July 2022 - Onwards and Upwards

Friday July 1 I said ‘White Rabbits’ for the first of the month and went off for my swim. It was very quiet. Daphne has Covid, I wonder who else? I popped to the Post Office on my way home and bumped into Lynne and the dog. It was lovely to see her and hear all about the family and it was nearly 10am by the time I got home...... The first thing I saw was a line of Starlings on the ridge of the roof, waiting to greet me. The day got cooler as the cloud built up. It's July for goodness sake, if we've got global warming you would think it could have the decency to at least be warm. I’ve just seen a photo of Putin riding a horse without a shirt on; it was most unsettling, and not in a good way. In an astonishing move, York Council have imposed a ban on Blue Badge parking in the city. What a monstrous idea and surely it goes against the Disability and Discrimination Act? A dog has been put down after being burnt by the Giant Hogweed. It’s a killer to man and beast and should be avoided at all costs.

Saturday 2 July A cool damp start but my heart lifted when I saw the Fox mooching along. They are much better in their natural habitat, and I watched until he disappeared into his den in the hedgerow in the far corner of the field. Wonderful news, Maria’s parents have got their visas and can now book their flight tickets for the wedding in August. I am so looking forward to meeting them. Steve Wright has been replaced by Scott Mills in the BBC2 radio afternoon slot and the fans are not happy. The Tour de France began yesterday. The first stage was in Copenhagen, Denmark and was received by very enthusiastic crowds despite the downpour. Lampaert got rather emotional after winning the Time Trial, bless him. I think Putin is mystified at the defiance of the Ukrainian peoples. I bet he thought they wouldn’t fight back so fiercely. Afternoon into late evening was the best part of the day, and once again the back field was criss-crossed with Swifts, whilst the Starlings flocked around the electricity pylon. There was a beautiful new moon. Sunday 3 July It was lovely and sunny at 7am and cool and overcast by 9am. There are more great pictures from Maria in New York, but the biggest surprise was to learn that the city stinks. The smell is of rotting garbage that lies around the streets, and then it gets hot and makes the smell worse. You don’t get the smell in the movies, and the Americans must be used to it. The Tour de France was island hopping yesterday with the cyclists riding over bridges such as the Oresund, a 16 kilometre link and the Great Belt Fix Link at 18 kilometres. I bet the cross wind can be a fearsome at times. I got all togged up and went out into the garden, but soon started taking layers off as it got hotter. I cleared an overgrown patch by the bird bath so that the birds could land and take off easier, cleaned the bowl and put fresh water in. Members of the Police Force, Post Office and Ryanair staff are the next to announce strike days. The rain was a big surprise, but as has become the norm, the best part of the day was after tea when the clouds cleared and there was endless blue sky full of Swift and Starlings. Monday 4 July Independence Day and Vicki’s birthday. I hope you have a super day Vicki. I got back in the pool today and felt better for it. I think my cold is on the run at last, but I didn’t go to Art, there’s no need to inflict any remaining germs on friends. I did go to the Library though; sorry I mean York Explore. It’s not a Library service anymore, just a glorified Internet cafe. I ordered a book from the catalogue and was amazed at the response that the book wasn’t on the shelf, so they’ve cancelled my reservation. What? No books, no service. There was a Go Slow Fuel protest on the M4 and several other motorways round the country today and at least four people were arrested. I would back their actions any day, somebody has to take responsibility for how ridiculous petrol prices are. But then there is the issue of cars themselves. Why do they need to be so big? It’s got little to do with safety as that is the responsibility of the driver. I don’t really find sport entertaining, and at the moment tv is just that, and endless repeats of ancient shows. At least Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey would put the country to rights! Tuesday 5 July Tuesday is always so peaceful in the pool, and it was nice to see Daphne back for a short swim. Great news, Joyce has got a date for her hip replacement. Pain to end pain. A gas explosion in a block of flats in Bedford has left at least three people dead and many homeless. Michael Sheen is asking some thought provoking questions about Children in Care in Wales. Some teenagers have been placed in hostels or b&bs whilst others are sleeping rough. That is not care, and it’s not just happening in Wales. If the LGBT people are angry about not being recognised then they should gauge their success by looking at the faceless millions of children who are used, abused and treated abysmally. And this has gone on for millennia, because children don’t matter! Grrr. Every child deserves a childhood, a home and love at the very least. They are the essentials.

Wednesday 6 July Happy birthday Mark, and thanks for all the chips. Paul was up early and off for a dental appointment. He came back with a filling and a lighter wallet. I managed to catch the early bus and went into EE before it got busy, and I am more than happy with my new broadband package. It might be a nice day if only the wind would die down, I nearly got blown away walking past the Minster. The first whiff I got of the frolics in the political pantomime was sight of a news headline in a newspaper shop. How long can Baron Blunderbuss hang on following the resignations of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, and what does it say about Boris when so many ministers have resigned? For god’s sake Boris, don’t cling on like Tony Blair; we deserve far better. Gill and John are back out walking the coastline, starting by returning to the scene of Gill’s horrible fall. May good luck and good weather go with them. I spent the rest of the day quietly reading. The wind was too unpleasant to go out and I was quite happy to use the excuse to do nothing.

Thursday 7 July It's Denise R’s birthday; Happy birthday sweetheart, have a super day. I enjoyed my swim, despite the fact that the water temperature has gone down again. In fact it was more refreshing somehow. There’s been a beautiful Bengal cat hanging round the car park of late. It was out there again today stalking a tiny Shrew as the poor thing scurried backwards and forwards trying to escape. It was quite comical to watch, and the cat seemed to be more fascinated than anything. Well I never, Boris has finally decided to do the honourable thing and resign or, as the Daily Mash put it, ‘Boris resigns, or is he lying?’ He will stay on until a new leader is elected and I just pray it’s not Liz Truss. The appalling truth is, there is nobody with sufficient gravitas to take on the role, so here we go again for another time waster. We got off early and drove through to Scarborough where it was rather cool and dull to start with. After a bus ride round the Marine Drive and on to the Spa, we walked back and enjoyed fish and chips for lunch. All the while it got brighter and warmer and suddenly it was roasting with a lovely off-sea breeze. Foreshore Road was relatively quiet when we arrived, but that suddenly got very busy too. We came across several groups of school children having a day out. One group seem to be doing a survey to start with, and then they all ran off and had a great time on the beach. We had an ice-cream from the Harbour Bar, but Paul’s broke just as we sat down. Fortunately he just managed to catch it and a lady got him some serviettes to wipe his hands on. It was a fast eat! I’ve just been reading about Sand Batteries to help solve the energy crisis. It sounds very simple, yet very effective and I hope it catches on. I just managed to spot the fox out on the field for his evening hunting. The sunset was spectacular. Friday 8 July Summer at last. It came in yesterday whilst we were in Scarborough, and it looks like it’s here to stay for a while. My Star Jasmine is in blossom, very happy and nice and smelly. I stopped off to see Lynne on my way back from the pool, she would really love Ian to call with Maria, so that she can meet her at last, when they are in York. The longest serving and former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe has been assassinated whilst giving a campaign speech. Understandably the country is in mourning. Why do people take these radical steps? There is so much anger around the world but killing is not the answer. Something that I have always loved about the news media are the political cartoons. We are so good at them in this country and there have been some splendid ones about Boris’ departure. I would like to see Ben Wallace as a successor, but Rishi Sunak is also a contender. I shall just have to wait and see. It was a hot day and I just enjoyed reading in the garden. It seems to have been a long time since I had time to do nothing and I’m rather enjoying it. Maria is happy to be back home, although she was glad she had the opportunity to go to New York.

Saturday 9 July What a perfectly wonderful summer’s morning. I had my breakfast and listened to the sound of silence, which was eventually broken by a gang of lively Sparrows cheeping in the hedge. More MPs have joined the scramble to be PM, but do I care? Not on a day like today. My cousin Paula has spotted a lovely house at last; I hope her bid for it is successful. It was John Smith’s Cup Day at York Races today, so we escaped the city. We drove off to Beverley for a wander through the market and some lunch at The Angel. I love Beverley, so full of character, good shops and nice and flat for walking round too. We sat for quite a while in the Coronation Gardens, soaking up the peace and the sun before jumping in the car and heading for home. Debbie loved the necklace we sent her as a token of our appreciation for being such a lovely neighbour to dad. Neighbours like that don't come two-a-penny. Fred sounded really chirpy, and very bunged up after his dose of Covid. Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan won the Women’s Wimbledon Final beating Ons Jabeur in three sets. Deer at last on the field, although I think it’s a bit too hot for them during the day. I left it until 9pm before watering the garden and I could almost hear the plants sighing with relief.

Sunday 10 July

Another morning for breakfast in the garden. Sunshine, peace and the cheeky Sparrows again. Ben Wallace has decided not to stand for PM after all, shame. The owners of holiday cottages and Air B and Bs are up in arms at the suggestion that they should pay Council tax. It’s a business. Not only should they pay it, but they should pay a business rate. Selling could mean a home for somebody who wants and needs to live in that community can do so. The Dragon Boat Races were held on the Ouse but for me it was a day for doing little more than sitting in the garden and reading. I’ve got Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith and it is an excellent read. Djokovic beat Kyrgios in four sets to win the Men’s Wimbledon title. The ending to MacDonald and Dodds was so weird that I got the impression the scriptwriter was just trying to fill in time, which resulted in the drama being lost.

Monday 11 July

The pool was busy, but that cold water was very welcome. I had breakfast in the garden again; it was so hot that I didn’t stay for long. Gemma in France says that her customers are aghast at Boris Johnson, it sounds like she has some very embarrassing conversations. Oh god no, Liz Truss really has entered the race for PM. No more clowns, please. I opened all the doors to get a cross breeze and did my ironing; thankfully it worked, but I can’t summon up the energy to clean. The pundits are already trying to predict the end of the current heatwave. I do wish they would just shut up. I’ve had a response from the Swedish Postal service at last, but they haven’t found my parcel to Agneta yet. British Airways lost the bags for everyone on a flight to Corsica, and it’s not the only flight either. They say it’s down to a shortage of luggage handlers. Why are there so many job vacancies up and down the country? It was so hot today that one of the train tracks near London Victoria caught on fire from a spark causing chaos for commuters. We slipped down to the Walnut Tree for a drink after tea, it was nice and cool inside thank fully as it remained a very hot night. The Women’s England Football team beat Norway 8 – 0! Their next match is against Spain on 20th July.

Tuesday 12 July

The pool was lovely and cool after such a hot night. Denise was swimming and she doesn’t mind me calling her Julie all these years, in fact she quite likes it. I got the wedding cake down only to discover that in the heat, the marzipan had stuck to the protective paper. Fortunately I managed to fix it with a bit of careful surgery. Helen came, equipped with cake icing tools and we set too. She is so patient, and I just know that I couldn’t do it without her, but there we have it. One royal iced wedding cake. Then it rained! A gentle, welcome drop of rain just to cool things down nicely. Much to our delight, Helen and I were looking out of the window and spotted Mrs Deer with two fawns. Gorgeous. We had just finished when there was a knock at the door and a beautiful bouquet arrived from Carole for forgetting my birthday. It was such a lovely surprise, and I was really touched. It’s the start of the Great Yorkshire Show today, three days of excellent agricultural showmanship. Mo Farah has just revealed that he was trafficked as a child and is not who people think he is. What an amazing and courageous man. I hope his story will help to highlight more of the abominations that are carried out against children.

Wednesday 13 July Another hot one. We prepared our picnic and drove over to Temple Newsam in Leeds to meet up with Rod, Joyce and Anne and John. It wasn’t easy finding shade, but we managed to find a peaceful spot. It was a lovely way to get together with no fear of Covid germs both for Joyce who is due to have a hip operation, or for Anne whose health is still of concern. Mike J has been diving in the coastal waters of St Abbs in Berwickshire. The photos he sent me of the sea life are amazing and trying to whittle it down to three for the blog was quite a challenge. Ellie sent a sad text; it looks like granny is in her final hours of life. Our prayers are with her and the family. Tom Jones had to cancel a performance in Hungary after contracting viral laryngitis. Now that is unusual. In applauding the eight candidates standing for election as PM, Boris Johnson called Sir Kier Starmer 'Captain Crasheroony Snoozefest'! Oh Boris, you are such a childish idiot. The grass is so dry that it crunched when I walked across it to water the roses.

Thursday 14 July It was a much cooler night, but it was still a surprise to see the rain when I went out for my swim. It was very welcome as it was needed. Ellie’s granny died at 7am this morning, at home, peacefully and with her family around her. It’s been a long journey. RIP sweetheart. Inflation and the north south divide is back in the news. We have been here so many times before and it proves that the Government's fiscal policies need a good hard look. I feel sorry for the peoples of Sri Lanka who are facing very hard times with the country’s economy in chaos meaning shortages of food, fuel and other essentials. The President has reneged on his promise to stand down, and the people are so angry that that may be his last mistake by the look of things. Covid cases continue to rise. Ann and Anita came after lunch, and we had an interesting afternoon making flour paste Pansies. Once we got in the flow it was quite easy and enjoyable. There are just five candidates left in the Tories Leadership race, one of which is the dreaded Liz Truss. B**** all on tv. Friday 15 July Happy birthday Paüla, you see I’ll never forget as you always emphasised that it is St Swithin’s Day; he of the 40 days rain. I can’t see that happening this year, even if it did rain this morning. It was much nicer sleeping last night, but I still wanted to stay in bed a bit longer. The train to Sheffield was crowded, so I was glad I had booked a seat. I was sitting next to a sweet young lady on the way to her degree ceremony in Birmingham; she’s going to have such a lovely day. Paüla was pleased to see me, but I was sad that I was the only person to remember her birthday. Being a long term invalid has its real low points. A social worker had been to see Paüla and grilled her about smoking. It’s her one pleasure, apart from chocolate. Not satisfied with the intrusion, she has reported her to the Fire Chief and a visit will ensue. I’d like to be a fly on the wall. He will get short shrift if he tries to stop her from smoking. The journey home was equally busy, but it was nice to be back in York, straight onto a Coastliner bus home and into the shower to get rid of the smell of cigarettes. Saturday 16 July There had been a drop of rain overnight which made it good for sleeping, so we were quite refreshed and ready for our trip to the supermarket. A Wood Pigeon was sitting on top of the garage in a puddle of water and it looked like it was really enjoying itself. It was quite late by the time we had got organised, but we headed off to Howden for a picnic in the park. It is such a such a peaceful, pleasant little town and the Ashes park is a wonderful public space, especially for a picnic. I was amazed to see that the water levels in the Leeds/Liverpool canal are too low in places for the boats to go through. I bet that’s never happened before. I kept seeing adverts on tv for WeAre8 and I was curious. It sounds so serious and noble, but in reality is a bit of a scam. It was too hot to do much, so I sat in the summer house and read, and dozed and read a bit more. Fred has confirmed that he will attend Ian and Maria’s Civil Partnership ceremony which has made them both really happy. The heat is climbing and there are reports of forest fires across parts of England, Wales, France and Spain. Sunday 17 July Rain! I did not expect that, but it cooled things down and was most welcome. We thought to beat the rise in temperature and cycled up to B&Q before it got hot. Then, when it did get hot I did my ironing with all the doors open, creating a cross breeze. Not a good day for it, but I was glad it was done, and all put away. I was shocked to learn that the BBC sports commentator, Eilidh Barbour has criticised the Women’s England Football team for being all white. What?! Forget the success of trouncing the Norwegian team, they are not politically correct. Life is not about race, creed or colour, it is about being ourselves and living to the best of our abilities. Would there have been a comment made if the ladies were all black? Hammersmith bridge in London has been wrapped in foil to stop the chains from overheating, as this could cause serious structural damage. The programme with the five Tory candidates was a big turn off. I was rather disappointed in Murder in Provence; it was very flat. The scenery was gorgeous, but the script had no oomph and some of the characters were decidedly amateurish. The moon rose at 11.30 and hung like a huge orange globe in the sky. Monday 18 July The heat warnings are out for what could be the hottest two days of the century. 40 degrees is expected in many places and trains have been cancelled due to fears that sparks from the tracks could set off fires. My swim was very welcome, it refreshed and re-energised me. Farnborough Air Show is on, and Fred has fled to the seaside to get away from the noise and the bustle. I don’t blame him. I got back from Art and looked at the thermometer in the back garden. It read 40 degrees and it was only 3.00pm. An elderly lady fell into a pond near her home in Florida and was attacked and killed by two Alligators. What a dreadful way to go. The unions have announced the dates of the next rail strikes, and I think I am just lucky to be in between two of them for my next trip to London. The image of a Buddha has been found on a bronze mirror which was made in China around the 16th century. These ancient civilisations turn up some amazing things that constantly upstage our modern day knowledge and skills. A customer in a Tesco store has started a petition in her local Tesco store to ‘bring back staff’. What a wonderful idea, I hope it catches on.

Tuesday 19 July Happy birthday Judy, my dear old friend. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family despite the heat. No need to light the candles today. A swim was definitely the right thing, and the water was deliciously cool. There are roadworks at Yearsley Bridge crossroads, but thankfully I timed it right at the lights and got straight through. The temperature was everything they said it would be and then some. Phil recorded 47 degrees whilst out in the Peak District. It’s the animals I feel most sympathy for, all the dogs with their big coats, and even Grace with her thin one was much too hot. Gemma said the heat was awful in France and they also have smoke drifting over from forest fires. Quite a few businesses closed early, and the North East train service was suspended for fear of derailment if the tracks buckled. The city centre was like a ghost town, which shows that people were being sensible and staying out of the heat. I stripped to my underwear and cleaned downstairs and felt surprisingly better for it. Talks between the Rail companies and the Unions have come to a standstill which means even more strike days ahead. The race for the Tory leadership is now between Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordant and Liz Truss. The staff at Deans were passed themselves when we went at teatime, you could see they just wanted to go home.

Wednesday 20 July Bernie’s birthday, I hope it’s a good one. We slept with all of the upstairs windows open as the temperature was still 20 degrees at 3am, and only went down to 19 before rising again for the day. But at last the cooler air came in and the whole nation heaved a sigh of relief. It was changeover day for us with our broadband from TalkTalk to EE. The promised engineer did not materialise as I later discovered the wrong information was passed on. However, the man in the call centre was great and soon got to work sorting out the problem. We were up and running by 1pm and an engineer is going to check that all is well tomorrow. A British person has won 195 million pounds on the Euro lottery. Wow, scary stuff. It’s the kind of money that could do a great deal of good or completely destroy your life. A mother has complained that the nursery where she takes her little girl for day care is not taking any notice of the child who says she is a boy on some days. Silly woman, that’s what children do. They have imaginary friends as well. Don’t start putting a label on her before she’s even lost her milk teeth! Paul fitted a new Freeview box, and it took me 45 minutes talking to Phil on the phone before I got it set up. I hate modern technology; all in all it was a stressful day, and I was really glad when it came to bedtime. Thursday 21 July Daphne, Jan and I talked about some people needing to learn manners in the pool; it’s quite shocking to be carved up and dangerous to get a mouth full of water at the wrong moment. Ten minutes later it happened to me. It was a lovely cool morning, but we missed out on some much needed rain. The BT engineer called early and pronounced our system good to go. We drove over to Malton, collected my old clock from repair and then grabbed some picnic food. Unfortunately the road we wanted was closed and we ended up driving home. But it wasn’t all bad as we had our picnic in the summerhouse which was nice and cosy. Gemma says the temperature in France is back to its normal 30 degrees! Just Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss in the Tory leadership race now. The grand finale of Harrogate Music Festival will be dedicated to the memory of Malcolm Neesam, well known Historian of the town. He was a very special person, and I am proud that I can say I knew him. RIP Malcolm. I finally managed to book a holiday for us, in fact that was the easy bit. Getting travel insurance was a real pain, but I followed the advice from Martin’s Money Page and then found just what I wanted with Holidaysafe. The Ladies England Football team beat Spain 2 – 1.

Friday 22 July Cool and cloudy, but not unpleasant. The media keep banging on about the summer of 1976 which I remember well. It was a normal spring, but the May Bank Holiday was cold and wintry. The sun came out on Tuesday 1st June and after that it was nicely hot for about eight weeks. We went on holiday to Morocco, and it rained. Turkey and the UN have brokered a deal with Russia to allow Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea ports. Fingers crossed that Putin doesn’t renege on the agreement. Russia has also promised grain and machinery to be exported to North Korea in exchange for labourers. That’s very calculated, I bet they are going to be used as cannon fodder. The Spanish love their festivals, but this year’s bous al carrer in Valencia has seen the deaths of three people. Joyce’s surgery for a hip replacement seems to have gone well, and very quickly. She was awake all the way through, and a couple of hours later she was out of bed! She’s much braver than me that’s for sure. It tried raining this afternoon and a bit into the evening, but the effort was just too much and all we got was a damp patch. Saturday 23 July It’s comforting to see the deer back on the field; I’ve even seen the fox a few evenings this week. The country may be in a pickle, but nature just carries on. It was a pleasant sunny start with the promise of a nice summer’s day. A woman and her accomplices were arrested after she stole a Rolex watch then fell out of the getaway car and needed hospital care. You can’t help but laugh. Joyce is up and about already, walking up and down stairs and probably going home later today or tomorrow. I got the ribbon I needed for the wedding cake at Dunelm; they just happened to be selling it off. Bargain! The traffic on the ring road going east was horrendous but we drove on up to Easingwold. That was also very busy when we arrived, and the Galtres centre car park was pretty full, but we found a place and wandered across to the Olive Branch restaurant for lunch. What a super place and the food was both good and generous. We will go back there again. The idea was to go for a walk, but it began to rain, gently and steadily and as neither of us had a coat we headed for the car and home. No rain here, but we could do with it. Firefighters are having a tough time on the island of Lesbos where forest fires are spreading following the recent heatwave. Athens and parts of Spain and France are having similar problems. Update on Joyce; she’s home, already! I wish you a speedy recovery and you’ll be back on that bike in next to no time. In the black of the night, it rained……. Sunday 24 July The evidence of last night’s rain was almost gone, but I’m sure the plants will have benefitted, although it’s too late for some of the trees that are visibly dying. Their leaves are all brown and crisp. Our drive through to Newmedica in Leeds was really quiet and we made good time, which was just as well as the satnav stopped working and we had to drive from memory. I went for an assessment on my eye and ended up having the laser treatment there and then. It only took five minutes and there’s no pain or fuss. We knew there would be a lot of traffic on the A64 going home so we decided to come off at the Fulford junction. If only we had exited at Copmanthorpe because as soon as we passed the gap the traffic stopped and there we stayed for an hour. We discovered later that there had been a crash and the police had closed the road on both sides to allow a helicopter to land and take a casualty to hospital. To be fair, they were jolly quick about it given the circumstances. Royal Mail are the next set of workers to announce a strike over a pay deal, however, British Airway workers have accepted a deal for 6%. It started to rain just after we arrived home and finally we got the soaking the earth badly needed. An overwhelmed and thrilled Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard won the 2022 Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar came second and Geraint Thomas third. It was lovely to see wives and babies involved in the photo shoot on the podium. Monday 25 July I was on automatic pilot this morning. Luckily it was quiet on the roads because of school holidays, and my swim soon brought me round. I did some washing and actually did some cleaning too, now that every action is in a cooler atmosphere. I was amazed to read that the Russians are accusing the Ukrainians of war crimes. What! Isn’t that the charred and filthy pot calling the kettle black? The Sakurajima volcano on the Japanese island of Kyushu has erupted. Fortunately nobody has been hurt but the residents are on high alert and being advised to evacuate their properties. My washing was almost dry when the rain pelted down. We dashed out, brought it in and put it out five minutes later when the rain stopped as abruptly as it started. I have prevaricated for weeks over decorating the wedding cake, but as Denise and Mark are on holiday and there is no Art, I decided to bite the bullet. I got the cake out of its wrappings, fetched the dried pansies, held my breath and got on with it. To say that I was thrilled at the results is an understatement. Better still, Maria and Ian love it. The pansies that we made will look fabulous on cup cakes. Oops, the Chinese have decided not to invest in Russia; that must be a blow for Putin. A woman on a fishing boat was impaled by a Sailfish. It had been hooked by an angler and came flying straight for her, stabbing her in the groin. Ouch. Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak did a lot of sniping on their debate, which is not helpful. I fear for the country. Tuesday 26 July It was a cool damp start and the pool was unusually busy for a Tuesday. I got my lengths in and dashed home for breakfast and to catch the 9.30 bus into town. It was quite a successful morning too. I sold my old phone at CEX for a good price with no hassle and remembered everything on my shopping list. Mick has had another stroke, just as he was beginning to improve. I felt really upset for the whole family, but there is nothing I can do. Lake Mead, a reservoir on the Colorado River is drying up and the water levels are at record lows revealing, amongst a plethora of other things, three dead bodies. One victim was in a barrel and had been shot. The England Ladies Football team are through to the final defeating Sweden 4 -0 in what Andrew described as a very exciting match. It’s a while since I’ve seen the deer on the field and it surprising to see how big the two new borns have grown. Wednesday 27 July The school holidays normally sees the early morning numbers in the pool drop off, but I think there are more than ever this year. Must be stay at homes. I had coffee with Daphne this morning in her sunny, secluded back garden. We only get chance of a few minutes here and there in passing at the pool, so it was nice to have a proper conversation for once. I even cycled there! After lunch it was Judi’s turn. We haven’t seen each other for ages, so we took a cup of tea and some biscuits into the summerhouse and had a good catch-up. It got really hot again, and the grass still crunches underfoot despite the rain. Petrol prices are slowly coming down, and I mean slowly. I get fed up with the multi-national corporations making billions on one hand whilst fleecing the British public on the other, and our Government doesn’t defend us! Even some energy companies are still making handsome profits despite the problems of supply. Germany beat France which means that the Ladies England Football team will meet the German side in the Final at Wembley on Sunday. I am so sad for Gemma whose dog Joy has had to be put down. She was very much a part of the family. RIP Joy. We watched the new series of The Great on Channel Four about Catherine the Great. It’s supposed to be a comedy/drama but I can’t make my mind up about it. If they didn’t spend so much time swearing, the script would be half as long.

Thursday 28 July The pool is closed so no swimming today. The overnight rain hung around for most of the morning, and gradually cleared after lunch. I love the photo of Heidi that Karolina sent. It fills my heart with joy each time I see it. Bernard Cribbins has died at the age of 93. He was part of my childhood and seems to have been around forever. A great actor, very versatile (he even did Shakespeare) and universally loved. RIP Bernard. 8 year old Harry is cycling 1,000 miles with his dad in a bid to raise £5,000 for the Tiggywinkle Hedgehog Sanctuary. Good on you Harry, I hope you make far more than that now the news is out there. We went to Fulford and got a brochure for a new front door. It will be nice to stop the cold wind coming in and the heat going out in winter. It looks as if the old RAF camp at Linton-on-Ouse will be used after all to house asylum seekers and channel migrants. I don’t know who makes these decisions but it’s not the right area for this type of accommodation. Local Landlords say there is a shortage of accommodation for rentals. How does that happen, where do the properties go? They don’t just melt, and we can’t just keep willy-nilly building houses. But I suppose Air B and B and holiday rentals have a lot to answer for. Friday 29 July An early start when Anne rang at 6.30am but I had to be up to be ready to catch the train to London. It was a busy train, but everything was on time. I felt quite self-conscious being the only person wearing a mask, but it’s still recent memory the last time I took a train and ended up with Covid. We passed field after field off golden cereal crops, and you could see that the farmers are going to have a very busy time. Ian was at King’s Cross to meet me, and it wasn’t long before we were back at the flat. Then he was off to Norwich for his Alan Partridge themed Stag weekend, and Gracie and I settled down to a quiet weekend. Well, as quiet as the noise of London would allow. The Commonwealth Games have started in Birmingham, and I am just staggered at the amount of money that Boris has spent on the occasion. This country leaches money on vanity schemes whilst the population is crippled with all sorts of daily problems like energy bills and the rising cost of living. I hope Maria is enjoying her Hen do in Margate. Ellie has gone by train to Bristol ready to travel with Molly for their Grandmother’s funeral on Monday.

Saturday 30 July Grace and I were out early for a walk round the park, and I was amazed to see the queue of people already outside the little bakery up the road. Fred arrived just before lunch; goodness knows how he got a train on a strike day, but if anyone can do it then my brother can. We got the first photos from Maria’s Hen do and Ian’s Stag do. I think it’s safe to say they are enjoying themselves. Fred and I took a walk up to the Corner Store in Camberwell for lunch. What a nice bunch of friendly people, and they made a real fuss of Gracie. It was quiet after Fred left and I couldn’t settle to much. It was all sport or repeats on tv, but Grace was happily asleep. London’s Fire Brigade Commissioner, Andy Roe has asked that a ban be put on disposable barbecues, and when you see the state of the grass in the parks you realise he has a point. It’s tinder dry and a fire waiting to happen. Sunday 31 July Another early walk. It always surprises me when people actually say hello in London, but they do and it’s nice. It was a cool morning and trying to rain, but nothing came of it. I was ready when Ian got back. The drive for Ian from Norwich was long, but Phil had an even longer journey down to Devon to be with Ellie and the family for the funeral. The phone call from the Eye clinic was a real surprise. Was I ok for my Cataract surgery on Tuesday! I most certainly was. I enjoyed being in London over the weekend, but I wouldn’t want to live there, so I was quite happy to jump on the train and head off for home. On the journey back I could see where the farmers had been working their socks off to get the harvest in, but there’s still a long way to go. It was lovely to see Paul at the station to greet me and back home to peace and quiet. Perfect. A Sink hole has opened up on the A64 at Rillington where a water main has burst. That is going to cause chaos as the alternative routes are few and far between. The England Lionesses have done it. They have achieved what the men couldn’t do and won the European Football Trophy. Well done ladies. That’s the way to do it. It was the last episode of Murder in Provence. The story and the acting have improved, but it's still not the drama of the century.

I want to end with more photos from Mike's dive at St Abbs Head, they are just amazing.