August 2022 - A Taste of Things To Come

Monday 1st August It’s Yorkshire Day, the county created especially for God to spend his leisure time in. Ellie, Phil and the family all gathered in Torquay for Granny’s funeral, it was a nice day for them, and I'm pleased that all went well. The other funeral taking place today was for Harry Gration whose service was held in York Minster. Members of the public lined the route and were invited into the minster along with family and friends. It was nice to get back to Art with Moira, Denise, Mark and for today the company of their lovely granddaughter Jess. The first grain shipment left the port of Odessa bound for Tripoli following a deal with Russia brokered by Turkey and the UN. York and North Yorkshire will get a Mayor as part of a multi-million devolution scheme. Elections for the new Mayor will take place in May 2024. Also appropriate for Yorkshire day is a bit of a giggle as 'Yorkshireman' dived into a giant cup of tea at the York Maze. Tuesday 2 August We were up and out early and on our way to Newmedica in Leeds for my Cataract operation. It’s not a scary procedure in the least, but the time drags waiting for the eye drops to work, and there are plenty of them. At last it was my turn, and I was just about to go into theatre when the fire alarm rang. It wasn’t a test, but after spending fifteen minutes outside the building we got the all-clear and were herded back in. I have to say that I was really impressed by the kindness and professionalism of all of the staff that I encountered. So that’s it, all done and dusted and no swimming for two weeks. Boo hoo, what shall I do. This time we got home without any traffic hold-ups or diversions. There was the most beautiful card from Ian and Maria when I arrived home, thanking me for looking after Gracie. It was a real pleasure and a lovely weekend. I sat in the summerhouse and did little else for the rest of the day but read my book and snooze. BP announced record profits this year!! Hanworth Park in Hounslow was ablaze destroying acres of parkland, that’s just how dry things are.

Wednesday 3 August It's strange not getting up to go swimming, but I got up early anyway and cycled over to the hospital for a blood test. It was a bonnie morning, the roads were quiet, and it was a nice way to get some exercise and fresh air. It’s the Thornton le Dale Show today. Julia says there is quite an increase in traffic through the village because of the A64 road closure at Rillington so it sounds as if it could be a bit chaotic. South East Water have declared a hose-pipe ban, the second after Southern Water imposed one on the Isle of Wight and I’m sure there will be a nationwide one before long. There has been a shark attack in British coastal waters, not a sentence you get to say every day. The German government has had a 3 billion euro Green Heating scheme approved by the EU. Phew, take that Putin. What was Nancy Pelosi thinking? I know she is outraged at the way China is treating the Taiwanese, I think it’s damnable too, but her actions have just exacerbated the situation. We went to have a look at doors with a view to having a new front door. If energy bills are going to rocket, we need to stop all the draughts where we can. I just managed to catch a glimpse of the Fox out foraging for food on the field; moles, mice, frogs and juicy beetles. Yum yum. Thursday 4 August I should be swimming boo hoo. My eye is settling down nicely, but now I can see all the cobwebs, dust and finger marks. I really need to do some cleaning. I enjoyed my cycle ride to the Post Office, despite the strong breeze and especially as I got blown home. It was nice to see Daphne and Malcolm at the bus stop. I can give one a croggy, but not two! There were two adult deer on the field and one bambino. I hope we haven’t lost a little one, they roam so far and wide crossing roads as they go. When did this country become so lawless? There are daily reports of murder, rape and aggression from all corners. The latest is an arson attack in the beautiful village of Thornton-le-Dale at Matthewson’s garage! I was amazed also to read that Boots the Chemist is having problems finding Pharmacists and are regularly closing some of the smaller shops, including ours in Heworth. I’m really puzzled by where all the workers have gone, there are so many vacancies right across the board. I finally got my ex TalkTalk equipment parcelled up and returned before I got a £50 fine. Another parkland fire, this time at Tilehurst, a 30 acre nature reserve in Reading.

Friday 5 August The sun is out again, but at least the air is fresh. I startled a deer when I opened the bedroom window wide, then watched as it shot down the field. That was not good. A shiver went down my spine when I read that the Energy Price Cap will be reviewed every quarter from September. How is anybody supposed to live and keep warm if we can’t afford the bills? The poorer people in society will be hit hardest as always, but the energy companies will still make enormous profits. Energy should never have been de-nationalised. Parts of Wales have had a hosepipe ban imposed. Anne and John’s much loved dog Rusty has died. He was an old boy but such a character and will be greatly missed. RIP Rusty. Australia is top of the Commonwealth Games medals table, with the UK in second place. The nice thing is that every nation has won at least one gold medal. Daphne does spoil me, she brought some buns, a box of chocolates and a card saying that I was missed at the pool. That’s special. There has been a fresh breeze for the last two days, and today the clouds could stand it no longer. It rained. A good, satisfying downpour, enough to drench everything, but not enough to do damage on the baked ground. The Edinburgh Fringe starts today.This is where a lot of the new wave comedians start out, the problem is not one of them is funny.

Saturday 6 August Four days since my eye surgery and everything is settling down nicely. I risked washing my hair in the shower this morning and it felt so good. I read that Rishi Sunak wants members of Child Grooming gangs to receive life sentences and their ethnicity called out. That would get my vote any day. I hate racism, but I also hate people who use it as a shield. Amazing, there has been severe flooding in Death Valley following record rainfall. Meanwhile there are reports of wildfires in Cornwall due to the intense dry weather and the Fagradalsfjall volcano near Helsinki has erupted. It’s a shame we can’t capture and store all of this heat and energy for winter when our bills will be out of control. We pottered through to Castleford and had a wander through the market before having lunch. I can’t help but notice that markets are slowly fading away, people just don’t shop in them like they used to. We arrived home to discover that we had missed Rod and Joyce who had called earlier and left us some lovely fresh veg from the allotment. We will go and see them during the week and see how Joyce is progressing. It was another afternoon for sitting in the summerhouse with a book. Sunday 7 August I wouldn’t like to be doing the York Run today, it is far too warm. I put the washing out then we jumped on bikes and had a good cycle ride. It always amazes me how the wind is against you one way, then when you turn around it is still against you? But it was a nice day for a ride. Traffic is much lighter locally because of the school holidays. What a mess the country is in. We are on drought alert, the coffers are empty, we have no leader, energy bills and food prices are rising alarmingly, groups of workers are announcing strikes on a weekly basis whilst the big corporations are announcing huge profits. It’s like we have been abandoned. Listen to Gordon Brown for once; he’s speaking the truth. The Women’s Hockey team won their first ever gold medal in the Commonwealth Games. Jo rang to ask about my cataract operation as she is scheduled to have it done. It’s good to be able to reassure somebody that it is not a scary procedure in the least.

Monday 8 August I cycled down to the Post Office before breakfast, it was such a lovely morning and a peaceful ride that I felt that I could just keep going. I am really benefitting from my knee exercises, which I notice more after a ride. They don’t feel tender and sore, just normal. June Spencer has retired from the Archers after 73 years in the role of Peggy Archer. She is 103, so it’s quite an achievement. I stopped listening to the radio when Brexit was being blasted out every five minutes, then Covid followed on, and I’m just slowly getting back into it. I’ve listened to the Archers since I was an infant, but the story lines in recent years are so ‘Eastenders’ that I stopped listening to that as well. Why does everyone have to shout and be angry all the time? We are constantly being criticized for being Racist, or not being Green, Woke, Vegan! Why are we not allowed to be happy and have some kindness and respect? It’s not as if it’s difficult to achieve. And here’s the latest bit of idiocy; parents complaining that the name Dick Turpin is too rude for their children to hear and must be changed. Oh grow up! Phil was interrupted in his work today when a Grass Snake joined him. The joys of living in the Peak District. The Commonwealth Games ended with a spectacular show that must have cost the nation millions. Is it all over? It is now. Tuesday 9 August I’ve just booked my first swim for next week, hooray! I enjoyed the cycle ride into town and managed to get round before it got too busy. The roadworks on Heworth Green are a pain. Olivia Newton John has died from cancer, she was only 73. She used her fame to head a Foundation that raised millions for Cancer Research. RIP Olivia. The Energy Price Cap changes on 1 October which means that meters must be read by 30 September at the latest for the lower rate to be charged up to the date of reading. Boris and Carrie’s Camberwell home is on the market for £1.6 million; these politicians don’t starve do they? Gill and John invited Ann, Anita and I out to Flaxton for tea. It was a beautiful evening and the view from their back garden is wonderful with the farmland and the Howardian Hills in the distance. They are going walking again soon so it was a good opportunity to see them, and John always spoils us with his yummy meals and great hospitality. Wednesday 10 August Happy birthday Judi, have a super day; you and I will have our own celebrations soon. I’m glad I called at the chemist on my way to the hairdresser as I discovered I only had half a prescription to collect. I thought we had got over that daft problem, but I called in at the surgery on the way home and Kim, the lovely receptionist sorted it out for me. I put my washing in the machine before I left, hung it out when I got home, went for a shower, brought the washing in, ironed it and put it away before lunch! I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. Please can we have Martin Lewis for our next Prime Minister, or Chancellor of the Exchequer? He is the only person who seems interested in the state of the country, its finances and the effects on the common man. Ministers are finally to discuss the devastating rise in energy bills after months of Martin warning them for months of what was coming. I fear it will be too late before anybody pulls their finger out. Genial Raymond Briggs has died. Amongst other writings, he gave us The Snowman and Fungus the Bogeyman. What a talent. RIP Raymond. We called to see Rod and Joyce and it was good to see Joyce looking so well after her hip operation. Keep doing the exercises Rod because you won’t be able to keep up with Joyce soon. I watered my Nematodes in when things had cooled down a bit. I hope they have a good munch on those horrible Vine Weevils Thursday 11 August Happy birthday Phil, dad and I hope you have a perfect day. Please don’t upset your neighbours at two in the morning by playing your concertina! Happy birthday also to Ben, all the very best. The latest sighting of the Loch Ness Monster turned out to be an escaped Alpaca having a swim. We had a ride up to Clifton Moor to look at new front doors from Minster and liked what we saw, taking a brochure away with us to help us make a decision at home. Yorkshire Water Authority have announced a hosepipe ban, which was inevitable really. It’s so dry that the Fire Brigade was called out to the North Yorkshire Railway, who have now suspended their rail service for fear of sparks starting a fire. We sat and read for a while, however the indolence didn’t suit so we had a bike ride but it was far too hot and there were very few people out and about. In the meantime Maria’s parent’s plane from Bogota landed at Heathrow. Wonderful. Great excitement all around as it is something she has wished for, for so long. Some of the channels on tv seemed to be hit by internet problems and kept dropping out. I spent ten magical minutes watching the full moon rise. What a wonderous sight. Friday 12 August Another scorcher and the country is now officially in a state of drought. The joy that Maria has that her parents are here is so contagious it is almost tangible. I cycled down by the beck which was down to a couple of muddy pools; I can’t recall it ever being so low. I stopped at the chemist to discover that the surgery still hasn’t sent my prescription through, so I rode on to the surgery again to sort it out. The parent practice has a Pharmacy dept keeping an eye on the control of drugs, and they had rejected my request but not informed me. Why would they do that? I don’t specify what I take and when, that’s been decided by the Consultant. I have no idea what happens if I don’t take the Methotrexate when I should, but what am I supposed to do if I haven’t got it? Maria and her parents are having a great time seeing the sights in London. We’ve ordered a new front door; that should cut down on the drafts and help with the heating bills this winter. I sat in the garden, in the shade catching a lovely cross breeze. More than one Buzzard glided across the sky; I wonder if it’s cooler up there? Firefighters all over Europe are tackling blazes and forest fires as the temperatures continue to rise. The pictures are both frightening and heartbreaking. Saturday 13 August My early cycle ride to the Chemist wasn’t wasted. My prescription had arrived, and they were able to make it up whilst I went to the Post Office. It was a good time for a ride as the air was still fresh. It just reminded me of Egypt early in the morning. The deer are back on the field, early and late, but it is too hot for them for most of the day, so they keep to the copse at the end. Salman Rushdie was attacked and stabbed in New York whilst at a Literary Festival. His injuries are severe leaving him with loss of speech, blind in one eye, paralysed in one arm and a damaged liver. What was that about free speech? There are more reports of wildfires in this country, with cereal crops and forestry being badly affected. Another day of rail strikes. The newly launched Big Breakfast was not a success, with viewers complaining that the presenters were far too loud. I saw the Red Arrows flying overhead whilst we were in Malton; they were en route to Whitby for the end of the Regatta. The drought continues to play havoc and farmers are working flat out to harvest the grain before the weather breaks. A combine harvester caught fire and burnt out in a field at Bulmer. I hope it was insured, what a catastrophe. A brave householder in Acomb managed to put out a field fire next to his house with a garden hose. The moon is so bright and clear at the moment, I love to see it riding high across the sky. It was definitely smiling.

Sunday 14 August Ian, Maria, Humberto and Cecilia are on their way up to York, at last. Amazon staff are in revolt, and I don’t blame them. They work in horrible conditions for peanuts whilst the firm just posted profits of £100 billion. That’s capitalism with a capital C or greed with a capital G. I did some washing and gave the house a good clean, then we got ready to meet Maria’s parents for lunch. It is very hot again and there are farm fires breaking out up and down the country. Jerry Sadowitz had his show pulled at the Edinburgh Festival amid a stream of complaints and walk outs. It’s amazing what passes for a comedian nowadays, but I’m pleased to know that the festival organisers have some standards. We met up at the Old White Swan in Goodramgate and think there were a few nerves around, but for no reason. Maria’s parents are just gorgeous and meeting them was a wonderful experience. We talked using both Maria and Google to translate and it worked wonderfully well, although Maria was on overtime. They really enjoyed the train journey, watching the countryside slide past. The UK is flat in comparison to Colombia which is very mountainous. We were a bit overwhelmed by the lovely gifts they brought. So generous and kind. The evening at home was an anti-climax after that, with a bit of ironing thrown in. Monday 15 August I was up early for the first swim in two weeks. Oh what joy to greet familiar faces then to slip into the pool and swim. In my eagerness to get to the pool I discovered that I had forgotten to put any underwear into my bag for getting dressed, so the planned trip straight to Sainsbury’s got put back half an hour whilst I went home to change and have some breakfast. Shopping done, it was off to Art with Moira and Denise. Love Mondays. Ian, Maria, Cecilia and Humberto all came for tea and once again any nervousness was soon dispelled. They are wonderful company, and I am pleased to say that they were just as delighted with the gifts that we had got for them. The rumbles of thunder began just before they arrived and carried on for a couple of hours until finally the storm broke as we sat down for tea. It was a good storm too. Steady rain, but gentle enough not to do damage. You could almost hear the earth sigh with relief. After toasting everyone’s health and happiness and a look through the (embarrassing) baby photos of Ian, they said their farewells. We will see them next in London. Cecilia has fallen in love with York and my garden. Well, she’s welcome any time. Tuesday 16 August The two GB squad swimmers in the pool were a bit awesome. I couldn’t swim that fast even with a shark on my tail. The overnight rain had dried and left a nice cool, fresh start to the day; but it soon got hot again. Daphne arrived with a whole tray of buns for the wedding. Wow, she must have gone straight home and baked. How special is that, the kindness of people always touches me. Now we are being warned of floods. Honestly, life is almost biblical at the moment. The Taliban are making sure that girls in Afghanistan are denied education. Is that because even an educated child will be able to see through their medieval, misogynistic, brutal regime. I didn’t do much today apart from organising what we need to take with us tomorrow and pack the case etc. The wedding cake is boxed ready. The government are to start sending us Emergency Alert messages of flood, fire, terrorist threats etc; what a terrible idea. Why can’t we enjoy life without constantly having the fear of some threat hanging over us.

Wednesday 17 August

We loaded up the car and arrived in Belper bang on 10am and once our luggage was loaded into Phil’s car, we were ready for the drive down to London. What a hero, he drove across London and never put a foot wrong. It certainly made the trip a lot easier than it would otherwise have been and fortunately we did not experience any of the torrential rain on our journey. I can’t understand why anybody would want to drive a big car round London. The roads are cramped, congested and over parked. Something small, nippy and bright yellow would be wiser. We stopped off at Ian and Maria’s flat to leave the cake and I’m glad Phil was carrying it, because I tripped on the stairs and dropped the box with the paste Pansies in, breaking one or two in the process. We were all booked into the lovely old Victoria Inn at Peckham where the staff and accommodation were excellent, and after sorting out our luggage we met up in the bar for a drink. Eventually Humberto and Cecilia wandered in looking dazed, so we grabbed them and sat them down with drinks then all the phones came out for Google to translate. Ian and Maria brought Grace and we all sat down for dinner before having an early night. The air was full of anticipation for tomorrow.

Thursday 18 August Oh what a day. Yesterday’s rain had cooled things down, freshened things up and the sunshine was just perfect. The family met at the Southwark Register office and were escorted into a beautiful waiting room before going in for the simple, yet lovely ceremony. Then we stepped out onto a gorgeous, enclosed garden for photographs. The next stage was across the road at the South London Gallery for more photos, where Grace was allowed to join us in the garden to be in the line-up. It was a pleasant walk to the Vineyard, Greek taverna and Ian and Maria had lots of people waving and tooting their horns as they watched the couple in their wedding finery go past. Lunch was just delicious. A triumph of Greek mezzes that just kept coming and it all felt typically European and jolly, sitting outside at a long table under a hanging vine. Lunch over and Fred said his farewells, then we returned to the Victoria for a rest before the evening proceedings. Humberto, Cecilia, Paul and I had a Tesla taxi ride to the South London Gallery in the evening and I was not impressed by the car one bit. If that's the future life is about to go downhill fast. The evening had a very convivial atmosphere and people ate, drank and talked and Phil and Kitti both gave endearing and heartfelt speeches.

With a blast of a trumpet, strum of guitar and the sound of voices singing, Mariachi Rey burst into the room, and suddenly the place was alive with South American music. People were dancing, clapping and joining in noisily with the choruses. It was brilliant. Humberto feared he would struggle with his voice having had a recent operation, but no, he was giving it his all. It was tremendous. I should have loved the whole world to experience it. With a wave of the hand an hour later, the band left as suddenly as they came, but the happiness they left behind was almost tangible. Then the cake came in and I was relieved that it tasted as good as it looked. Most of the young ones went back to the flat to party until two, but we went back to the Victoria Inn with Maria’s parents and fell sleepily into bed.

Friday 19 August We all met up for breakfast, including Grace, before getting ready to set off for home. It was sad to say goodbye the Humberto and Cecilia, and now we all want to go to Colombia and see them again. They had a quiet day in prospect then more treats in store before returning home, including a night out at the Proms. We piled into Phil’s car and once again he safely navigated us home. Bee was wating for Ellie and Phil and was happy to be stroked and fussed over. We sat in in the sunshine in their beautiful little cottage garden for a much needed cuppa before wending our way back up the M1 to York. Fish and chips for tea, a spot of tv and then thankfully to bed. It never ceases to amaze me how tiring travelling is. Saturday 20 August It was a sunny start, but then the clouds came in and cooled things off a bit. It is noticeable how much cleaner and fresher the air is away from London. Josephine Tewson has died aged 91. She will mostly be remembered for playing Elizabeth, the hapless neighbour in Keeping Up Appearances. What a lovely lady. RIP Josephine. Vladimir Putin is re-introducing an award for women who have 10 children or more. It’s a shame he can’t bear children himself then he might change his mind. An award doesn’t feed or clothe them, and they will only end up as more cannon fodder for his atrocious wars. Torrential rain and strong winds had the tourists in Venice running for cover. Ian and Maria took Humberto and Cecilia for an excellent night at the Proms. The rail strike meant that lots of tickets were unsold, but as a result their party had their seats upgraded. Every cloud has a silver lining. Sunday 21 August There were puddles from the overnight rain, but the sun was out bright and early. It’s hard to realise that it was only this time last week we were preparing to meet Maria’s parents and now they are getting ready to fly back to Colombia. What lovely people, so warm and genuine, we are all so glad they made it. We had a cycle ride early, starting with a trip to the Post Office to post a letter then on to the cycle track. I had to wait for some cyclists coming off and didn’t realise that Paul had turned right at the bottom of the hill. I sailed straight on and couldn’t work out why I couldn’t catch him up? We finally met back up at home. It was a lovely peaceful ride though, not many people about at all. We mainly sat and read for the rest of the day. Ian text around 10pm to say that they had just left Humberto and Cecilia at Heathrow airport. Bon voyage dear friends. Monday 22 August A lot of people are on holiday which meant that the pool was very quiet; but I still spent ten minutes before I got in and as I got out, talking about the wedding. A lot of the buns that Daphne made for the wedding went to work with Maria, where they were eagerly consumed by her colleagues. It has been revealed the Government has spent over £3 billion on Consultancy fees. What a rotten joke; just think how that money could have been better used instead of giving it to the fat cats and entitlement merchants. There’s a lot of fuss about Sanna Marin attending a party; why shouldn’t she? I should think that letting her hair down occasionally would be ideal for releasing stress in a job like hers. GPs are to prescribe walking, cycling and other fitness regimes. What a great idea, and why haven’t we been doing it for years? Rain drops fell around 4pm, stopped, started and stopped again, but overnight we had a steady and glorious downpour. Tuesday 23 August Happy Birthday Colin, I hope you and Paul enjoy your celebration breakfast. It was a damp start, but not cold and the sun soon made its presence felt. The pool was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday. A shooting in Liverpool has left two injured adults and a dead child of 9. How in this world did we come to this? Are we really a civilised society? Not when completely innocent children are being shot, raped and murdered on what seems like a weekly occurrence. I raise my hat to the residents in Haxby who have campaigned to save their branch of Barclays Bank from closing. Whilst the building will close, they have managed to ensure that a service will be provided. I tried gardening, but the earth is still very hard despite the rain, so I did quite a bit of cutting back instead of groundwork. A manufacturer of Electric cars in China has had to suspend production because of the lack of power. If the country is so short on power, why are they making Electric vehicles in the first place? Ann didn’t make it for tea. Mick had fallen whilst moving from his chair to the wheelchair and she was waiting for the Ambulance to arrive. Oh Ann, I wish we could help you sweetheart. Wednesday 24 August A nice lazy start and a welcome drop of rain. I changed the sheets and surveyed the mountain of washing to be done. I am definitely going to get ready the night before and set the washing machine off at 4.30am off peak as I often wake up at that time. The rest of the day was busy, and I finally saw off those high up dusty cobwebs with my tickling stick. I am heartened to read that the police have received information that may lead them to the man who shot and killed little Olivia in Liverpool. I could never live with myself if I thought that I had committed such a dreadful act; I would give myself up first. Laura Kuenssberg maintains that Boris Johnson’s personality led to his downfall. She’s one smart cookie and I’m inclined to agree with her. It got out hot and sunny during the day, with another beautiful sunset, so it was a real surprise to see the rain which gave the ground a good drenching. Thursday 25 August It was a very warm night, and the roads were quite dry this morning despite the rain. Rick told me that Rachel can be congratulated on her new job in Wakefield. Social Services in York is about to lose its best manager, and they won’t know what hit them or which way to turn once she has left. I put the washing on at 5am so it was on the line and dry by mid-morning, which is just as well as well as it rained as soon as I took it in. I finished the ironing and then we nipped off to Deans for lunch. Pure indulgence. I’ve been reading about the scheme to improve the congestion between the A64 Hopgrove roundabout and Barton le Willows. I’m all for it and filled in the survey, opting for D which gives us a new road whilst maintaining the old A64 for local traffic. It should have been done years ago. The next problem will be a bottle neck at Golden Hill where the road narrows once again, then Rillington. That should be fun. The dock workers at Tilbury docks are the next to announce strike action. The Yorkshire Water Hosepipe ban starts tomorrow. Once upon a time I looked out of my bedroom window into the far distance and the sky was aglow with lights from homes, the University buildings, the Eye of York and the Hull Road interchange. Nowadays the sky line is dark with hardly a chink of light to be seen anywhere.

Friday 26 August I was listening to the radio on the way to the pool when it was announced that Energy bills are going to be off the wall. Where is the Government in all this? It is the first day of the Postal workers strike. A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of little Olivia, thank goodness people are coming forward with information. We went to the supermarket, then I cycled into town for my Covid booster jab. I am a reluctant participant but feel that circumstances demand it. The last of the washing was out, dry, ironed and away before tea. Another job done. I read a complaint about how the bank had treated a customer following the death of her husband. Sadly it is a familiar tale. Death is part of life and it’s not just banks, but all sorts of institutions that don’t seem to be able to cope with the death of a customer sympathetically. Even in a swift and business-like manner would be preferable to the fumbling and delays that people experience. The farmer finally got the crop harvested in the far field and after all of that noise I was surprised (and delighted) to see four deer at the back of the house. I hope Phil and Ellie enjoy their long weekend in Wales with Sasha and Howard. Saturday 27 August Amazingly I did not suffer any ill effects from the Covid jab. That’s a first. There was a tiny frog in one of my ‘wild life’ water dishes and I realised that he couldn’t get out, so I put some water in to raise the level, then fetched a stone to give him something to stand on. When I returned later he had gone. I was determined to clean out the summer house and set too before I had even had my breakfast. I raked the furniture out and put it on the lawn, then Paul saw what I was doing, got the hoover and had it cleaned down before I could say boo. Four of the biggest spiders scurried round trying to hide. They were so big I’ll swear they were wearing hiking boots. I washed the floor, and the curtains and left it to air. It doesn’t take long to do but it is one of those jobs that gets put off. A second person has been arrested in connection with the murder of little Olivia. Maria and Ian have arrived in Athens for the start of their honeymoon, before taking the Ferry across to the Cyclades islands, whilst lovely Kitti is at home looking after Grace. Cynthia Erivo was a sensation at the Proms, what a voice, what a performer.

Sunday 28 August Another huge spider this morning, this one was in the bath and must have escaped from the zoo! I let him do some abseiling out of the bathroom window. Apart from the 'false autumn', there are little signs that nature is coping with the drought. The grass is slowly reviving, and I have heard a Robin singing for the last few mornings. The Roe Deer are back on the field, a mole is busy carving up my flower beds and there are lots of Dragon Flies around. But very few songbirds and I only saw two Swallows today, whereas at this time of year I would expect to see them gathering ready for their migration south. We drove up to Ripon for the 24th Ripon Clubs and Classics Motor Show which was held on the Racecourse. It is a lovely venue, and the weather was perfect. There was a good selection of cars for display, and it was very well attended. We had a good walk round, examining all the different vehicles before finding some shade for a picnic. The number of people who enjoy these events suggests to me that I am not the only one who finds modern cars big, bland and boring. I was upset to discover that John and Anne hadn’t realised the show was on. We could have picked them up as we passed the door had we known. Colin and Joe have set off on their holiday to Australia and New Zealand, starting with a wedding. I hope they have a wonderful time. Monday 29 August It’s a dull day, nothing special after yesterday. A 16 year old boy has died at the Leeds Festival, and it is suspected that he may have taken a pill. How very sad. RIP sweetheart. I wish recreational drugs had never been invented, they ruin thousands of lives every year, and yet people still take them. The Reading Festival was wrecked by yobs who set tents alight. Where do people get their degrees in stupidity from? Rory Stewart says that Boris is already plotting his comeback as PM. I wish Rory had won the leadership race back in 2019, I think the country would be in a far better state than it is now. We don’t often see a Buck deer on the field, but there was a fine one out there today, standing tall, showing off his antlers. He was with a Doe and a Kid, who all at once were startled by a dog walker and shot off across the field in sheer panic. Moira picked me up for Art as usual, but I forgot that it was my turn to supply lunch, so she kindly made an emergency dash to M&S to get what we needed. How embarrassing. Ian and Maria have arrived in the beautiful Greek island of Antiparos at last and look very happy to be there. It isn’t just the UK; Dutch railway workers are also in dispute over pay and will take strike action tomorrow

Tuesday 30 August I couldn’t help but notice the drop in temperature this morning as I set off for the pool, I think it’s time to get my warmer jacket out. Roger Bolton who has presented Feedback on Radio 4 for a long time, has been removed from the programme. I’ve always enjoyed listening to him, but the powers that be at the BBC are still on this mysterious wave of axing long standing presenters. I think their motto must be ‘If it ain’t woke, then fix it’. I can never understand how there is always plenty of money to send rockets to the moon whilst people all round the globe are still living in poverty. Pakistan is a good example with the life threatening flooding they are currently experiencing. They are going to need billions to restore the country's infrastructure. Another festival was marred by a death when a 21 year old man was stabbed and killed at the Notting Hill Carnival yesterday. Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of Russia has died at the age of 91. How sad that nobody followed on in his footsteps. We certainly would not be seeing all this devastation if he had been in power today. RIP Mr Gorbachev. It was good to see Ann back for tea at Deans. Wednesday 31 August It is wonderful to open the curtains on a morning and see deer roaming across field. I was amazed to read that the UK sends aid money to China. Really? Why? I met up with Jane for coffee this morning after god knows how long. It was so lovely to see her and catch up, although I seem to have done most of the talking! I was encouraged to read a news item about Gas prices falling. It’s early days, but maybe there is some light at the end of that very dark tunnel. A group of residents from the Leeman Road area have decided that enough is enough and are taking legal action over York Council’s decision to allow the Railway Museum to build a new Central Hall thereby blocking access to their properties. It is hoped that the legal action will be sponsored by Crowd Funding. Good luck and success to them. Paul’s motorbike passed the MOT. Ian and Maria’s photos of their Greek Island are idyllic.

And just because I can, more wedding photos!