual excitement that accompanies the weekly shop. I managed to drop off some jackets to be dry-cleaned then managed to navigate my way through Sainsbury's without destroying the zombies who had just arrived. There may have been a few soto voce murmurings of "Oh for heaven's sake, get out of the way, you knuckle-dragging cretins" (or phrases with a similar meaning).

Diane had one of her regular blood tests today. She took herself along, no longer requiring my security escort.

I spent the early afternoon looking at the Internet packages available for our planned cruise. It was only when I saw the price I realised that I was buying not just Internet access, but probably the whole maritime satellite network as well. This is all very fine but I really have nowhere to store it when we get home. I will have to sleep on this. Methinks that P&O are taking the mickey.

Had a brief video call with Ellie. She will be home on Saturday, and it will be lovely to see her again. I confess that I have missed her cheery little presence.

Yellow Weather Warning

We have been subject to a yellow weather warning for most of the day with a forecast of very high winds and torrential rain. This was enough for us to relocate our football to the indoor arena at Ford. Having said that, there was bright sunshine when I arrived and no signs of the expected rain and wind. Getting there early allowed me time to stand and chat with Rick who now owns the place. They have made a few changes since I was last there regularly - and the changes seem to have opened it up and brightened it.

The game was a typical 5-a-side until one player had to leave in the second half. Unlike Sunday we played 3-touch football. It was a good and relatively close game. I managed to score one of our goals in a 7-5 defeat. I certainly have a way to go in terms of getting back to my usual fitness levels.

The rain started as I pulled up onto the driveway. It didn't really come to much and neither did the wind. We spent some time with our books and then Diane went to measure up some trousers that needed adjusting. I took the opportunity to dig out my dinner suit and check whether I could still get into it. Despite the fact that I bought the suit for a gala dinner that Diane and I attended during an Award Trip to Bermuda in 1994, I was amazed to find that it still fitted well.

Checkup

I did not sleep well, but fortunately, Diane did. She was off to her Cardiac rehab session, first thing. She is obviously doing well because they suggested she became a volunteer as she was doing so well. I suspect she will complete the course before she commits to anything like that.

After a spot of lunch, we headed for St Richard's. Diane had her post-op face-to-face with our local Cardiac Consultant. We arrived a bit earlier than necessary but Diane was swept into a side room for an ECG before the review. There was no hanging about. We had a lovely 20 minutes with the doctor and he was immensely pleased with the progress that has been made since the operation. He discussed various aspects of the medication and the performance and longevity of the carbon fibre valve. It all seems very positive and other than arranging for a base-level echocardiogram, that's all.

Quiet afternoon with the books though Kim called for a chat with Mum just as I started preparing dinner.

Therapy

It was another wet start to the day but the rain soon petered out to an occasional fine drizzle. We had plans. Diane wanted to look for some items of clothing and I needed some new socks (the last of my pre-retirement socks had worn through this week). We headed for Chichester and some retail therapy. The roads, the car park, and the town were empty. It was a real pleasure to wander about (despite the occasional drizzle).

The first target was M&S for Diane. Despite searching around, we could not find what she wanted. Then we tried White & Co. Again, no joy. Finally, we tried Crew Clothing and this too drew a blank. The Internet may be the best alternative. As we retraced our steps, we looked into Clinkard's (the shoe shop) as I wanted to see if they have some smart slip-on trainers to replace mine which are wearing through. No luck - but Diane was able to pick up a couple fabulous pairs of shoes that will be ideal for the planned cruise.

We dropped into "ASK Italian" for lunch. Like last time, it was almost empty when we arrived, but by the time we left, they were warning people about delays in serving their meals. We had timed it just right.

Back home we had a quiet afternoon with our books.

Grand Opening

Rain was not forecast until late afternoon. Clearly, the meteorological office has not informed the clouds that swept across the south coast. It was grey, it was damp, and fine misty rain billowed across the area. It is a timely reminder of how our countrymen live from day to day beyond the M4 corridor.

I had agreed to play my first Sunday game of football for several months. Boy can I tell that I am out of practice. My left foot needs to be retrained to hit the ball with force and my muscles need to stop screaming at me. It was a very lop-sided game (I was not involved in picking the teams) and my team lost 18-8! In our defence, two of our 5 players were fresh back from long lay-offs. At least I scored a hat trick.

On the way home I noticed the recent roadworks were complete and a sign has been erected pointing to the newly built crematorium. I don't think it has been commissioned yet, nor formerly opened. I don't suppose a grand opening day BBQ would go down well? 

It has been a quiet afternoon with my book while Diane has been in her sewing room.

Funny Old Day

It was drying up after a wet night when I came down. Once the weather saw me it decided to show off again and there was a huge downpour. I ignored it, so it sulked and went off to the east and the sun came out.

I had my usual call with the cousins this morning. The banter was fun particularly when we got onto the subject of company disciplinary action. Helen was quick to relate the story of one employee at Dixon's whose house had been searched and an un-receipted cover for a Psion Organiser was found. He was dismissed. Tim the Red was quick to chime in with the fact that he had obviously not been a member of a union. To which Helen responded that he was actually the Union Rep.

The rest of the morning was spent with domestic chores and researching flight data recorders. Using ChatGPT and Bard I was able to get a concise answer to the questions raised by Darren's client. I sent the answers across and, hopefully, will hear no more.

Early afternoon was book time, as usual. During this, Amazon dumped my latest delivery on the front path. They didn't knock. They didn't ring the doorbell. The only reason I knew it had been delivered was the arrival of an email to tell me. Not really good enough, and an invitation to porch pirates.

Wet Start

There was a wet start to the day but it soon dried up and was pleasantly warm (if not sunny) for most of the day. Diane had an appointment at the hairdresser but was now mobile again so I stayed put and got on with some chores. (Japser seemed to have left a complete backup of himself scattered across the upstairs landing and our bedroom - I'll be glad when he stops moulting - but I'd never criticise a backup!)

We have heard from a DNA match. This person is, ostensibly, a 2nd or 3rd cousin to Diane. I wrote to her to try and find the connection. As a 2nd/3rd cousin, the link must be through great or great-great-grandparents. I sent her a list of all the individuals. She wrote back to say that she doesn't recognise any of their names, so I assume she hasn't done any research worth noting.

I had a random query from Darren this afternoon. A client of his has had an idea regarding black box flight recorders. Could I advise, or would I like to get involved? Given that I left the aerospace industry in 1984, I would humbly suggest that my input is unlikely to be current! Even when I was involved, I never got into the technology for flight recorders.

Spent some of the afternoon reading. Another book bites the dust.

Ooof

 It was grey and wet when I got up. The misty rain dried up by mid-morning and the rest of the day has just been grey. It has been pleasantly warm, however.

After the usual Ocado delivery, we headed off to Sainsbury's. There was a frisson of excitement as I picked up a bag of potatoes and the chap next to me collapsed like a sack of potatoes. A first-aider was called, but the chap was up on his feet by the time he arrived. He claimed he was fine (but his head hit the floor with some force). He wasn't sure what had happened but thought he might have fainted. I checked the floor - there were no obstacles and there was nothing to have caused him to slip. He was very quick to tell his Apple Watch alert that he had not fallen. I suspect that this was not the first time and he was ignoring the evidence. I left him with the first-aider.

Once home, I set about the accounts and Diane made various appointments. After lunch, the weather was not conducive to a walk, so we spent the afternoon with our books.

Going Solo

It was a nice start to the day. The forecast from earlier in the week had suggested rain, but last night it had changed and we had plenty of bright sunshine.  I had football scheduled and Diane had decided to go solo.

I headed off to Worthing in the Fiesta and we enjoyed a very lop-sided 5-a-side game on the big pitch. Jack, in his infinite wisdom, picked teams that made the Alamo look like. balanced battle. Surprisingly we went ahead by one goal before the onslaught began. From then on we got as much exercise picking the ball out of the back of the net as we did playing the game.

Meanwhile, Diane was going solo. She took the car out (the first time she had driven in months) and parked in Felpham before going for a 2.2-mile walk along the promenade towards Middleton and Elmer. It's good that she has regained her confidence and can fly solo when she wants, now.

It's been a quiet afternoon with our books. Zoe phoned for a quick (?) update and threatened to call us back later.

I've also been fielding some mail for Kim's Jon who is expecting an appointment for some investigations at the hospital. As they would say in North Korea, they need to check if Kim's Jon Ill.

Cardiac Rehab

Diane's cardiac rehab sessions started for real this morning. We had to turn up at the local Community Centre where they checked Diane in. Then after a while, the session began with 15 minutes of gentle warm-up exercises. These were set to music but I noticed that only the 3 women managed to do the exercises in time with the music. Some of the movements reminded me of videos you see of Discos in the '70s and I kept checking that there were no handbags around which they were dancing. 

Eventually, they split into their pre-allocated groups and started on their individual exercises. It was good to see that for most of the session, Diane had one-to-one attention.

In all, there must have been 15-20 people going through the programme. Each was following a different set of pre-defined exercises and each had a watch to monitor their heart rate. On their badges was a range within which they should keep their pulse. The individual attention was very impressive.

Altogether we were out for about 90 minutes and Diane could tell she had done the work-out.

The rest of the day has been fairly quiet though Zoe did pop in to have a look at my old 27-inch iMac. She had been thinking of getting a refurbished model by now she has seen quite how big they are she has realised that the 21-inch would make better sense.

Mixed Weather

It had rained quite heavily in the early hours but had stopped by the time I got up. It was warm and the patio was drying quickly. The forecast however suggested that we would have rain on and off throughout the day. The forecast was right!

The morning was taken up with domestic and administrative chores. It would have been nice to go for a walk, but the weather really didn't encourage adventure. We stayed put and read our books

That's about it really. Diane has her cardiac rehab in the morning. 

Nada

After yesterday's rain, today we have sunshine. It has been a glorious day.

I started the day with a lie-in. It was 07:45 before I became conscious. I leapt out of bed, scrabbled for my glasses then charged down the stairs with all the elegance of an arthritic walrus doing the jive on Strictly Come Dancing. Mountain goats were queueing at the door to laugh at me. I reminded them that curry goat was a Jamaican speciality and they trotted off.

I had a number of items to clear from my "to-do" list:

• Complete yesterday's blog - Done.
• Send all the Taylor photos to Sue as she clearly didn't have all the images I showed her last night. - Done.
• Log in and register for the new company pension portal - Failed - it doesn't accept my NI Number.
• Log in and reset the charge card for the DART river crossing - Failed - not necessary until 29th July.

By this point, I was sulking.

Diane was pottering in the garden. I made her a cup of tea and finished off the remains of last night's curry. I then settled down with my latest book until it was time to start on dinner.

In general - not much to report.

Visitors

The weather started brightly. The sun was out and it was quite warm. The forecast warned that it would not last and by early afternoon the rain had started and continued well into the night.

I had my usual call with the Empson cousins after breakfast. There seemed to be a little less banter today. It was more chat and seemed a little less "bouncy" than usual. It was nice to talk with them however and keep the link going to that side of the family. After the call, there was the usual checklist of domestic chores to sort out.

After lunch, we spent a few hours with our books until Trevor and Sue arrived. This was the first time we had seen them for several months and they were, of course, eager to see how Diane was progressing and to share all of the news from both families. It seems that they are discussing with Jean the possibility of her going into a care home near them in Brighton. Given that she is virtually blind and is living alone, it seems like a very sensible idea.

We ordered some Indian food (while I cooked some salmon for Diane) and continued to chat while munching through the feast that was delivered. Sue and I then got waylaid by some genealogical research and looking through some old photos (copies of which I need to send to Sue).

They left soon after 22:00 and headed out into the rain for the journey back to Brighton. We finished tidying up and headed for bed.

Pebbles

There was no need, but I got up early. Zoe had spent the evening in A&E again as her toe had flared up during the day. I was concerned that Ellie might need to be dropped off as Darren went to work so I got up, just in case. As it turned out, there was no need.

Diane had booked an appointment for Ellie to get her hair done. Zoe and Ellie came to us and I drove us all to Flepham. I sat and read in the car while the girls went to the hairdresser. 

When they were finished we walked down to the beach to have some coffee and ice cream at the Lobster Pot. It was busy, as usual, but there were a few tables available.

The weather was overcast but it was pleasantly warm. When Ellie had finished her ice cream she went exploring the top edge of the beach.

When my veins were suitably full of caffeine I went and joined Ellie and we walked down to the water's edge. The pebbles snuck into our shoes and this photo shows Ellie on one of the breakwaters trying to get the pebbles out of her sandals.

We stayed at the water's edge for a while. She was intent on throwing all of the pebbles into the sea. After a while I decided she was not making sufficient progress so we climbed back up to the top and rejoined Diane and Zoe.

We were soon back, and Zoe and Ellie went home to get on with their chores.

My first chore was to get the Fiesta booked for an MOT and service. I decided to try a local independent garage this time. I don't feel that I'm getting value for money from the main dealer - given that I have only done about 300 miles since the last service.

After that, I contacted our Travel Insurer. I needed to let them know about Diane's recent procedure in the hospital. It took a while to go through all of the questions but in the end, we had full coverage for only a minor markup.

 

Last Day

No... I don't mean it's Armageddon. It's the last day of school for Ellie. Her last day in Year 1. Zoe dropped her off soon after 7:15 and Ellie was already washed, dressed, and ready for school. All we had to do was give her breakfast and make sure she cleaned her teeth. I walked her to school. It was bedlam. The kids were all hyperactive knowing it was the last day.

Back home, I grabbed the car keys and drove Diane to the Community Centre. She had her Cardiac assessment (delayed from last week). We were called in and Diane was subjected to a few medical tests before the interrogation from the physio terrorists started.  Once they had the base data, they started on some simple exercises to raise the heart rate. She coped with it all without any problems. We were there for about 40 minutes and left with appointments for face-to-face exercise sessions every week.

Being Thursday, shopping was on the agenda. We headed to Sainsbury's and filled the trolley for the next week. Once everything was packed away we enjoyed a coffee and read the digital news until it was time to head off for the latest blood tests. That was all over and done with after about 5 minutes and we were soon home, ready for lunch, and ready for a quiet afternoon with our books.

There was no school collection for us today. Zoe had come home to meet Ellie and take her for a picnic with her classmates.

Pre-season

Ellie slept well last night. It was 6:33 when she wandered into our room and asked if she could play on her tablet. She pottered off to get the tablet and then returned to her bedroom until she heard me in the bathroom. We went through the usual procedures: breakfast, drink, wash, teeth, uniform and school bag. At 8:30 we walked to school and left Ellie to enjoy her penultimate day in Year 1.

Back home, I quickly changed and headed to Worthing. This would be my first football game for several months. I met up with the lads and explained my long absence to those that asked. We then split into two teams of 6 and started. I was clearly rusty. Passes were going astray and my left foot seemed to have forgotten how to kick. We were soon 2-0 up and I had threatened with a couple of very wide shots. By halftime, we were 3-0 up. Jack juggled the teams. We kicked off and after a few minutes, I got involved in a neat interplay just inside the attacking half. I cracked the ball with the inside of my boot and it rocketed straight into the top corner of the net. It was nice to be back! The final score was 4-1 for us.

Early afternoon we had our usual reading hour before going to collect Ellie. On the way home, we stopped off at the park for a short while. Then headed back for ice cream while waiting for Zoe to arrive and collect Ellie.

Supper is finished and we are now planning to settle down for a quiet evening.

Strolling along

It has been another lovely day. Darren dropped Ellie off soon after 07:00 and she proceeded to explain how to make a slider until breakfast was ready. After breakfast and her morning ablutions, we had a game of "Snakes and Ladders" until it was time to leave for school.

Once we had finished our coffee and tidied up a bit we headed out for a walk. Again we headed for West Park and walked from there towards the town.

Despite the evidence from the photo, the seafront was quite a bit busier today and there were families on the beach and children playing in the sea. We walked as far as the bandstand where were sat on a bench for 5 minutes to watch the world go by.

We headed back to the car. We had pushed Diane's pace up a bit and also the distance. She had managed without any trouble. We will continue to stretch the distance, bit by bit.

The afternoon was dedicated to our books until it was time for Diane to meet up with Zoe and collect Ellie. Though Ellie went home with Zoe for dinner and a bath, Zoe has just brought her back so that she can sleep here overnight.

Ambling

Ellie was dropped off soon after 07:00. She was full of beans and eager to tell me about her weekend. While she related all the comings and goings, I prepared her breakfast. Diane joined us and when breakfast was done, she took Ellie up for her morning ablutions. Once Ellie was dropped off at school, I returned for breakfast and to get on with some domestic chores.

Late morning we made the most of the bright, sunny weather and went for another walk along the deserted seafront. We parked at West Park, as usual, and set off towards the pier. 

We pushed a little further this week and then stopped to have a breather on a bench looking out across the beach. After a short break, we turned and headed back. This was harder going for Diane as there was a stiff wind blowing right in our faces. At least it was a pleasantly warm wind and whilst it increased the effort required, it didn't really slow us down at all.

We got a call from Zoe. She would be delayed at work. Could we step in and collect Ellie? So it was that we wandered off, just after 15:00, to collect Ellie and take her to the park on the way home from school. It was nice to see Diane well enough to come with us and walk back with Ellie.

We found a note from the Headmistress in Ellie's bag. Ellie's workbooks had been selected as examples of the progress made over the year and would be returned at the start of the new school year in September. That sounded very positive as only 3 children were selected for this.

Basic Checks

I have been contacted, through Ancestry,  by someone from Australia who appears to be Diane's 4th cousin.   She was pleased to make contact and happy to tell me that she had driven the family tree back several further generations. I haven't had a chance to check in detail, but I have glanced at her tree. Sure enough, she records several generations earlier than my tree. I decided to check her sources. This did not fill me with hope. The first person I chose was (according to my research) born around 1668. It was interesting, therefore, to find that she cited a baptismal certificate in a totally different part of the country dated 1835. Now, Diane's family are sturdy stock, but I doubt they leave it 167 years before getting baptised.

Gosh

Golly gosh it has been another quiet one. Whilst it has been warm and sunny, there has been a strong wind and that has kept Diane from going out for a walk.

Ellie had a sleepover last night. Her friend Sophia was staying. This morning, as they decided to hit the park, they knocked on the door to say "hello" as they passed. Apparently, they had been very good overnight and had even tidied Ellie's room before the outing to the park.

I returned to the small pile of ironing when they had moved on. Once that was cleared I returned to the Kindle and finished another book. The next book has been downloaded and is on the stocks ready to read.

Reports

Whilst it has been dry and quite sunny today, there has been a vicious wind. It was certainly too much to suggest a walk for Diane. As a result, we have stayed in throughout the day. Diane has been sewing in her study and I have been reading and pottering.

The biggest thing to report was that Ellie received her year-end report. She had done brilliantly, with a consistent "1" (the highest score) for Effort and had met all of her expectations. 

Her teacher reported: 

"Ellie is a delightful, hardworking member of the class who comes to school full of enthusiasm for learning. She has a positive attitude towards all aspects of her school work and sets an excellent example to others. She is confident, very motivated to learn and she demonstrates a high level of independence in class"

Her behaviour is consistently of a very high standard and she is an excellent role model for others. Ellie relates well to adults and is polite and well-mannered. She loves to talk about her family and regularly tells us about the things she has done at home with Mum, Dad and her grandparents.

Her head teacher went on to say:

Well done Ellie; this is an excellent report and it truly reflects the great year you have had in Year 1. You are a very bubbly and friendly young lady who obviously loves school and learning new things. Your positive attitude has enabled you to learn more and demonstrate the school values well. Keep working hard and I look forward to seeing what you can achieve next year 

It goes without saying that we are delighted with this, and long may this continue. 

Books

Ellie was dropped off at the usual time. She was in a very chirpy mood and was eager to get going and get to school. The morning had started grey. Rain was coming and going but we picked a dry 20 minutes to get to school.

Diane had ordered something from M&S and we received notification that it had arrived. As the only few moments of excitement for the day, I went to the local store to collect her packages. The rain has come and gone throughout the day and it was not conducive to a walk. We stayed in and made the most of our books. I managed to finish my 40th book of the year and start on the 41st.

We had to collect Ellie, mid-afternoon. She wasn't with us for long. Darren came to collect her at 16:00. Zoe had a later finish than originally planned as she had a meeting with a Board Member this afternoon.

Afternoon Tea

I was not needed for the school run this morning. This should have meant there was an opportunity for a lie-in. That's not how things work. I was wide awake anyway, so it made sense to get up and get some caffeine flowing through my veins.

The morning saw Ocado come and go and a brief trip to Sainsbury's. Cupboards and fridges are now appropriately stocked for another week.

This afternoon we had invited Chris and Maureen around for a cup of tea and some scones. The weather had brightened up though the wind was still quite strong. We set out the cushions around the garden table and sat out for a couple of hours or so, chatting. Along with the usual subjects of health, holidays, and family, we were surprised to hear that they have become interested in football now that their son Daniel is working for Brentford FC (running their IT). We told them about our trip to see Bognor play Portsmouth and they commented that they would have come if they had known.

It was a lovely couple of hours.

Forecast

Ellie was dropped off soon after 7:00 and had breakfast with us before getting ready for school. The forecast had threatened rain but it was bright and sunny when we walked round to school. It stayed bright and sunny throughout the rest of the day, though the wind did pick up during the afternoon.

The morning saw domestic chores (laundry, ironing, etc) and the accounts ticked off the list for today. After lunch, we had some reading time before Diane went to collect Ellie along with Zoe.

More Rocks

 I mentioned, yesterday, that the local football team is called “The Rocks”. This is because of a reef that lies just off the coast and is known as Bognor Rocks.

Google’s BARD tells us:

The Bognor Rocks are a series of low-lying reefs that extend off the coast of Bognor Regis in West Sussex, England. They are made up of calcareous sandstone from the London Clay and are rich in fossils. The reefs range from 0.25 to 2 meters in height, and many of them are undercut, forming crevices, gullies, overhangs, and small caves. These offer refuge for many marine animals, including lobsters, crabs, and several fish species. The horizontal faces of the reefs are dominated by algae, and beneath this is a sparse sessile fauna.

The Bognor Rocks are a popular spot for snorkeling and scuba diving, and they are also home to a variety of birdlife. The reefs are managed by the Bognor Regis Conservation Group, which works to protect the area's natural heritage.

Here are some other interesting facts about the Bognor Rocks:

• The reefs were formed around 50 million years ago.
• The name "Bognor Rocks" is thought to have originated in the 17th century.
• The reefs are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Rocks

The nickname for Bognor Town FC is "The Rocks". Tonight they were playing Portsmouth in a pre-season friendly. Bognor play in the Isthmian League (at the 7th level of the English footballing pyramid) and Portsmouth are in League 1 (the 3rd level of the pyramid). This seemed like a bit of a mismatch, but it was an evening out and a chance to see some football.

We left early but found the area around the ground was already very congested. In the end, we had to park about 500m from the ground and walk back. I had booked seats but the seating block was already looking quite full. We were lucky however and found 2 seats in the front row, right by the halfway line. A prime spot.

The game was very quick and the first half was "blood and thunder" football. Despite a few chances on either side, it ended 0-0. 

In the second half, there was a wholesale change of personnel. Portsmouth looked much more composed and threatening. Bognor's defence was up to the challenge. In the end, Portsmouth scored a penalty (having had an earlier penalty saved). The Bognor team was not going down without a fight and managed to get an equaliser three minutes from time.

It had been an enjoyable evening's entertainment and was something we will probably do again. We made our way back to the car and nipped off down the back roads. We were home in about 10 minutes and settled down for a cup of tea and to watch the news.

Plans change

 Ellie was dropped off as usual, however, it was Darren doing the drop-off despite Zoe sending a message last night to say it would be her. Oh well, plans change. We got her ready for school and expected a wet walk, based on the weather forecast. It was as dry as a bone. Oh well, plans change.

The excitement for the morning was Diane's cardiac assessment at the local Community Centre. As we got our bits together, ready to walk the 600m to the Centre, the phone rang. The cardiac team were in the middle of an incident. The assessment would have to be rescheduled. Oh well, plans change!

We drove up to the garden centre where Diane wanted to pick up some campanula. It was a quick but successful trip. On the way back we decided to head straight to West Park and go for another walk.

Again, the weather was kind to us and we seemed to walk under a blu patch of sky surrounded by clouds. It was lovely and warm, and like yesterday, it was almost deserted.

We went a bit farther than yesterday. We reached the pier and strolled out as far as we could. (They are laying a new deck at the seaward end of the pier so that was blocked off).

We returned the way we had come. All in all, this was just a fraction under 3km. Again, this was a new "best" for Diane's recuperation.

Back home we were greeted by Pauline's son Carl, who was cleaning our widows, gutters and soffits. Just as he finished we had a short sharp shower.

The early afternoon was spent with our books until we had to collect Ellie.

Promenade

Ellie has a cold and had to miss a day of school today. Zoe was able to work from home so we did not have to step in and help.

After breakfast, Diane did some laundry while I steam-cleaned the floors. I then made the most of a quiet Monday and wandered into the Village to get a haircut. The four barbers on duty were sitting chatting when I arrived so I was escorted straight to the chair and processed immediately. While strolling back home I thought about Diane's walk for today. It was warm, it was dry, the sun was shining, why not go to the promenade above the beach? It seemed like a good idea.

After a light lunch, we set off in the car and parked at West Fields. Then we set off through the Marine Gardens and along the promenade towards the pier.

The Marine Gardens have clearly been victims of No-Mow May as there were large tracts of wildflowers poking through the uncut grass. It was tranquil, very sheltered, and secluded and we enjoyed zigging and zagging along the paths as we headed to the far end.

We crossed the road and joined the promenade. As you can see from the photo, it was absolutely heaving with almost nobody. We seemed to have it to ourselves.

We made our way towards the pier, stopping a few hundred metres short. This was the longest walk Diane had attempted, so after her first kilometre we sat on a bench and watched the world go by until we started on the return journey. Tomorrow she starts on her Cardiac Rehab (assessment) so it was good to get her warmed up.

Dash Cam

 It was a leisurely and late start to the day. When I got up, it was raining and despite Jasper's protestations, there was nothing I could do to stop it. Even though I was unable to intervene the weather cleared up of its own accord and Jasper nipped out into the garden.

The morning saw me work through a pile of ironing. (Not a big pile, I would add). Then, I took my car, the Fiesta, out of the garage for the first time in ages.  I took it out for a run. This was, quite possibly, the first time since April (or before) that I had driven it beyond our driveway. It was nice to give it a blast along the local highways and byways up around Fontwell and Chichester before heading home. 

Once home, this got me thinking about my DashCam. Well, strictly speaking, the DashCam in the Karoq - which is Ian's. (A temporary replacement for ours which had caused problems last year).  It was time I returned it and reverted to my own. Well, that seemed like a good idea. In practice, my own "fixed" DashCam wouldn't seem to fire up, even when I took the Karoq out for a drive. I decided that a replacement was the only sensible solution so, dropped into Halfords and bought a replacement. A couple of hours later, the battery charged, and firmware updated, the new DashCam was installed in the Karoq.  Success.

No chances

The day started without incident or alarm. I awoke naturally and pottered downstairs for a coffee. Soon after, Diane wandered into the kitchen for her tea and I went up for a shower. At 09:00. I had a call with the cousins. Suzannah was pleased to introduce us to her brand-new house, and Chris talked about his medieval reenactment in Germany last week,. These were the main topics for the day but this was couched in a bubble-wrap of banter and good humour.

We had an amber weather warning threatening thunderstorms. As the morning progressed it got darker and darker. In the end, I shut down this iMac (Condor) just in case there was a huge electrical storm. I was taking no chances for an electrical surge (despite having surge protectors on the power supply). The storm came, dumped huge amounts of water, made a lot of noise, and within 40 minutes had left. 

We settled down with our books for an hour or two, but with the threat of a further downpour, made the most of the radar picture which implied we had an hour or so before the next rainfall. I took Diane out for a walk around the lake, then up Berry Lane and back past the side entrance to Ellie's school. It was a good walk for her.

Early start

We were awake early. Ellie came in to ask the time at 6:00. I told her that she had 30 minutes to go and she pottered back to her room. She was back on the dot at 6:30 and asked to use her iPad. That kept her quiet for a further 30 minutes. By then the floodgates of the morning had burst free and we all got going.

After Elie was dropped at school and I had eaten breakfast, I spent the morning researching while Diane chatted to Jane on the phone. In parallel, laundry was hung out to dry, and ironing was completed. Not a busy morning, but a fruitful one.

After lunch, we had the customary hour or so with our books before collecting Ellie from school. There was a frantic 5 minute spell in the park but we then headed home. We couldn't hang around because she would need dinner before Pete came to collect her.

A blanket of calm has now descended upon the house. I keep checking my ears to assure myself that I have not gone deaf.

As I was preparing dinner, I spotted an announcement regarding Bognor Regis Town F.C. They have a game against Portsmouth F.C. next Tuesday evening. That sounded interesting so I chatted with Diane, tapped a few buttons, and now we both have tickets for the game.

Nothing special

 Ellie was dropped off by Zoe soon after 7:00. Zoe is off on a two-day course near Brighton so Ellie will be staying with us tonight, though Darren will be collecting her from school and giving her dinner.

We had the usual shopping interludes today. Ocado delivered and then we hit Sainsbury's. The rest of the glorious day was spent with our books and taking Diane out for a walk.

Just Pottering

Ellie was dropped off soon after 7. After breakfast and her morning ablutions, she came down raring to get her homework done. She based her draft on "Pussy cat, pussy cat where have you been" and duly wrote out the poem before trying to draw some pictures to illustrate the poem and how she felt. Very intense for this time of the morning.

Once Ellie was delivered to school we had a relatively calm day. We popped around to a local shop and spent much of the day reading. Diane wandered off to meet with Zoe and collect Ellie from school but soon came back saying she was a little breathless. A quiet seat in the Orangery with a book seemed to sort things out.

Almost Forgot

It's hard to believe, but I almost forgot that today is the 9th Anniversary of my retirement from IBM. I still have frequent "work dreams" where I am preparing for, or presenting to some client or other. I suppose it's a form of PTSD!