15 June

Body Pump and work today. I caught a bit earlier train today so managed to walk over Tower Bridge on the way to work. My lunchtime stroll was in the opposite direction, past St. Paul's Cathedral, across the Millennium (aka Wobbly) Bridge and back to the office via London Bridge.

Nigel was in the office today so it was good to catch up with him, even if he didn't have any news to tell me!

Jonathon had a quiet day. Teresa came to do the cleaning and that was about it!

16 June

Funny how I seem to have a lot more to write about on non-work days. Got 4 loads of washing done to take advantage of the lovely sunny weather (rain forecast for tomorrow).

Swam 28 lengths of the pool (924 metres) in 45 minutes today so feeling quite pleased with myself!

Went to the GPO for lunch then a short stroll round Priory Gardens to get some steps done. Very hot unless I was in the shade. Lovely to see lots of baby birds, including Greylag Goslings. Had a quick chat with Lizzie and Alicia (fellow swan watchers. Lizzie is a keen photographer and takes some great photos).

My main job for this afternoon was a quick blast of the patio to get rid of the bird food mess (and bird and fox poo). It looks a lot better now. I got pretty wet (but the water cooled me down nicely) so the bottom zip offs of my trousers and my sandals were cleaned and put in the greenhouse to dry.

Jonathon did some water management, transferring water from the big butts near the house to the single one near my shed. It's now full. We'll wait until Saturday to see if anything else needs doing after the rain.

Jonathon had an appointment to see Dr. Saldanha in the evening. Dr. S. pleased with his progress and thinks he's well enough to go back to the physio so he'll need to make an appointment with Elissa tomorrow. Doc wants to see J again in 4 months.

17 June

A wet day, a work day.

It wasn't raining when I went to the gym but there had been quite a bit overnight so it was pretty damp. Not as wet as when I was coming home or going to the station with more rain coming down.

Met Mark for lunch at Thai Square - very nice. Nigel was in the office today so he joined us. We told him it could be the start of his 60th birthday celebrations (birthday tomorrow).

At least I didn't have to run round watering everything tonight!

18 June

Thankfully I'd got back from Sainsbury's before it started raining hard. I got damp but as I was putting the shopping away it poured down. The gutters couldn't hold it so I'm hoping all water butts will be completely full by the end of today (update - they are!)

Did Fay's class (thankfully on Zoom so didn't have to go anywhere other than upstairs). Unfortunately when I looked out of my window I noticed that the power of the rain had dislodged one of our gutters. Thankfully the rain is falling on the garden. Jonathon wrote to Terry to chase him (he's been supposed to be coming to do a load of jobs for ages). Terry is now due to come on 5th July so I hope it doesn't get any worse before then.

Did my walk by going to M&S and Pets at Home at the Nugent Shopping Centre. Jonathon needed some more "Meals for 1" for when I'm at work (he's allowed one a week) and Oli needed some more treat biscuits.

Did swan watch. The rain kept people away from the park so it was pretty quiet. The birds had plenty to say but all was well.

Went to collect some glasses from Priyanka (Knoll Residents' Association friend). They aren't what I was expecting but we'll put them through the dishwasher and see how they turn out.

Decided to watch some TV recordings this evening only to find the new Humax wasn't working. It seemed to be the same problem and the one we had to send back but Jonathon searched around the internet to see if anyone else has had similar problems. He found something and had to reset it to factory settings which wasn't ideal because it meant we'd lost everything we'd recorded. He's not happy!

19 June

Gym first (well, first after letting Oli out of the garage where he'd been for the night!) I had no idea he was in there but he was very chatty and told me, then Jonathon, all about it.

We drove to Gravesend to collect a whole load of CDs that Jonathon had bought. I've never been to Gravesend before and I'm fine not to ever go again. The road to the lady's flat was quite narrow so I was glad we'd gone in Shaun and not Arty.

I dropped Jonathon off at the market on the way home so he could see Greg without too much walking. He came home with yet more CDs.

Went for a walk with Caroline and Pebby (dog) in the afternoon to admire the wild flowers in Tubbenden Meadows. They looked lovely (the daisies were not in the meadows but on the way home).

20 June

Usual busy morning with Gym, Body Pump, Church, preparing dinner and getting my paper. Decided to do my walk to get my paper so I could stay in (and get home jobs done) this afternoon so went up to Crofton Woods and walked alongside the Kyd Brook for a bit of fresh air before the forecast rain. It seems a lot of other people had the same idea because the path was quite busy with walkers, dog-walkers and cyclists.

Had the usual Skype call with Mum and Dad. No real news on their side but Dad's hearing has definitely improved which is good.

Managed to get some gardening done - strawberries and rhubarb picked, roses dead-headed and tamarisk cut back. There are loads of strawberries but the rain hasn't helped so a lot of them are a bit soft. Still taste lovely and there will be enough for Gilda to take some home tomorrow. I'll eat the rhubarb with my muesli (unless Jonathon wants some). Perhaps growing strawberries near my veg helps with the slugs? They seem to prefer strawberries to peas and beans so long may they leave the veg alone.

Christine phoned for our usual chat. Her village hall committee seems to be falling apart but they've put out an appeal for more volunteers so she's hopeful it can be rescued. She and Gordon went to B&Q yesterday to get a little shelf to put the sanitiser on and one of the other committee members will make some signs for the one way system etc.

The Humax is working again. Jonathon swapped out an HDMI cable and voila! Perhaps that's all that was wrong.

21 June

Gym and work today. It was cold, damp and not nice so didn't go very far at lunch time. Took a few photos from our conference room but none outside.

Gilda came to see Jonathon for a chat and to take some strawberries home.

Did my weekly Covid test - negative.

Put the heating back on because it's so cold. The forecast says warming up from Wednesday so let's hope it's right!

The Humax broke again so Jonathon will be making a phone call tomorrow morning.

22 June

Body pump was slightly delayed this morning because Shreena had to reset her modem (or rather Mike did) before Zoom would work. She still made us work hard and we didn't miss anything as we could all stay 10 minutes later.

Work was work - nothing exciting.

Jonathon had a much more interesting day with the chimney sweep here to clean all three chimneys and then Teresa coming to do the cleaning.

I had lunch with Mark at Cafe Rouge in St. Katharine Docks. It was (just about) warm enough to sit outside so we did and enjoyed looking at the boats while we had a yummy lunch.

Went to Tesco as soon as I got home because the list was getting a bit long so I don't have to pick up quite as much on the way back from the gym tomorrow morning.

Pleased to see the "Orange Glory" alstromaerias in our front garden are looking lovely.

23 June

Gym and work for me today. Met Nicola for lunch at Haz - very nice.

It was warm and dry enough to sit outside when I got home so we did that with the foxes mooching about. They very politely took it in turns to have a drink out of the bird bath and C&P gave me for my 60th birthday.

Jonathon had a quiet day today in anticipation of a busy day tomorrow.

24 June

Everything was giong really well - got some washing done before walking to Goddington Park for park gym. Jonathon had got his sheets washed by the time I got back and another load was done as soon as I got home. Unfortunately the birds took a fancy to one of my sheets so that had to be washed again. I did that with some other bits that needed washing - four loads done!

We went to The Orpington for brunch (very nice) and I caught up with the ironing before sitting outside with Oli to have a pot of tea and do my crossword.

We were due to meet Carole and Gareth at 3 p.m. in Tunbridge Wells. I was really looking forward to seeing them as it's been ages since I've seen any of my family. I'd booked a table at Casa da Claudia and off we went for the train. We got as far as Tonbridge when the train stopped because someone was trespassing on the line between there and TW. We sat there for a while until it was clear that the train was going no further then got off and tried to find a taxi. Easier said than done but we eventually got one and arrived at TW around 4 p.m. to find that the cafe wouldn't serve us because they'd chosen to close early! We ended up in Cafe Nero but at least we got to have a catch up for about an hour. It went really quickly but at least we got to see them. The train journey home was fine so clearly they'd removed the trespasser.

It was just starting to drizzle when we got back to Orpington so I scampered home to get the washing in only to find the same sheet needed washing a third time! All done and on the airer inside. Time to put my feet up.

25 June

I was so tired yesterday that I cancelled swimming this morning so I could have a bit of a lie in. No Fay class because she's on her friend's hen weekend so Jo and I decided to try a completely different walk. We went on the train to Grove Park and walked some of Section 3 of the Capital Ring.

We went along Railway Children Walk where E. Nesbit lived and over the railway bridge that gave her the inspiration to write the book.

We went "off piste" for a little stroll through Grove Park Nature Reserve which was really nice.

We walked along the Downham Woodland Walk and really liked the markers - they each had an animal, flower, leaf or insect etc. as well as the number of the post.

We ended up in Beckenham Place Park, a very large, very lovely park. The mound was made from the soil etc. that was dug out to make the lakes so we had to venture to the top and enjoy the views.

We thought we'd earned our refreshments at the cafe in the park.

I was delighted to see the lilies in flower when I got home and even more pleased to find some of the Albert Bartlett "Apache" potatoes were ready. We'll have some of those for dinner tomorrow. They're a new type of potato for me so looking forward to seeing what they taste like.

Picked a few more strawberries and enjoyed those with ice cream.

Jonathon has been busy ripping CDs to the server - he wanted to get last week's collection dealt with before we go look at even more tomorrow!

Did swan watch with Carol. We were delighted to see so many goslings and other birds. There was no trouble so all good.

A man approached us asking for money. Needless to say, neither of us had any cash with us but he seemed genuine (refugee from Baghdad, Iraq from whence he'd fled because he's a Christian) so I took him to the Co-op and bought him a couple of bags of groceries. If he's a con man then I've been gullible but never mind.

Christine phoned because she'd forgotten how to deal with the photos for the Photo Book so had a chat with her and talked her through. She seems to be OK now.

26 June

Gym and Sainsbury's to start the day. Had a really good session in the gym, flitting from one machine to another because it was really quiet.

Sent a message round to ask if anyone else wanted to walk with me and a new person called Swati came along. She's Priyanka's sister which is how she knew of me. We had a good chat as we wandered through Goddington Park and round Lilly's Wood.

We were supposed to go to Crawley this afternoon but Jonathon spoke to Greg at the market and he said there was no market for the kind of CDs Jonathon was going to look at so he cancelled the meeting and we had the afternoon relaxing at home It was lovely to have time to read my paper, do the puzzles and a bit of gardening.

27 June

Gym then body pump. Did cycling instead of treadmill for a change! Body pump was finally back in the studio which was much better than the sports hall which is far too big and echo-y.

We had a different preacher at church because Jennifer's on holiday. Music group only had 2 songs to sing and the preacher sang a solo. She had a beautiful voice and it made a really nice change.

Popped to Sainsbury's to get my paper and some bits and pieces but still couldn't get turkey so we had chicken for dinner instead, still with the ginger sauce I usually do with turkey. We had some of our own potatoes - they were yummy!

After Skype with Mum and Dad I went for a walk with Caroline and Pebbie. This week we went to Petts Wood (National Trust) and got pretty damp on the way home.

Had some courgette as part of my salad for tea and strawberries for pudding. I stewed the gooseberries ready to add to my museli for the next few days so I'm all up to date with produce!

28 June

After the torrential rain last night, today started very misty and damp. Hard to believe it's June!

Went to the gym and had a nice chat with Luis. Judy was also there so we had a chat about Fay because most of the gang don't want to carry on with her Friday class (they've rejoined the gym so no need for Zoom classes) and both Judy and I are back at work so can't attend every week. We were concerned that Fay would be upset so Judy said she'd give her a call and have a chat with her. In the meantime, Fay's come back to us and suggested we meet once a month for an exercise / social which sounds like a good compromise, work permitting.

Work was a bit of a trial today. My train was cancelled and the next one delayed, not that it really matters because I'm not busy. I'd left my work phone on the charger and, more importantly, forgotten to take a new box of tea bags with me. Hopefully, I'll be a bit more organised tomorrow. I did have a good catch up with Margo from another bank. It was her first day back in the office so I think she was pleased to see someone in person!

Gilda came to see Jonathon and they went out for lunch. Christine and I missed our call last night (she was out and about yesterday) so we caught up tonight.

29 June

No photos today but a pretty typical Tuesday. Body pump and work.

Jonathon was busier at home dealing with Will, who came to clean our gutters out, and Teresa, who came to do the cleaning.

30 June

Was supposed to be gym and work today but, when I got to the gym this morning, the duty manager had had an asthma attack in the night and ended up in hospital so there was nobody to open up. Had a wander around Orpington for a little while then caught the earlier train into work and had a walk alongside the river and over Tower Bridge before going to the office.

Had enough work to keep me occupied today (much better than yesterday) and managed to get to St. Katharine's Dock for a walk at dinner time. At one point, this airship sailed past my office window which made a change.

Jonathon didn't have any visitors today so wandered down to town for coffee and a stroll round a charity shop or two.

1 July

Not at work so a busy day!

Got a couple of loads of washing done before going to Goddington Park for gym with Luis and the gang. It really helps loosen me up after 3 days of sitting and looking at my computer.

Delighted to see a Stag Beetle on my way there and recorded the sighting on the Endangered Species website.

Popped into Sainsbury's on the way home to get my paper and some bits and bobs.

Maureen brought me some beautiful flowers as a belated birthday present - a lovely surprise!

Almost as soon as D&M left to go home it was time to go do swan watch.

It was lovely to see so many birds around but very sad to see a dead gosling (looked like a fox had got it but who knows) and worrying to see a couple of rats around. Michael, another swan watcher, was also there so had a chat with him for the hour and he even gave me some of the brown bread he'd brought to feed to the birds.

Managed to do some more gardening before it was time to come inside and put my feet up.

2 July

Another busy day!

Had to dash to Tesco to get a wrap and bits for Jonathon's lunch before running off to do swimming.

I was so early at Tesco that they hadn't unloaded the papers so popped into Sainsbury's to pick up my paper.

Next job - a trip to the tip to get rid of five bags of garden rubbish then home and shower/hair wash before taking Jonathon to the neurophysio, Elissa.

Elissa was very pleased with his progress and was quite surprised about some of the things he could manage. She's given him some new exercises to do (in addition to the existing ones) so I'll re-set his daily routine.

The journey to Sevenoaks was terrible. We queued to get out of Orpington and queued all the way from Riverhead to the physio's office. What should have been a 20 minute journey took over an hour. We took a different way home!

While Jonathon was having his physio I bought myself a takeaway salad from Sopranos cafe and found a lovely shady bench on the edge ot Knole Park to enjoy it.

Met Jo at the station for our Friday walk and took the train to Penge East. From there we walked to Crystal Palace Park. It was a really good walk with plenty to see. We found a lovely cafe at the end of our visit to the park (not far from the Victorian dinosaurs) and enjoyed "Hummingbird" cake (banana, pineapple and pecans - yummy!)

Rather than go straight home, we walked via Alexandra Park and caught a train from Kent House.

Sports pavilion in Alexandra Park

3 July

I thought I'd booked a 9 a.m. slot at the gym but when I got up and checked it was for 7.30 a.m. so I was a tiny bit late getting there. It wasn't very busy so there was no pressure for me to leave at 9 a.m. so I did what I wanted to do then came home.

I enjoyed a quiet morning at home, caught up with ironing but didn't do much else. Jonathon went into Orpington High Street to check out a charity shop or two, hand in some stuff to the YMCA shop and run an errand or two. He was talking to Michelle in the YMCA and her daughter has a few neuro issues so Jonathon recommended Elissa to her and also offered to lend her the circulation booster. I delivered that to them in the afternoon with the strict instructions not to sell it!!

Jenny (No. 4) popped round with (yet more) lettuce and to let us know that Peter and Mary (No. 6) are away. We knew this because Mary had phoned me but apparently she'd forgotten so asked Jenny to let us know.

Did a bit of gardening before going for a familiar walk with Caroline (Poverest, River Cray, Priory Gardens). It's lovely to see so many wildflowers and grass have been allowed to grow taller this year.

4 July

Usual Sunday morning - gym, body pump and church. No dinner for me to get ready today because Jonathon had booked for us to go to the GPO for Sunday roast. It was yummy but we had no room for starter or dessert because the main courses were pretty large!

Did a tiny bit of gardening in the afternoon, spotted a couple of pea pods that looked ready so ate those (there weren't enough to bring inside). Took the nets off the strawberries and discovered that the animals had ripped a hole in the back of one of them which explains how they've been getting in.

Skype'd with Mum and Dad - they'd had a lovely visit to Harlow Carr on Tuesday.

Went for a short-ish walk and managed not to get wet (we've had quite a few showers today) but there were some parts of the path that were virtually impassable. I didn't venture into the woods themselves because they would have been far too muddy.

Had a catch up with Christine. They've also got heavy rain forecast so she's worried about the crops and potential damage.

5 July

Gym and work as usual!

London looked lovely in the morning sunshine and it stayed dry so I managed to have a walk at dinner time as well which was a welcome break from the Compliance Training I had to do today. I passed the test so at least that's done for a while.

Gilda came to visit Jonathon and brought lemon drizzle cake (yum). Terry came and started to work through his list of jobs - think he'll be here for the rest of the week as there's quite a lot to do.

I caught a bit earlier train home and got the grass cut before the rain started again.

6 July

Body pump and work (usual Tuesday).

Went for a walk to St. Katharine's Dock - it wasn't raining when I set off but I got very wet, then I dried out and got wet again before I got back to my desk.

Jonathon used some eggs up to make meringues (yummy!). Teresa came and did the cleaning. Terry continues to work through the list of things that need to be sorted out and has put the doors on the log shed so that looks a lot tidier.

7 July

Decided to experiment and work out if I could do swimming and still get to work at a reasonable time. Outcome - yes, if I only stay in the pool for 30 minutes and don't have breakfast at home! I managed 20 lengths in the time so quite pleased and will definitely do it again.

Saw Jean for the first time in ages because she came into the office today. She had some documents to sign and knew I was in to countersign. It almost felt normal!

Met Nicola for lunch but otherwise it was a normal work day.

Jessica and Angela have been going through Uncle Dave's photos and came across this one of me as a bridesmaid at Dave and Stella's wedding - such a long time ago.

Oli somehow managed to get fastened in the loft. Jonathon hadn't seen him since he prevented Oli bringing in a baby starling by putting his iPad against the cat flap so it wouldn't open. When he didn't see Oli for a while he thought he was just sulking.

Terry had been working up in the loft today so he must have sneaked in without being noticed. I can't imagine he'd choose to go in while Terry was in there because Oli really doesn't like him at all. It was only when I got home and suggested Jonathon should check that Oli was released.

Although the weather wasn't brilliant during the day the sun came out in the evening and it was lovely.

8 July

The sun was shining for park gym which is always good. I got the place where we normally meet (photo below left) only to find that today's gym class was in the children's play area. We would have moved had any children come along but it was probably too early for them (especially after England got through to the Euro finals last night (football))! It worked quite well and our feet didn't get quite as wet.

Terry was here to do some more repair job. His son, Paul, came as well today to sort out gutters and anything else that required climbing a ladder. They are done for now but will be back to finish the list - mainly fence and shed painting.

Mark came for brunch at the Orpington followed by a nice walk by the river Cray and through Poverest Park. The sky was really pretty. We had meringues with strawberries and ice cream as a reward for walking!

Did some gardening - mainly tidying up and gathering in crops (peas, courgettes and potatoes). Pleased to see the sunflower seed we'd been given at church a couple of weeks ago has started to grow. I think it's probably big enough to be planted into the garden so a job for this weekend.

9 July

We had the 7.30 a.m. gym class in our garden today. It seemed to work well so we'll do it again next week unless it's raining.

Popped to get my hair cut and get some bits from Sainsbury's.

Went for a lovely walk with Jo round 5 parks in Beckenham after dinner.

10 July

Gym then shopping, Boots, WH Smith etc. Cut Jonathon's hair and generally got a few things ticked off the list. Walked to Priory Gardens to finish off my steps and saw baby moorhens for the first time today so very happy.

11 July

Usual Sunday morning - gym, church, Sainsbury's. Nice that we have real flowers in the church now and we sang the last hymn outside so the congregation could join in.

Jonathon managed to get the new scarifier put together (it arrived yesterday afternoon) so that's in the garage instead of the kitchen now.

Early Skype with Mum and Dad because a fire person was coming to check their smoke alarm that seems to be setting itself off too often.

We were supposed to be a group of 4 walking today but Priyanka cancelled (had her Covid jab yesterday and is feeling a bit woozy). Netta also cancelled but not sure why. So, just Caroline and me (and her dog Pebby). I took the opportunity to test walk to St. Mary Cray station because that's where I'm meeting Jo on Friday for our walk.

Got home to toast teacakes for our tea only for the toaster to blow up (very loud bang and blew the fuses) so Jonathon will need to sort out another one - it was 4 weeks outside guarantee.

England (football) played against Italy at Wembley in the Euros final and lost on penalties. Very sad.

Pebby

12 July

It rained a lot over night but it meant there were some lovely reflections in the puddles outside the gym.

It was very dark and cloudy most of the day and we had some very loud thunder rolling around the office but, amazingly, I managed to miss the rain all day and didn't get wet.

Work haven't decided whether I go to one week on / one week off or stay with 3DW. Apparently they'll tell me tomorrow.

Gilda came over and she and Jonathon went to D'Angelo for lunch - a new restaurant in the High Street. They were very impressed so a good addition to the list.

Missed Christine yesterday so caught up with her tonight.

13 July

So ... work haven't let me know which days I'm working next week or whether I'm working week on / week off. Apparently they'll tell me tomorrow. Why they can't tell me today I don't know because I understand that the decision has been made. I'd guess it's getting clearance form HR etc. that might be causing the delay.

Other than that ... usual Tuesday morning with body pump then work with a walk over Tower Bridge on the way into the office. It was very cloudy and dull then but got out nice by dinner time so I had a lovely walk along the north side of the river from the City to Blackfriars and back to the Tower.

Teresa came and did the cleaning but otherwise Jonathon had a quiet day.

14 July

Swimming this morning and pleased to see the Pop Up Park has popped up again - Summer holiday time must be here.

Work has finally decided I should continue working 3 days a week but, because I'm in the "red team", on the "green weeks" I'm not allowed in the main office but have to work in one of our meeting rooms (called Paris). Apparently this preserves the "bubbles" so satisfies HR, Health and Safety and any other bit of the bank that needs to be OK with the arrangements.

We will still have to wear masks in the office and the Mayor of London has delcared that masks will still be required on London Transport - such a palaver - makes me wonder why we needed vaccines - perhaps they don't think they work!

Met Mark for lunch at Comptoir Libonaise. We used to go to their branch in Wigmore Street when I worked in the West End so pleased they've opened one near London Bridge. It was just as good as we remembered.

Walked back a slightly longer way round past The Tower of London to get my steps done.

The weather has really picked up through today so we sat outside when I got home from work and I even got a couple of loads of washing done and outside to dry - such a lovely change.

15 July

I think The Times article summed it up pretty well! First we don't have to wear masks on public transport from Monday, then we do; no masks at work then they're back and so on. Boris Johnson says it's up to each individual business to make their own guidelines rather than having a government diktat. Sometimes it's just easier to be told what to do.

Some of the supermarkets are encouraging people to continue wearing masks but without the weight of the law behind them it will be interesting to see just how many people will decide to adhere to the request (or not). I'll keep a mask with me at all times (like now) and try to stick to guidelines as much as possible.

Back to today and the usual park gym (Luis made us work a bit harder today), Sainsbury's etc. Jonathon and I went to the GPO for lunch and I did the rest of the shopping on the way home (there was too much to carry the first time).

Jonathon had bought yet more CDs and DVDs so we had to go and collect them from a place called Vigo Village. We'd not been there before but the drive there (once we'd left the M20) was really pretty. When he got the hundreds of CDs home there were a lot of cases with no CDs in them. He'd done a spot check on each of the three boxes of CDs but clearly none of those he checked were empty.

Managed to get quite a bit of gardening done - grass and weeding mainly so nothing exciting but it looks a lot tidier.

This is probably the best photo I've ever taken of a bee. He/She was sunbathing on Jonathon's car windscreen. It did a little shuffle around until it got comfy then settled down for a snooze. Such a beautiful creature.

Our "white" fox was a very big help around the garden until Oli appeared then he shooed her off and took over guard duties.

16 July

We had Fay's gym class in our garden again. I put chairs out to put our stuff on because the grass was quite wet with dew. Fay had her kg weights stolen in the park last week so she borrowed my 3kg while I used my 1.5kg ones.

The class overran by quite a bit but Judy very kindly gave me a lift to St. Mary Cray station where I was meeting Jo for our walk. We took the train to Eynsford and walked from there to Shoreham, following the River Darent for most of the walk. It was incredibly pretty.

One of the highlights of the walk was the lavender fields (and the lavender ice-cream of course!) There were a few other people around, making the most of the lovely weather and the purple lavender.

We had out annual financial review - this year by Webex. We are still solvent which is good to know!

With the warm weather comes the need for pot watering so got that done and picked the first few broad beans of the year so looking forward to those tomorrow for lunch.

I'd just settled down outside to enjoy reading my book in the evening warmth when the ants started flying. Needless to say, it was time to come inside before I got totally covered in them. Thankfully it only happens once a year for a couple of days - I think they've been waiting for the warmer weather.

17 July

Decided to have a relaxing day today so no gym. Delivered my allocation of Knoll Residents' Association newsletters and picked up some bits at Sainsbury's then sat under our sun umbrella, enjoying the warm weather and reading my paper, doing my crossword etc.

Emily (work) called to talk through a tricky situation. It's not something she's seen before but, because I'm older / more experienced, it is something I've had to deal with before so I could pass on some tips. I think she left the call a bit more comfortable with the position she's in.

Made a lovely chicken risotto for dinner with lots of yummy veg (including courgette and broad beans from our garden).

Filled in my tax return in the afternoon and pleased to say HMRC owe me money this year which is a lot better than last year. Did some work on Christine's Photo Book and now it's back with her for a final check before I start putting together in the book itself.

Went for a walk in the evening with Netta and Miro (had to wait until it was a bit cooler). It was lovely and cool in Petts Wood and Jubilee Country Park.

Had an email from Scott at the Orpington to advise they were having to close for a couple of days because so many of the team are having to self-isolate having been "pinged" by the test and trace Covid app. The tracing seems to have gone crazy and is now being called a "Pingdemic".

18 July

Usual Sunday morning gallop around to gym, body pump, church and Sainsbury's with the added task of Covid testing. I need to do two tests a week for the next 7 weeks (at least) so Sunday morning and Wednesday morning look like the best times for me. It was, of course, negative.

Tried to Skype with Mum and Dad but she couldn't get logged on for some reason - no idea why. Hopefully Carole or Pauline can sort it out next time they're there.

Got Christine's photos in the right order for the Photo Book only for her to find another one for me to slot in! Photobox have a half price offer so we've taken advantage of that. I just have to put it all together now. It would be a lot easier if the site didn't keep crashing.

Went for a walk in the evening with Caroline after it had cooled down (supposedly). It was too hot for Pebby so she didn't come. It's been > 30C here today so very hot with hardly any breeze. Thunder forecast tomorrow which is no surprise.

The Health Secretary has tested positive for Covid so both Boris Johnson (Prime Minister) and Rishi Sunak (Treasurer) have been "pinged" and are having to self-isolate. Boris has had Covid in the past and was in hospital so hopefully he won't catch it / be as bad this time.