Happy Birthday, Keith!!

80 years young today!

Feeling annoyed!

I drove Olive to work today, and managed to call the insurance company at 9:00am to sort out the payment. I now need to find another car quickly, but this is not the ideal week to do it! I want to actually look at another car, drive it and make sure it's OK, rather than buy it online and then take delivery.

Sophie and Keith were expecting a new tumble dryer that I'd ordered today, and I received multiple text messages, emails and phone calls from AO to say the machine was on its way. The driver seemed to text or call me every five minutes, and it was a bit over the top! I also had texts from the insurance company, so I felt frazzled! To make things worse, the owner of our Airbnb in Annecy in April texted Sophie to say she couldn't accommodate our booking any longer, as she had a long-term let. Sophie was furious and extremely upset and refused to cancel the booking, as it wasn't our fault. This was all going on while we were at work, but thankfully it happened during Sophie's lunch hour!

When I finished at 4:00pm, I took Olive to the car wash in Kingsthorpe and sprayed the front of the car with insect remover, as there were little creepy crawlies squashed on the bonnet. Back at home, I wasn't pleased with the result and had to go around with a cloth to finish it off!

Sophie was still looking frazzled with the delivery of the tumble dryer and trying to work with texts flying back and forth, so we relaxed with a drink before dinner. We looked at Airbnbs and found another one that we both loved and submitted a request to book. This one had fantastic views but was more expensive...

Dinner tonight was delicious: we enjoyed chicken burgers with salad and decided to forgo the potato wedges for once. "What? You have no potato products?!"

Hunting high and low!

Today has been fine, and I swing from enjoying this new job to disliking it! I think a lot of employees who worked for the old company feel the same! I know many people who left and bounced right back, so it's not a surprise. We are still getting used to the procedures and the way the company is managed.

My insurance company called me today to discuss the value of the car. I was expecting a battle with them, but they offered me more than I was expecting, so I readily agreed. They wanted details of the logbook, which I didn't have on me, so I would call them back after work. Before I left, I called Keith to ask him to find it so it would be ready when I got home.

When I arrived, he had the wrong one out, as I'd transferred the car into my name last January, with the blessing of my Dad. We hunted everywhere for the proper one, and I even called the repair company to check that I hadn't left it in the VW. She told me off for leaving it in the car, but I hadn't anyway, and she couldn't find it. By now, it was too late to call the insurance company back, and then Keith had a brainwave and checked the little plastic folders we take on holiday. We found it, along with the breakdown cover and the headlamp converters! Phew! One of the French laws is that you need to take your logbook with you when you drive abroad, but I have never been asked for it! I put it in my bag to take to work tomorrow, and I'll call them there.

In the evening, Keith went to see Sileby play and Sophie and I made jerk chicken pasta again. We are watching A Place in the Sun avidly at the moment and focusing on people looking for houses in France, particularly in the Charente region. We are both astounded at the prices! Just over £100,000 for a three-bedroom house with land!

Sophie went upstairs with Mooney at 9:00pm while I settled down to watch another episode of Britain's Lost Masterpieces. Keith arrived home slightly earlier this evening, so we had a quick chat about the game, and then it was time for bed. I am back at work tomorrow, as I've swapped my day off for Friday this week. It was a bit of a shock knowing I was back at work in the morning, while Sophie was working from home, lucky thing!

A quiet start to the week

Monday was quiet and uneventful, with not a lot to report. I felt a bit upset when I got into work and found four timesheets on my desk that hadn't been included on the payroll run, and I feared I'd made a mistake. It wasn't a good start to the day! However, I learnt that the staff had put the timesheets in the wrong folders, so it was an error on their part. Next month, just in case, I will check, though! We can do advances on pay, so it wasn't a disaster, but 

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and when I arrived home, Lynn came around to pick up the car shampoo I was giving away. We had a moan about the tip, both of us disappointed that they don't seem to be recycling as much as previously. I honestly thought that most items could be recycled these days!

The evening passed in the usual manner, but we watched a new French crime drama called Coastal Unit, which is a worthy successor to both Panda and Carpe Diem!

Annoying the spiders!

I was up quite early, and by 9:00am, after a cup of coffee, I was in the garage and starting a mammoth clear-out! I decided to tackle the garage methodically, commencing with the shelves near the door, which were full of paint tins, old plant pots, decorating implements... You get the picture!

Keith came out to join me and went through the drawers where he keeps all of his "man" stuff - boxes and boxes of screws, nails, hammers, tools, etc. Within a couple of hours, Sophie's car was full, and she had booked a slot at the tip.

In the process, I swept up leaves that get blown in and upset many, many little creatures, most notably spiders! Ugh! While we were clearing out the garage, Sophie stayed in the house, preparing breakfast and lunch for work tomorrow, hoovering, sorting out the laundry and making us mugs of tea.

Keith and I went for the first booking, and I was disappointed that the tip is no longer accepting hard plastic to be recycled. It now goes into landfill, which was a huge shame. We try to recycle everything we dispose of, but today quite a bit went into the unrecyclable skip. 

As well as taking stuff to the tip, I advertised some items on Facebook to give away for free. Sophie had brought home a load of paper, staplers and hole punchers, so they found a new home and Lynn, our neighbour, said she would have some car shampoo bottles! I also ordered a box from Vintage Cash Cow and enquired about a cabin at the antique emporium at Weedon Bec. Any money we make will go towards a holiday!

We had ham and cheese baguettes for lunch, and then carried on all afternoon, going to the tip one more time. Predictably, it was busy both times with people making use of the gorgeous weather to tackle their gardens, sheds and garages, just like us!

By about 4:00pm, we'd had enough, and I had a long soak in the bath. I was so glad that Sophie was cooking dinner and most of it had been done. Our dinner was delicious and well-deserved, as we had all worked very hard! Isn't today supposed to be a day of rest?!

Cars galore!

We had planned a weekend of staying home, with only a trip to the recycling centre to get us out of the house, but it didn't work out that way!

We spent the morning looking at cars on online selling platforms like Cinch and Carwow, and I almost bought two! One was an Audi Q3, but it was more than we wanted to pay and would have used a lot of our savings. The other was a white Peugeot 3008, and I called to see if I could arrange a test drive. It wasn't possible, but as I looked at it, it disappeared and said it was sold!

We looked at so many cars that we began to feel a bit shell-shocked, and they all began to blur into one mass! In the end, we started to be ruthless with our choices, such as discounting any without a spare wheel, but in the end I decided I wanted to see the car, drive it and make sure it's OK before I take the leap.

Sophie prepared tonight's dinner of chicken casserole while I took all the hearts down in the conservatory to do some cleaning. They were all festooned with cobwebs, and some of them were well past their best, so we decided not to put them back up. I gazed with dismay at the roof of the conservatory that needed cleaning, and submitted an enquiry to a local company.

We pottered about for another couple of hours, and went to see my Mum in the afternoon. She seemed a bit confused again, but then said as clearly as anything to one of the carers, "Did you have a good couple of days off?" We were speechless, as when speaking to us she wasn't making a lot of sense and seemed to have no idea what day it was! Hmmm! We stayed for an hour and tried to get the television working, as she had lost all of the terrestrial channels, such as BBC1, etc. 

Before heading home, we popped to the pub for a drink and a bite to eat. We hadn't eaten much at all during the day, so we ordered a bucket of chips (a very small bucket!), some tzatziki with Greek flatbread, and chicken satay. The food was delicious, and it was lovely to sit, relax and look forward to our Saturday evening.

We got home after Keith, who had been to see Sileby, told him we'd been to the pub and didn't want dinner... thankfully, he didn't mind! Sophie and I played Scrabble with a Vesper each, and almost had a bickerfest about the scores. I'd been leading, and then Sophie went way ahead! I ended up winning, but I think my daughter was annoyed with me!

We finally watched What Lies Beneath, and Sophie spent most of the time screaming. It was a good, scary film, and Harrison Ford looked very handsome in it! Swoon!

Feeling a little sad...

My heart sank when Liam arrived at 8:00am this morning, but he was very well-behaved and quiet all day! We had a chat about cars, so it was good to have some company. I do miss my former colleagues and the little chats we used to have!

At lunchtime, just as I was about to have something to eat, I had a Teams meeting with Kally, who looks after all the managers in the area. She wanted to show me about taking cash, but most of it went over my head! I learn by doing, not by looking, so I felt a bit deflated in the afternoon. I go from one day enjoying the job to the next wishing I was doing something else, which is very tiring for my family, and this impacted our Friday evening and set the tone for the weekend, unfortunately.

I realised, almost like an epiphany, that I haven't really enjoyed any job I've done, even when I was working with my parents! I was happy for the most part when I worked at the same location with my old company, but there were still days when I walked out, determined to look for something else! It's definitely me! I envy people who love their job and don't see it as work!

So, Friday evening was a bit subdued and the plan to watch What Lies Beneath, starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, was put on hold. We plonked a tray of Tesco curries into the oven and drank a Picpoul de Pinet. After dinner, we caught a couple of episodes of Top of the Pops from the 80s, so that made us smile!

Annoying noises!

We decided to make do and use ingredients in the cupboard for our dinner this evening, so Keith didn't have to go shopping. I dropped Sophie at the station and carried on to work, arriving just in time. It was my turn to buy the breakfasts today, and I used the new Greggs app on my phone. I have to say it was very easy to do!

Dan left at lunchtime, and Liam came into the office with me. He spent the afternoon making an annoying noise with his pen, which drove me crazy, so I was in a foul mood when I drove home. I ranted to Keith, so he must have thought I was a madwoman! I had to agree with him!

We went to pick up Sophie again, and she was in a much better mood than yesterday, so that was good. She had the leftovers from her lasagne for dinner, while Keith had made a delicious corned beef, onion and potato stew for us, served with crusty bread. Sophie and I enjoyed a delicious French red wine to go with our meals; it was a wine from Vaison-la-Romaine, and it brought back happy memories!

Bad news...

Sophie was off to Birmingham this morning to attend her yearly trade show, so Keith and I dropped her at the station before heading home to tackle the usual Wednesday chores. I was determined to find out what was happening with the car today, as it's now been three weeks since the accident, and I've had no news from either the insurance company or the garage about the repair.

I wish now I hadn't bothered. When I finally got through to the claims department, I was told the car was a "total loss" and that the garage had been sent the information on the 7th of September, over a week ago! I was very upset, as I honestly thought we would get the VW back. I now have to look for a new car, with all the hassle that comes with it. I was going to replace the car in the new year, but now I've been forced to do it!

The man I spoke to said that the specialist department dealing with a total loss would contact me next week, but in the meantime to look at valuations myself for the car, so I was prepared. My morning was therefore taken up with dealing with this and cleaning the conservatory, as Kym was due to come and see to our feet just after lunchtime. The hoover was making a strange noise, and when I looked at the brush, I could see it was jammed with hair! I then spent half an hour cutting it all out. In the end, there was enough for a new wig for Sophie or me! What a delightful morning!

Kym arrived at about 1:30pm and showed me photos of her wedding, which had taken place the day Sophie and I drove to Bergerac. She looked stunning in the photos, and it was lovely to chat about her day.

So, Keith and I have some big decisions to make in the next few months. We need a new car, and the en-suite bathroom is still awaiting a renovation as well. I feel we're in a bit of a slump at the moment, to be honest. Sophie is still hobbling about on her swollen ankle, and although our problems are little niggles, and nothing major, it feels like there is a steady drip, drip of issues happening that we could definitely do without!

Sophie's train arrived back in Northampton at just past 6:00pm, so we drove to collect her, and she'd had an exhausting day and was not in the best of moods! We bustled about doing the dinner as soon as we got home, and she had a drink to relax! I did too!

A busy start to the week!

Monday

I drove myself to work this morning and spent a frustrating day trying to get our outstanding invoices paid. I was busy all day, but I didn't achieve much! I also had a Teams meeting with other colleagues and a woman from the Independent Cinema Office regarding the opening of the cinema soon. I'm looking forward to this!

Back home, I pottered about, and we had the beef burgers that we should have had last night for dinner. Keith was looking forward to watching Newcastle play Leeds tonight, but the outcome was disappointing. Sophie and I went upstairs to watch Help! We Bought A Village, a much more relaxing choice!

Tuesday

I had another busy day at work, and I think I'm keeping my head above the water! I'm determined not to have over three hundred emails in my inbox like Sheila had, and I try to tackle them when they come in!

Keith and I went home at 4:00pm, and I hoovered and did some housework before Sophie arrived. Her ankle is a little better, but over the next two days she'll be at a trade show in Birmingham, so it'll be tough on her feet!

We enjoyed meatballs and pasta for dinner, and Keith went to see Sileby play. We watched the last episode of a documentary about a woman who pretended her son was seriously ill, and when the cats came in, Sophie went upstairs for some cuddles while I watched a programme about Britain's lost masterpieces. Keith came home at 10:00pm, happy to report that Sileby had won!

A muddy run!

We woke up to rain steadily falling out of a grey sky this morning, which wasn't good news for Sophie as she was taking part in a 10K run at Holdenby House. She set off at 8:00am while I relaxed with a coffee in the dry!

We had arranged to meet her at 10:45am at The Red Barn Café near Spratton for breakfast. I kept in touch with her throughout her run, and she said she'd twisted her ankle as the ground she was running on was uneven and slippery in places because of the rain.

She collected her medal at the end and enjoyed a free bottle of apple juice to celebrate! We drove over to Spratton to meet her, and arrived at the café a few minutes before her. We were seated by one of the pleasant staff who changed our table because of an influx of flies! I certainly didn't want them bothering us as we ate our breakfast!

Sophie arrived looking wet, muddy and sweaty, and we congratulated her on her achievement. Before long, she'll be doing the London Marathon! We had a good look at the menu, choosing sausage and bacon rolls, and a bowl of granola and compote for Sophie. She and Keith had tea while I opted for a flat white, one of the smallest I've ever had!

We enjoyed our breakfast, but I'm not sure we'll venture back. Keith said his bap was greasy, and I did feel queasy myself after eating. The café was noisy and felt just a little grubby to me. It had good reviews and it was great to try somewhere new, and I didn't even know it existed!

Back home, we pottered about, and Sophie put her trainers into the washing machine to wash. Her ankle had swelled up, so she wasn't happy about that, especially as next week she's at a trade show in Birmingham and will be on her feet for two days. I put some grass seed down on the back lawn, but it's so bald I used it all up and had to order some more! With the sunshine and rain showers today, it should do well!

Sophie had a lovely hot shower, and we went to see my Mum for an hour. We took her down to the lounge for a change and chatted to her, as well as showing her some photos on our phones. Sophie's foot began to hurt, so we returned home to relax, and after Keith had watched the football, I switched on Saturday Morning Kitchen, not really the best of programmes to watch on a Sunday evening when the weekend was over!

Surrounded by art!

Sophie and I were up early this morning and on our way to Market Harborough at 8:45am, as my daughter had a hair appointment at 10:00am. We found a parking space easily and walked to Just So Italian for a coffee and an almond croissant. This is definitely our favourite place to go to now in Market Harborough, and I'm sure we've tried everywhere! We used to hang out at Café Nero years ago, but no longer!

After we'd enjoyed our breakfast, we popped to Boots and then crossed the street to the hairdressing salon. There were no seats free, so I went to Costa and had another flat white there! Once I finished my coffee, I went back and waited for Sophie while reading my book. It was very relaxing!

We avoided the charity shops today (apart from the Oxfam bookshop) and browsed in Waterstones, where Sophie bought three books. She is such a passionate reader, and I love seeing her curled up with a book in her nook! We also popped into the new art gallery and admired some very modern, brightly coloured art!

We walked up the main street and noticed more artwork in the shop windows. The art exhibition is on again at Lamport, and they were also showing off works around town. We ventured down a small alleyway to explore a couple more shops, and met a woman with a tiny Pomeranian dog in her bag. The dog was called Pom, and she was gorgeously fluffy and friendly!

We walked further up the street and went to a new store called Neptune, which specialised in kitchens and homewares. This is now the third shop in the town selling overpriced tat, and I noticed candles for £45. We beat a hasty retreat!

By now, we were a bit peckish, so we decided to have a light lunch at The Wine Shed. We sat outside (the sky looked a bit ominous, though!), ordered a glass of wine each, and had paté and bread, and a sourdough roll filled with cheese and salami, with a hot honey dressing.

It was breezy sitting outside, and guests who were attending a wedding at the nearby church arrived in flowery dresses and ordered a bottle of wine. A couple asked for blankets to keep warm; it was that kind of day! Sophie and I chatted about our dream of buying a property in northern France, and she texted her ex-manager, who has an apartment not far from Boulogne. We wanted to pick her brains, so we arranged to take her out for lunch and ask lots of questions! We then saw a lovely flat in Deauville, which would be great to rent out in the Spring and Summer! We have to have dreams!

By the time we'd eaten our lunch and Sophie had enjoyed a Negroni, we decided to call it a day and head to Lamport to check out this year's artworks. The sky had clouded over, and we had dodged a few droplets of rain over lunch. We parked behind the hall and went for a cup of tea and cake first. Sophie chose a slice of red velvet cake, while I went for my favourite, Victoria Sponge. We sat at a wobbly table in the old stables, and I was bemused to see that the café was using packets of wooden cutlery. Why not just put out normal knives, forks and spoons and wash them?

We then spent a pleasant hour wandering about, looking at the different forms of art, from photography, painting, jewellery, textiles and sculpture. There wasn't much that caught my eye apart from a gorgeous wooden bench that had already been sold.

Inspired by Tina Turner...why?

By 4:00pm we had had enough, so it was time to head home, relax and look forward to a Chinese takeaway and a game of Scrabble. Need I say that Sophie beat me? She always does!

After enjoying our meal, we started watching Charlie Wilson's War, but it left all of us cold, so we switched on Carpe Diem instead. A much better choice!

Remembering 25 years ago...

I was looking forward to a day on my own in the office as Dan was working from home, but I was joined by Liam, who used to work for my old company as well. We worked well together and had a little reminisce every now and again!

Time flew again today, and before I knew it, it was 4:00pm and Keith was waiting. We drove home, and I relaxed before Sophie arrived. Our viewing choice tonight was A Place in the Sun, with a very chirpy couple looking for a house in Soller, on Mallorca. The woman was very annoying, and in the end, they didn't find anything they liked, which didn't surprise us! Why not rent for a few months instead of buying? Their £300,000 did not get them a lot!

We were late having dinner tonight, as Keith didn't get home until 7:45pm last week, and the dinner was waiting around for his return. Of course, he was early tonight, so he had to wait!

After dinner, we watched a sobering account of the 9/11 terrorist attack, with moving accounts from people affected, including one woman who had over 80% burns on her body. It was a very sad and tragic documentary and also included footage of the plane which hit the Pentagon and the one which crashed in a field. I can remember exactly where I was on the 11th of September, 2001, and I was on my way to pick up Sophie from school when I turned on the radio and heard the terrible news. It seems incredible that it was 25 years ago. Where have the years gone?

Something different!

I was back at work this morning, and my workday flew by! I am now enjoying working on my own and organising things my way. Kally, one of the managers, came in again, and we had a great chat before we walked to the nursery, who rent space from us, and spoke with the woman who runs it. I wanted to introduce myself, and I have to admit that both of us were surprised she was there!

We then had a tour of the new gym, I showed Kally where I used to sit (our old office is now a beautiful, new gym with air-conditioning) and went downstairs to the Reformer Pilates room, where the equipment looked like instruments of torture!

After work, Keith and I sped over to Kettering to take Mum a bag of toiletries, and she was sitting in the dining room, so I didn't stay. I said I would pop back over the weekend to see her and bring Sophie with me.

Sophie was going running with Becky after work this evening, and they ran around Brackmills, doing a 5k run in preparation for a 10k event on Sunday. She became embroiled in traffic on the way home, caused by two separate incidents on the awful A45. 

Dinner tonight was simple: fish fillets, wedges and mushy peas served with a curry sauce! Definitely different for us, and the curry sauce was delicious! 

We are noticing how early it now gets dark. Autumn is well and truly here now!

Garden toil!

Sophie was working from home today, and it was lovely to have her in the house while I was off. We sat and had a coffee in the kitchen before I started work in the garden. I wanted to rake up all the leaves that had fallen, clear the small area by the fence in preparation for putting some gravel down and a bench, and just tidy up everything.

Keith came out to join me, and together we worked hard. I raked up loads of leaves, took some more ivy down from the fence and asked Keith to cut down a bush that had clearly suffered in the drought we had. He managed to cut it all away, and we put all the prunings into our big sack and made an appointment for the tip.

While we were sitting having a coffee that Sophie had made for us, we were joined by a young robin who certainly knew that we were clearing the soil so he could find worms! When Mooney came out, he eyed the bird with lots of interest and kept "chirruping". I warned him not to touch the bird! He had already caught one earlier today that had got into the living room!

Ready for gravel and a bench to enjoy the sunshine!

Toiling away!

Some plants never made it over our hot and dry summer

Remarkably, the grass has sprung back after the lack of rain, but I will need to put the grass seed down next week after we've had more showers.

Crouching jaguar watching the birdies!

Keith and I went to the tip, heaved the huge bag into the garden waste skip and returned home to have sandwiches for lunch. We then hoovered out Sophie's car, I hoovered downstairs and peeled some more vegetables for dinner. It had been a busy morning and early afternoon!

I called the care home to let them know I'd go and see my Mum tomorrow, as I had run out of time this afternoon. I wanted to get the garden tidied, and we were pleased it looked so much better!

Eureka!

I felt a little depressed this morning on the way to work, and felt that there was surely more to life than this. It was raining and grey, so that didn't help! I had another busy day, and I'll certainly never be bored in this job! On the way home, Keith and I called into Waitrose to ask if a ring had been handed in, but it hadn't. I even scoured the car park!

When I got home, I watched an episode of the new series of Help! We Bought a Village and felt a slight pang of envy for those who had bought derelict or rundown properties abroad and were doing them up. One couple had bought a hamlet of buildings in France and were facing a mammoth task to clear away all the overgrown bushes and trees, so they had called in help. I would as well!

As I was watching, my phone rang, and it was Sophie to say she'd found her ring. She had gone out to her car to drive home, and the ring was sitting in the middle of the passenger seat. Now, this was very weird, as she had checked several times, and I had even knelt on the seat last night to check under the driver's seat! Surely I would have felt it or seen it? She was ecstatic, and so was I! I hated seeing her so unhappy.

I cooked dinner tonight, and we had loads of vegetables as we hadn't been eating too well over the last few days (yesterday was leftover chilli from Friday with nachos). We enjoyed meaty sausages, mashed potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and green beans! It was good not having them for a while, as we all appreciated them more!

Our evening viewing was Carpe Diem, a series we're enjoying very much. It was a lovely feeling that I'm not at work tomorrow and was planning a day in the garden! 

The lost ring

Today was my first day at work without Sheila, so I was a little nervous. Our Fitness Manager, Charlie, came into the office to do some printing, and she looked a little fed up, saying she used to work at another leisure centre and it was totally different to how it was with us. She said, like me, she felt overwhelmed with the workload. I think the problem is that the staff are still getting the hang of things and have either been moved over from my old company or are brand new, like me. We are all in the same boat!

I was very busy all day but felt like I'd done OK without Sheila. I have to say that I do miss my old colleagues, though, and the chats we used to have!

When Sophie came home, she went up to get changed, and I heard her exclaim loudly that she'd lost the ring on her little finger. It was the one she'd bought in L'Escala, and she was devastated. We looked everywhere: in her bedroom, throughout the house, in her car and on the driveway, but her ring was nowhere to be found. She'd had a bad day at work, and this was the final straw. She was worried she'd lost it in Waitrose when she popped in on her way home.

It made for a despondent evening. After dinner, we watched a Panorama documentary on 9/11 (surely I don't need to remind anyone it's the 25th Anniversary of the atrocity this Friday) and the connection between Saudi Arabia and the attack. How can it have been 25 years ago? I remember exactly where I was when it happened - on my way to collect Sophie from school - and we all watched with horror the events that unfolded.

Before going to bed, I reassured Sophie that the ring would turn up... watch this space!

An evening of silliness!

Sophie was running around Pitsford Reservoir this morning and met her friend, Becky, there at 10:00am. I tackled the housework and laundry, and when she got home, she brought goodies again! I enjoyed a matcha and shared a decadent croissant with Keith.

It's been another gorgeous day today, with warm sunshine and a gentle breeze, so perfect for getting the laundry dry outside. Sophie and I sat outside for a while, and I despaired at the state of the garden. There is so much to do in the house at the moment that I don't know where to start! When I'm off next Wednesday, I will try to get everything tidied up! At least the grass has perked up after the drought!

We had tickets for a show tonight: Sam Campbell's Kid Giblet Tour at Milton Keynes Theatre. We set off at 6:00pm and took Olive on the M1, as it was the fastest route. We parked easily near the theatre and went up to the Circle Bar for a drink and a tub of popcorn. I hadn't eaten much today, so I was hungry, but I wasn't sure that popcorn was the best thing to eat, as it was full of air! 

We sat and watched the theatre fill up with people and enjoyed a spot of people-watching. Just before 7:30pm, we went back down to the stalls entrance and found our seats right in the middle of a row. We had a good view, though, and there were various props on the stage, some of which made no sense and weren't even used in the show!

Sophie and I had enjoyed the last show we saw in Leicester, but unfortunately, tonight was not so enjoyable and was very silly. Some bits were funny, and we laughed, but we didn't find Sam Campbell as hilarious as last time. He had a bearded man on stage with him, who was supposed to be his IT support, but he wasn't funny, either. In the interval, we were able to order a bottle of water and ice creams and have them delivered to our seats! How decadent!

In the second half, a woman who had pretended to be an usher appeared and was on stage for a while telling jokes. When Sam Campbell reappeared, he asked everyone to add up their phone number, and anyone who scored over 59 had to go onto the stage! I didn't add mine up, but even if it had been over that number, there was no way I would have appeared on the stage! He spoke to everyone, and there were lots of people, with two winners who scored the highest. I'm not really sure what the point of it was, to be honest. Then they all threw yellow rubber gloves at the audience. Yes, it was that kind of show...

At the end, when we all thought the show was over, he came back on with two of the people who had appeared with him, and they wore weird hats with what looked like sausages sticking out of them, and pranced about the stage. It was a relief when it was actually over, and we could go home!

Celebrity sightings!

Sophie and I were back in London again today, but as the event we were going to see wasn't on until 4:00pm, we had a relaxed morning at home and didn't get a train until midday. The timing of this had to coincide with a Newcastle game, which started at 12:30pm, so we asked Keith to drop us off at about 11:45am. 

It was a gorgeous day with balmy temperatures and a blue sky studded with white fluffy clouds. Our train was a fast one, with no stops until St Pancras, and we had a lovely journey. We'd treated ourselves to canned cocktails for the ride to London and, on the way, booked our tickets for Kettering to St Pancras in November. The tickets were extremely reasonable considering it was a commuter train!

At St Pancras, we went outside and hailed a taxi in a very busy taxi rank. Ahead of us in the queue was a weirdly dressed man, and I wished I were able to take a photo of him. He had some sort of black headdress on, a shirt that was open at the back and the weirdest clothes I've ever seen. How brave to go out in public like that, knowing you were going to draw stares from everyone!

Sophie looking very becoming, unlike some in the queue!

We had a very pleasant taxi journey to the South Bank Centre, where we were going to The Rest is Fest, twenty-two shows featuring The Rest is... podcasts. Ours, of course, was The Rest is Classified versus Scaramucci. Other shows were The Rest is History, The Rest is Football (with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer), and The Rest is Science.

The South Bank Centre was busy when we arrived, and we went inside to explore. There was a shop, merchandise stalls selling books and tee-shirts, and a couple of bars. Outside, there were glorious views of the river, and people were enjoying the beautiful weather, which was so different to the rain and grey skies we had last week!

We decided to have something to eat and drink and explored an open-air food market, but it was hectically busy, and the choice of food was overwhelming! There was nowhere to sit, so we walked to a  nearby Pizza Express instead. We chose peach cocktails, a big bottle of water, chicken goujons to start, and we shared a pizza. The food and service were great, and it was lovely to sit and chat and look forward to seeing David McCloskey and Gordon Corera again!

We managed to find room for puds - a cheesecake for me and a white chocolate blondie for Sophie. We had a table booked at The Booking Office for 6:00pm, but we were planning on having nibbles with a drink.

Once we'd paid the bill, we walked over the road and went back into The South Bank Centre, this time going up to the second floor for a drink before the show. I ordered a medium glass of white wine, while Sophie chose an Aperol Spritz. £22 for the two!

We sat with our drinks and did some great people-watching. There were groups of teenagers acting very excitedly, and I did wonder if they had come to see the show we had booked. They didn't seem to be the demographic for fans of The Rest is Classified!

Just before 4:00pm, we walked over to the entrance of the auditorium, but we weren't allowed in, so we took two seats at a table. Here, there were even more groups of teenagers all gabbling excitedly and carrying bags with Sherlock & Co on them... We then realised there was another event taking place in another hall, so that made sense! I had never heard of the podcast Sherlock & Co!

Imagine our delight when we saw Gary Lineker walk past! The woman who was sitting at our table was also excited, and even more so when she saw a woman walk past who does a podcast with Anthony Scaramucci, Katty Kay.

When the doors opened, we took our seats in the front row and had a fantastic view of the stage. It was great to see David McCloskey and Gordon Corera again, but this was a much different event than Bletchley Park, which was far more intimate. I then did a double-take when I saw Tracey Ullman walk down to the front and look about for a friend she was joining. She had long grey hair, but it was unquestionably her!

The three men came onto the stage, and it was to be a debate between David McCloskey and Anthony Scaramucci, mediated by Gordon Corera. The question was: Was the CIA a force for good in protecting the US?

The first topic was about Watergate, and it moved on to Trump and Venezuela. They lightly touched on the subject of 9/11, and David McCloskey became a little agitated with Scaramucci! The last part was a question-and-answer session, and we were asked to vote about the CIA.

The show was only on for an hour, and there was no chance of meeting the three men afterwards, so it was very different from Bletchley Park, where we were able to mingle with them and chat. We left, managed to grab a taxi parked outside, and were whisked off to The Booking Office. It was a gorgeous late afternoon, and the sun sparkled on the River Thames, with the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament in the distance. On the way, we came across a filming unit, but we didn't recognise anyone!

Scenes from a black cab

Although we were early for our table, we were able to take our seats and have a look at the menu. We chose a bottle of sparkling water and a carafe of Balfour English rosé. We sat and relaxed for a short time before ordering from the nibbles menu: a charcuterie plate, hummus and crackers, chicken goujons, and French fries.

Lots of other tables were occupied, and the bar was full of people sitting and drinking, although the bar stools didn't look very comfortable! We could see the manager working really hard, and when he came over to us to top up our glasses, we had a chat. He said that three staff members had called in sick, and he sounded very fed up. We chatted for a while, and I said I sympathised!

We had a delightful meal and treated ourselves to a White Russian cocktail instead of a pud. When we ordered, we made the manager laugh; he said he hadn't heard anyone ask for this cocktail for ages! The drinks were so good, we ordered another and then paid the bill, which nearly made us fall off our seats. It was worth it, though!

We were able to catch the 8:05pm train, which should have got us to Kettering at about 8:55pm. We called Keith to let him know and settled back in our seats for the journey. However, minutes after leaving St Pancras, the train slowed because of a slower engine in front of us, and we were about twenty-five minutes late.

Keith had been waiting patiently and whisked us back home, where we were able to relax and chat about our day!

What day is it?

It felt weird having today off, but lovely at the same time! After an early blood test at the GP surgery, I pootled about while Keith went to Tesco to do our weekly shopping. When he got back and had eaten some lunch, we drove to Northampton to visit Homesense. We needed a new container for the wine corks we keep, and I knew they would have a good choice.

We were, indeed, spoiled for choice, and we picked out a huge wine/sundae glass that should accommodate them, with room for more! I also bought some new white cotton pillowcases, two pillow protectors, a candle and some white bowls, as we are badly in need of them!

We drove home; I left Keith there and went over to see my Mum for an hour. The carers were glad to see me, as apparently, my  Mum had been asking and asking where I was and had refused to get out of bed this morning. She seemed fine when I sat with her and chatted, but I was still worried about how thin she was. Jessica, one of her carers, said she only wanted to eat sweet things, which, nutritionally, weren't that good for her.

I showed her a picture I'd taken of her on her 80th birthday, and I was shocked at the change in her, to be honest. I'm honestly not sure how much more weight she can lose.

Back at home, I looked forward to a relaxing evening; perhaps I should have Friday off instead of Wednesday! Keith went to the pub while Sophie and I opened a bottle of red Sablet and watched a Netflix documentary called The Pastor's Wife. Sophie had said one of her friends had enjoyed it, but it left me cold. We started to watch episode two, but I lost interest!

Keith had prepared a spicy chilli for dinner, and afterwards we watched Top of the Pops from 1985. I swooned over Morten Harket, as he was then. He was definitely my teen pin-up! He is now 66! Sophie went outside to try to get the cats in and bumped into Lynn and Daphne the dog. She had been in the garden eating the cocktail sausages that Sophie had put down for Barry the badger! Daphne is the sweetest dog! She came over for lots of cuddles and strokes, and we chatted to Lynn until the chill of the evening air drove us back inside. It's definitely Autumn now!