Claudia

We had a lot of rain during the night. It didn't disturb us, and we didn't have to get up early for Ellie. I wandered downstairs just before seven and grabbed my first coffee. As time ticked onwards, I prepared to go and walk Ellie to school.  We were on the edge of Storm Claudia, and it had started to rain again. I donned my waterproofs and set off. All of the classroom doors had been opened early, so the parents and children didn't have to wait in the rain. Once Ellie was inside, I left Zoe to walk home, and I set off on my usual walk.

Considering the dire forecast, the rain wasn't as heavy as I had expected, and though it was very wet, it wasn't windy, and I was able to listen to my book in relative peace. There were very few dog walkers out this morning. I completed my usual route before heading home for breakfast.

Back home, with a bowl of steaming porridge inside me, I finished wrapping the old iPhones to return them to Apple for their trade-in. (Apple provide some special padded boxes for this.) We then headed to Sainsbury's for our weekly shop. This was fairly painless, and we were home in an hour. Once we had unpacked, Di went to the vets to collect Japer's medication. I put my waterproofs back on and headed out for another walk that would encompass the village and allow me to post the old iPhones. The rain had virtually stopped, so the walk was no hardship.

Most of the early afternoon remained dry, but it did start to rain again just as Di arrived home after collecting Ellie from school with Zoe.

Considering the dire warnings regarding Storm Claudia, we have got off very lightly. 

Transcription

I was up early. Not because I had to be, but because I was wide awake. I grabbed a coffee and read through the overnight news before going back to perform my morning ablutions and get dressed. I walked to Zoe's to join the march to school. It was a very pleasant morning. It was dry and quite mild. Ellie was in a good mood, and we bounced our way to the classroom.

I set off for my morning walk. The new book was playing in my ears and I had a spring in my step, which knocked about 30 seconds off my pace per kilometre. Soon after I got home, Di went off to the hairdresser's, and soon after that, Lottie arrived to do some cleaning for us. I sat in the kitchen with my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook and sorted out the screen layouts and more bits of admin. Tomorrow, I need to package up the old iPhones and return them to Apple for a trade-in price and recycling.

Early afternoon saw us settling in the cosy warmth of the Orangery for some Kindle time. We had to make our way to the school for a 15:30 meeting with Ellie's teacher. She was telling us about the Maths (times tables) test that the students would have to complete next summer and how they are being prepared for it, and how we can help. I used my iPhone to record this and transcribe the whole kit and caboodle so that Zoe can hear (or read) it later. I must say this is a very impressive feature of "Notes" on the latest iPhones and their operating systems.

We had no sooner arrived home with Ellie than Zoe turned up. She has a lot of "time owing", so she was able to finish an hour early and will be taking tomorrow off in lieu.

I spent half an hour reorganising the various apps and their icons on Di's iPhone. These had been totally random, and finding anything was a nightmare. I have now started to move them into subject areas so that it is easier to locate any particular app. I suspect this may take another couple of passes, but it is a good start.

Banking

We had an early start again this morning. Ellie was dropped off just after 6:30 and, after a quick cuddle, went straight upstairs to snuggle down with Nana for a while. It looked like a nice day, and when it was time to walk to school, I made do with a light jacket. This proved to be the right choice. After we left Ellie at the classroom, I headed off for my walk. It was warming up nicely, and anything heavier than my light jacket would have been too warm. I did finish my latest Audiobook on the walk, but already had the next lined up, so I moved seamlessly into the next storyline.

After breakfast, the morning was full of admin tasks. The first was to reactivate my various mobile banking apps. Whilst they had all been carried over to the new phone, they still had to be re-authenticated and activated. When I had finished with my banking apps, I helped Di get hers working. This enabled me to update my accounts spreadsheet for the first time in a few days.

I managed to get Apple CarPlay working for my phone yesterday. Di's phone was another story. I went out to the car with my box of cables and tried to get Di's phone working. At first, it wouldn't play ball. Then I remembered I had changed the cable I had used on my phone. Not all USB-C cables are equal. Some can be used solely for data, others can carry power, and some can carry data and power. I started to work through my cables, and "voila", I found one that worked perfectly. CarPlay is now working for both phones.

After some Kindle time, we went along to meet Ellie after her football practice. Just as we headed home, Zoe arrived, so Ellie could go straight home with her.

Deliveries

There was no need for an early start as Zoe had the day off. Having had my statutory coffees and reviving shower, I wandered around to join the walk to school. Ellie seemed bright and chirpy in stark contrast with her nuclear meltdown of last evening, when I had to go around to calm her down. I still have no clue what the trigger was (and neither does she), but a red mist came down and she couldn't escape.

Having left Ellie at school, I went for my usual walk. The forecast had suggested that with the wind, it would feel like 7°C - the forecast was wrong. Even with the wind, it was a comfortable 14 or 15 °C. I had dressed for the worst case, and so I was dripping with sweat by the time I arrived home.

Soon after I had finished breakfast, the nice man from DPD arrived with our new iPhones. They were the main focus for the rest of the day as I set them up and got the various apps working (there are still quite a few to complete, but the main apps are all working). I have also prepared our old iPhones to be sent back to Apple for a trade-in or recycling. I am just awaiting the correct packaging.

I have no doubt that there will be more to complete, but that can wait until tomorrow.

X-Ray (Part 2)

 I was up early. Ellie was dropped off at her usual time and, after a brief cuddle, went upstairs to snuggle down with Nana for 10 minutes. It had been a wet night and the rain was coming across in end-to-end showers. I offered to take Ellie to school and leave Nana behind in the dry, but she put on her walking boots and we all went off together. We had arranged for Chris and Maureen to come in for coffee during the morning, so I skipped my usual walk as it would have cut things a bit close.

I spent some time ordering new screen protectors and cases for our phones because I had accidentally ordered two new iPhones. These are due tomorrow. By the time I had sorted that out, Chris and Maureen were knocking at the door. We had a lovely couple of hours catching up on each other's news and hearing about their forthcoming cruise and the preparations they are making for the trip. We also heard about the trials, tribulations, and eventual jackpot from Mercedes regarding their new car.

We grabbed a quick lunch once they had left. Diane had her appointment for the X-ray on her knee. I drove her to the hospital and left her at the entrance while I tried to find somewhere to park. It became clear that parking was not going to happen. I left her at the hospital and asked her to call when she was ready to be picked up. I then went and sat in Sainsbury's car park until she called. I thought this was a clever idea as I was just up the road and could be back in a few minutes. As it happened, however, I may as well have gone straight home. Diane bumped into a neighbour at the hospital and she gave her a lift. (She did phone to tell me, and I got home just as they pulled up).

After collecting Ellie from school and taking her home, we pottered back to our house and sat down for a quiet hour with the Kindles before dinner.

Sorting Out

 Another very lazy start. I didn't emerge until 7:15 when I grabbed my first coffee and started on the overnight news. Di pttered down a while later and, clutching her first tea of the day, started on her news update.

Once I'd had breakfast, I headed out for a morning walk. The weather was bright and sunny, but there was a nip in the air. My book moved inexorably towards a climax, but even at the end of the walk, there was still 90 minutes to go. I was tempted to keep it going when I arrived home, but decided to save it for the next walk.

Di's Google space (15GB) had been warning that it was 82% full and she should buy some more space or rationalise the existing space. We decided to start with rationalisation. We went through the space and, after an hour or so, managed to cut the allocation down to 50%, and can probably reduce it further (but won't bother for now). We also took the opportunity to change the passwords on several accounts that had been flagged up as being in recent security breaches. (While Di was working through the space rationalisation, I sat nearby to render assistance if required, but read my Kindle.)

There is currently a 0% finance deal for iPhones. I may take this opportunity to replace one or both of our phones.

Hanging on the Telephone

 We had a lazy start to the day. It was after seven before I wandered downstairs to make the first hot beverages of the day (and take one back up to Di). I read the morning news before going back for a shower and then making breakfast.

I had the call with the Empson cousins. I seemed a little restrained today. It was as if we had all had an uneventful week. We did, however, touch on bird flu, recent volcanic activity in the Canaries, and various family matters. With the call over, I settled downstairs with Di's phone. She has been having problems with voice calls, where the person at the other end reports her voice breaking up. There was no obvious reason for this; after all, we have very similar phones, we use the same network, all of the phone settings are identical, and I don't have the problem. ChatGPT suggested various possible reasons and offered a series of tests to debug the issue. I went through the tests and could detect no change. In the end, I concluded that the most likely cause was the phone switching between WiFi and network calling, 5G and 4G networks, or it may have been the voice isolation playing up. I made various changes to try and get around these problems and now have to wait and find out if there is an appreciable difference. If not, I think we'll replace the phone.

Late morning, I grabbed my fleece, AirPods and phone and headed out for a walk. It was a beautifully sunny day and, though slightly cool, it was really pleasant for a walk.

The afternoon was spent in the Orangery with our Kindles, and in Di's case, her AirPods, so that she could listen to Radio 2 (Saturday afternoon is the only time we bother with R2).

X-Rays

We had an early start as Ellie was dropped off just after 6:30. She was in a much better frame of mind this morning and was raring to go. We followed all the standard morning protocols before walking her to school. Leaving her at the classroom door, I headed off for my usual walk. Rain was not forecast, so I was wearing a light fleece. By the time I was on your final circuit, it had started to drizzle, and I was quite damp by the time I arrived home.

While I sat down for breakfast, Di headed to the surgery for a physiotherapy appointment. The physio decided she wanted some X-rays, but warned it could be up to 4 weeks before an appointment came through. An hour after Di got home, the phone rang. It was the local hospital offering an appointment on Monday. You can't say fairer than that!

We had a quiet afternoon with our Kindles until I had to go and collect Ellie from school. She wasn't with us for long as Zoe collected her and they had to get her bag ready for her weekend with Pete.

AirPods

 I was up early for Ellie's drop-off. She was not in a chirpy frame of mind, refusing to get out of Zoe's car until I went out and carried her indoors. She stormed upstairs and shut herself in her bedroom. I ignored her. After a while, Di went in, and within a few minutes, she was laughing and back to her usual self. Goodness knows what triggered this little tantrum.

There was a lot of heavy rain, so I told Di to stay at home while I did the school run. I had my waterproofs on, and intended to take my usual walk once Ellie was in class. I plugged my AirPods in and started walking. I had my hood up, and within a few minutes, one of the AirPods had dropped out. I fished it out of my hood, plugged it back in and continued. A while later, the other AirPod dropped out. I went through the same process. In fact, I went through this several times. The final time, I couldn't find the AirPod. In the end, I had to take off my rain jacket (fortunately, the rain had stopped) and found the missing device snuggling in the bottom of an internal pocket. As I continued my walk, it dawned on me that everyone had put the general waste bins and their recycling bins out. Oops! I had forgotten the recycling bin. I cut the walk short and headed home.

Forgetfulness was the theme for the morning. Once we had finished the shopping list, we headed for Sainsbury's only to realise that we had forgotten to pick up our shopping bags. Fortunately, we saw Zoe as we arrived in the store, and she went and grabbed her bags from her car. When we arrived home, I went straight out for another walk so that I could collect Di's meds from the Chemist in the village. When I arrived home, I was delighted to find that Trudy and Ian had dropped in as they were in the area. We sat and had a nice chat over a cup of tea. It seems incredible that it's almost a year since they moved away. As they left, we agreed that it would be nice to get together again for a meal before Christmas.

We had a quiet afternoon, though Di went along with Zoe to collect Ellie from her after-school club.

Goals galore

  We had another lazy start, as Zoe had another day off.  I wandered around to their house in time for the school walk. Ellie was very bubbly and vivacious this morning. She had obviously slept well and was raring to go.

Leaving her in the classroom, I headed off for my walk. My latest book chatted away in my ears. This series takes place in 1941 in a small village near Ashford in Kent. It is basically a set of mysteries that the main characters have to solve. It evokes the feel of the 1940s and early '50s and has a wonderfully nostalgic feel.

By the time I returned home, Diane had already left for her Pilates session. I settled down for some breakfast and scanned through the social media before digging out the ironing board and working my way through the pile that was awaiting our attention.

Di arrived home soon after I had finished my lunch. She was on a mission. She needed to find details of something she had bought several years ago. I suggested she look for an email trail, but that proved to be a bust. Then I recommended looking at her bank statements for the time in question. This provided the answer inasmuch as it gave the account name of the supplier. I then used ChatGPT to link the name with the company itself.  Voilà! Problem solved.

Di went along with Zoe to collect Ellie after her girls' football session. Apparently, she came home caked in mud but had managed to score four goals before doing a stint in goal herself. Grandpa is so proud of her.

Listen with...

Zoe had today off, so there was no need for an early start. Once I was showered and dressed and had consumed sufficient coffee, I went to Zoe's to join the walk to school. Ellie seemed a bit sombre this morning, but perked up as soon as she was with her classmates. Leaving the school grounds, I set off on my morning walk. My book was holding my focus, and my walking speed was nearly a minute quicker per kilometre - it must have been the excitement of the book's climax.

Back home, I made my breakfast and read several articles that I had saved from this morning's "Telegraph". The articles were confirming my lived experience with the BBC and illustrating their groupthink bias. I think it has been evident for many years, but it is good when one of their own consultants blows the whistle.

I had to get my electric shaver in the post so that it could be fixed, and Di had several parcels that needed to be returned to their suppliers. I set out on another walk, dropping the parcels into the Post Office and then taking the opportunity to stop and get my hair cut. I took a circuitous route back, adding another 5km to my walks for the day. During this, I finished the book mentioned above and started the next book in the series. By the time I arrived home, I was hooked.

Diane's friend, Kathie, had come to visit, and they were going out to lunch to celebrate Kathie's birthday. I made myself scarce and switched the audiobook back on. In the end, I think I have listened to about 5 or 6 hours of the book and only have 90 minutes to go. It has been another good story.

Di and Kathie had lunch at "The Lamb" in Pagham and were very impressed. Both of them rate it as a "must return" venue... so no doubt Di and I will try it again soon.

Close Shave

It was back-to-school day for Ellie today. She was dropped off soon after 6:30, but was not in a good mood. There was no cuddle for Grandpa; just a grunt.  She went straight upstairs; I assumed this was to see Nana, but no! She put herself back to bed. We gave her an extra 20 minutes, and then she came down wanting scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast.

We walked her to school as usual, and while Di went home, I set out on my walk. The forecast had implied there may be a short spell of light rain. The forecast was wrong. It had led me into a false sense of security, and though I had a rain jacket, I didn't have my waterproof trousers. The rain waited until I was at the furthest point of my first circuit and then hammered down on me. I cut short the walk and went straight home.

Di popped out during the morning. She had some clothes to take to the charity shop and some shopping to do. I stayed put and did some work on the accounts before spending some time setting up Di's new internet radio. I must say that it seems very comprehensive and infinitely easier to configure than the one I bought last year (which kept cutting out and wouldn't hold a charge). I also had a wander through the Audible website to find the next few books in the series I have been listening to. I have grabbed three or four more books and downloaded the first of these so that I can start as soon as the current book finishes.

I have a very nice electric shaver and beard trimmer. It is rechargeable and displays 3 lights to indicate how much charge is available. I've noticed that once the first light switches off, the shaver will no longer switch on. There is clearly a fault. I did some searching and, in the end, decided to send it back for repair under warranty. A padded envelope is now waiting to be taken to the Post Office. Hopefully, it won't take too long to remedy.

The way the day worked out, we didn't get any Kindle time until after we had collected Ellie from school and taken her home.

G-Force

 Though we didn't have to get up early, we were expecting Ellie to be dropped off before 10:00. When she arrived, she was in a bit of a mood. She wanted to stay at home, not come to us. It was understandable because she's hardly been at home over the half term break. I agreed to take her home and sit with her for a couple of hours, and Di agreed to come and relieve me when she was ready. This worked well as Ellie spent most of the day at home.

I came back and spent the afternoon cooking. The first task was to get a batch of "Grandpa's Curry Sauce" prepared for Ellie's dinner. After that, I roasted some pork, cooked some rice, roasted some potatoes and carrots, and then prepared the vegetables. Di and Ellie arrived back in time for dinner and we put some to one side for Zoe for when she came to collect Ellie.

There's not much else to report. 

Quick off the mark

Zoe had an early shift, so my alarm was set for 6:30. I went downstairs, switched on the lights, and unlocked the front door. It immediately burst open, and in walked Ellie and her friend Natalie. They were so quick off the mark this morning that they had been sitting outside waiting for a couple of minutes. Reflecting on the epithet "there's no peace for the wicked", I greeted them and offered them both a drink before setting about the foul-smelling package that Jasper had left in his litter tray overnight. Litter tray cleared and air freshener liberally sprayed, I finally made my first coffee. I wouldn't allow the girls to go up and disturb Nana, but she pottered downstairs anyway.

Natalie had been having a sleepover with Ellie, hence her presence this morning. She stayed with us until her mum collected her at 9:30. It wasn't chaotic, but it was noisy. I didn't join the call with my cousins this week. Things were a bit too busy as the girls got themselves ready and Ellie gathered her bits for Saturday's swimming lesson.

We drove to the pool in LA. I settled in the café with a coffee while Diane helped Ellie get ready. We watched the lesson progress, and I was very impressed with Ellie's progress. She has a lovely, lazy style for both backstroke and front crawl. She was also very good at the "dolphin" exercise (used in butterfly), keeping her legs tightly together and rippling her body from her middle down to her feet. I think she could do very well if she wants to progress.

After lunch, Ellie wanted to do some painting, so with Nana's help, they painted some intricate shapes from a book of Mandalas. I, meanwhile, had cut some foam board to insert into the hinge side of one of Ellie's bedroom windows. Even though we have had a chap come in and try to adjust the window, there was still a draft. By inserting the foam board, the window is completely sealed and the draft eradicated.

Ellie got bored with the painting and asked if she could go for a walk with me (taking her scooter). Always happy to go for a walk, I grabbed my walking shoes and we set off. It came as no surprise that the first stop was the local park (which she had to herself). After that, we decided to walk around the estate and see who still had Halloween decorations up. We timed it well. No sooner had we got home than it started to rain.

Zoe came along mid-afternoon to collect Ellie. She will be back with us tomorrow (but not quite as early!).

Impressed

I was up early so that I could greet Ellie when she was dropped off at 6:35. It was so early that my first coffee hadn't finished brewing when she burst in the door. She was no trouble. After our traditional cuddle, she went up to see Nana, and they both trundled back down the stairs just after seven. I wanted to go out for a walk, but it wouldn't have been fair to abandon Nana with Ellie first thing.

As soon as the clock ticked around to nine, I started looking for potential solutions for Ellie's broken iPad. I made some calls and got some quotes. One, a place in Chichester, quoted a good price, a 2-hour turnaround, and they had the part in stock. I leapt in the car and joined the traffic jam heading for Chichester at that time of the morning. I dropped the iPad off, and they promised to call me when it was fixed. I went back home for a cup of tea.

An hour later, the phone rang. The iPad was ready for collection. I finished what I was doing and headed back to join the traffic jam again. When I arrived at the store, I checked that the iPad was working, then paid the repair cost and headed back into the rain and drove home. Ellie now has her iPad back and has hopefully learned an important lesson. I must say that I was very impressed with the service.

We had a quiet Kindle afternoon during which I finished another book and, of course, started another. The front door burst open. It was Ellie and her friend Natalie coming to show us their outfits for tonight's "Trick or Treat" session. They were so excited that I suspect they were already on a sugar high. I wonder how much sleep they'll get tonight once they have topped up their sugar stream!

They will be dropped off here at 6:30 tomorrow morning. I will be interested to see how alert they will be.

As I write this, the only Trick or Treaters we have had so far are Ellie and Natalie. They have just left. 

Repair Shop

There was a lovely start to the day. After a quick trawl through the news and a cup of coffee, I headed out for my morning walk and the next instalment of my audiobook. Though the temperature was only 8 °C, it felt a lot warmer by the time I arrived back home for breakfast. As I settled down with my porridge, Diane left for the surgery and her latest blood tests. She wasn't gone for long and was soon back for her breakfast.

We completed the weekly shopping list and then raided Sainsbury's. We had quite a lot to get, but we were done in about an hour.

The afternoon followed its usual pattern with Kindle time until it was time to start on dinner. Just as we were finishing our tortellini in cheese and bacon sauce, Ellie blew into the house like a tornado. She had clearly missed us while away at Pete's and was desperate to come and say hello and give us a cuddle. It was lovely to see her, even if she brought her broken iPad with her, hoping Grandpa could weave some magic. There is no magic that Grandpa can weave - the screen sensors are broken and the screen is displaying a random static pattern. I will have to look into repair options tomorrow.

Wet

There was rain overnight, and it lasted through most of the day. I was up just before seven and was reading the news and sipping on my coffee when I heard Di moving around, so I made her tea. She was heading off to Pilates in Angmering this morning. I had to hang around until I knew when my DHL delivery was due (not that Pilates was on my agenda).

The delivery tracker was activated as the driver left the depot. I am drop number 101, so I realised that I had plenty of time. I changed into my waterproofs and headed out for a walk. I became so engrossed in my audiobook that when I got home, I continued listening to it for another hour or so. While the book progressed, I started on my accounts spreadsheet for 2026. This always takes several days to reset for a new year, as each budgeted item has to be reviewed and adjusted for the coming year. It's also an opportunity to review expenditure and cull items that are no longer needed. It always feels good to start the new spreadsheet.

As the rain continued to pour down, Diane and I settled in the lounge with our Kindles. The only interruptions were the occasional yowling from Jasper and his demands to go out (which he didn't, because of the rain).

Diane had a nice long catch-up with Denise on the phone. We plan to meet up with her at the beginning of December. 

As I sign off... my parcel still has not arrived, but I am next on the list!

Vet

I had another lazy start to the day. After my coffee and a trawl through the news, I showered and went out for my morning walk. Then, back home and with breakfast inside me, I settled down at the computer to deal with an email from an old genealogy contact.  He was trying to make contact with another of my correspondents. I was worried that I had lost her address and expected a lot of searching. As it was, I went straight to it - task closed!

We had to take Jasper to the vet for a blood pressure check. He was, of course, hiding under Ellie's bed, but we soon retrieved him, bundled him into his carrier, and set off. The vet was very good and was happy with his health, suggesting we shouldn't need to return for at least three months.

Before lunch, I sat down and ordered another batch of the curry sauces I have been using. With the pouches I have left from the last order, and the new pouches, I should be stocked up well into the New Year.

After a spot of lunch, I used the carpet cleaner to address the areas where Jasper had thrown up overnight. At least this happened just as we went to bed. It could have been worse; he could have woken us in the middle of the night. The carpet cleaner did its job, and all is back to normal.

I may have mentioned it before, but recently, Google Maps, when used with CarPlay, has been displaying the map with a permanent North orientation. In the past, this would track with the direction of the car such that the car always appeared to be travelling up the map, and the map swung round accordingly. I finally found the setting that is causing this and managed to reset it. Now I need to see if the setting sticks, or whether I have to do it every time I use the maps.

We had our usual Kindle time this afternoon.

Pottering

There was no need to get up early, so I had a lie-in until nearly seven o'clock. I took Di a cup of tea and then settled down with the overnight news and a cup of coffee. The sun was making inroads into the morning gloom, and all seemed right with our little footprint on the world.

After breakfast and sufficient time for my coffee to percolate through my system, I went out for a walk.  It was quite cool, but lovely and bright. There was a strong breeze, but it didn't trouble this intrepid ambler. My AudioBook progressed past the preamble and started to expose the underlying story. It was a shame that I had to stop, but my route was complete for the day. Once home, I grabbed the car keys so that I could fill the fuel tank on the Skoda. I had let it get down to the point that it was warning me to fill up. This is not something I usually do, but I needed a good tankful to qualify for the extra Nectar points offered by my shopping voucher.

Once home, I updated the accounts, grabbed some lunch, and then settled down for some Kindle time. Di joined me, but she was sewing rather than reading.

First Desk

The clocks changed overnight and for once, Jasper remembered to reset his paw-watch. I was up bright and early, but he was very tardy. Though it was a bright and sparkly start to the day, there was no walk for me. We had to get breakfast and prepare for a day in bandit country.

We had a lovely drive up to Odiham, even if we did follow a horse box at about 35 mph all the way from Selborne to the bottom of Jan and John's road. It was lovely to see them again. It seems to have been a long time since we last got together. We sat down with a coffee and started our usual update on family, health, and general news. We also chatted about the river cruises we both had planned, for us, the Moselle, for Jand and John, the Douro. We also chatted about sea cruises. Jan has never had the opportunity, and John has only sailed with "Grey Funnel Lines" (the Royal Navy).

For lunch we drove across to Rotherwick where we had a table booked at "The Falcon". The last time we were at the Falcon was for Diane's 41st birthday party. It was interesting to see how it had changed. They have built an extension, redecorated extensively, and changed ownership several times. The new owners have only been open for a month, but judging by the throng that met us as we opened the door, it is already very popular. We all chose the Sunday Roast for lunch, and the dishes turned out to be very healthy portions. I must say that it was very good value for money - certainly a lot better than the restaurant we visited last time we came up to see them. We chatted with the owner and I showed him some photos from our last visit, 31 years ago. 

Returning to Jan and John's we sat down for some more chat and pie and custard. (When we visit each other we tend to eat the main course at a restaurant, but have dessert back home). We sat and chatted at the table for several hours watching as the daylight was replaced by the dark. That was the signal for us to get a bit together and say our goodbyes.

We had a good run back, even if the journey started in light rain. That soon dried up and it was a comfortable journey home.

We sat down for a quiet evening in front of the TV. As we watched the latest episode of “Slow Horses” on Apple TV, I couldn’t help but reflect on how many Senior Managers, VPs, Project Executives, MPs, and Civil Servants  that I have met (across industry and Government) who behave exactly like “First Desk” - blinded by their own self importance and totally unaware of their ignorance and inadequacy.(Rant over)