2022 Out of Lockdown Diary - Page 25

1 August

1 August is Yorkshire Day so white roses seemed appropriate. I wish I could say this photo was taken today but the drought has frazzled the garden so I used one from earlier times.

Although Ela is on holiday, a few of us still met at the gym and made up our own circuits class. It was fun but I'm not sure we worked quite as hard as we would with our slave driver there.

My main job for today was completing Dad's ISA application and getting is sent to Yorkshire. With all the fuss it's caused so far I pushed the boat out and sent it by special delivery so it should arrive with them tomorrow. I've let Carole know because she's agreed to hand deliver it to the Building Society once Dad's signed everything and Mum's found the passbook for the account we are closing.

Jonathon and I had a chat with Alex, our financial adviser, to try and decide what to do with our HSBC ISAs because HSBC don't want to hold them any more. Alex will do some digging and get back to us.

I did a few more steps by going down to Sainsbury's then finished them off doing the watering and a tiny bit of gardening after staying out of the warm sunshine for a while.

2 August

Went for a walk before work - saw my first acorns of the season.

Work was a bit crazy but OK.

Carole phoned re the YBS stuff for Dad (the letter arrived in Knaresborough today as planned). She'll hand deliver it tomorrow.

Jonathon found a glitch in the HMRC's on-line tax return system so they are trying to sort that out.

Hayes Garage Doors came to fix the garage door (and didn't!). Will came and cleaned the windows (and talked Jonathon's ears off as usual).

3 August

Had a quick walk before work then met Rachel at the station. Rachel is a recent law graduate who came to pbb for a day's work experience. I know her because I go to church with her Aunty Esther. We'd put together a programme that enabled her to spend some time with each of the different teams in the office. By the end of the day she was happy, her head was spinning and she was tired out. I think she found it beneficial and my colleagues seemed to think she was OK so I might get her in for another day.

I met up with Gilda in the evening and we went to see a new comedy - Jack Absolute Flies Again. It was brilliant. Really funny, quite poignant and very British. Definitely worth seeing and I might have to go see it again if I can find a space in my diary.

4 August

No Teresa this week because she's on holiday so cleaning had to be done. Mark came over for a walk and a snack lunch. Everywhere is so very dry - quite depressing really. There was a big grass fire recently, not too far from where we were walking today but we didn't see it.

We went to Croft Tea Rooms for a snack lunch. I ended up having carrot cake because they had no potatoes or wraps! It was very tasty carrot cake but not what I expected to have.

Tried to cancel my trains to and from Knaresborough but the website seems to send me in circles so I'll try and have an online chat with them tomorrow when they reopen.

Jonathon and I went to see "A Play That Goes Wrong" in the evening (rescheduled from 2020). Although we've seen it quite a few times, it was still really funny.

5 August

Jo, Coco and I were supposed to go to High Elms today but she had an emergency dentist appointment so we went to Bromley via Crofton Woods and Richmal Crompton Fields. As we got to Bromley early, Jo came with Coco and me to Queen's Gardens. Unfortunately Coco decided her ball simply had to go into the almost dried up pond. There was hardly any water left but lots of horrible, slimy, smelly mud. She came out filthy and very smelly. Not content with shaking herself all over me, Coco then rolled in the dry grass and looked like a creature from the deep. It was at that point that Jo left us to go for her appointment! Coco and I had a walk around the rest of the Gardens then met back up with Jo and caught a bus back to Orpington by which time Coco was dry (but still smelly!).

We put about 30 minutes of tap water into the pond - it was getting very low and we thought we ought to top it up, not least as we are threatened with a hosepipe ban before much longer.

I relaxed with my newspaper after dinner, having picked some raspberries and a decent sized courgette.

Managed to get through to Trainline and cancel my tickets for Yorkshire next week with a full refund. I'll have to drive instead.

Jonathon went to photograph a gig in the evening while I did some watering then exchanged lots of messages with the other people who'll be on the stall at the festival tomorrow to make sure we don't forget anything.

6 August

First job this morning was to load up the wheelbarrow and transport everything to Priory Gardens to set up the Priory Gardens Wildlife Foundation stall at Priory Festival 2022. Jonathon came with me, carrying a couple of buckets of raffle prizes, spare tent pegs, carrier bags etc. There were a few of us so putting up the gazebo wasn't too tricky. The stall was open from 12 noon to 6 pm. and my shift was with Alicia and Lizzie from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. so I went back down for then. At that time there weren't many people at the festival but Peitra and Zally did much better after 4 p.m. so not a totally wasted day from that point of view.

People had been really generous and donated loads of raffle prizes. To make life easier we bundled them so there were 13 lots in all, including a lovely bird food hamper as first prize.

The festival had two stages and our stall was near the second stage - rock music isn't my kind of thing but some of the poetry was interesting. I was still very happy to go to the main stage after my shift and settle down there.

We weren't allowed to take food or drink in but there was plenty of choice and I had a lovely chicken taco for "tea". Jonathon was nominated photographer for the day so he had access to the "green room / tent" with water and fruit provided (he didn't bring me any!!).

The headline act was Scouting for Girls. They were really good and a lot of the crowd seemed to know every word of every song. A short fireworks display finished the evening.

7 August

A different Sunday for me. No gym but I went for a walk. The birds in PG seemed fine - clearly not too upset by the festivities and fireworks yesterday.

Main activity for the day was going to Chiddingstone Castle with Jonathon to listen to Some Kinda Wonderful. A lovely outdoor setting for a great concert. The man in charge was clearly not happy that Jonathon was there (despite having been invited by the band) and told him to sit down. Having sat down, J got out his large lens and took photos from his chair. That seemed to work but he didn't be the same range of photos as normal.

Spoke to Mum in the evening. She's at hospital on Friday for a colonoscopy so clearly nervous about that but otherwise both she and Dad seem OK.

8 August

Gym to start the day then Gilda came for a walk. We stuck to shady alleyways and woodland as much as possible to keep out of the heat. We joined Jonathon at the Orpington for lunch.

Rachel popped round with a thank you note and plant - very kind of her even though not needed. I've given her a few more names ro contact (having checked with the contacts first).

Went to Priory Gardens to collect my buckets from Jacqui (they borrowed a couple on Saturday for the stall). We raised £155.40 on the stall so better than we thought it might be with being so quiet early on.

Caught up with Christine. She was busy harvesting. They are getting on well with the wheat harvest now the weather has dried up in Yorkshire. She hopes to finish tomorrow.

9 August

Started today with a walk and ended it with watering the garden when it had cooled down a bit.

Thames Water have announced that are going to impose a hosepipe ban but they haven't said when yet. In the meantime, we are having to water the food beds and the plants in pots but the rest of the garden is not looking healthy at all. There's still no rain forecast within the next few days.

Work was interesting in that a customer clearly wasn't happy that we wouldn't agree to do what they wanted. It was a lively webex meeting to say the least. I signed the contract to extend my employment to the end of 2022.

10 August

Oli decided 5 a.m. was a good time for breakfast this morning. By the time I'd fed him there was no real point in going back to bed so I got some of my stuff together for packing.

Went to Body Pump for the first time in a while - it was quite hard (out of practice) but I managed it in a fashion.

I took a few random photos on my way into work - this one was near the Tower of London. It looked pretty against the lovely, blue sky.

Work was really busy so the day flew by. If some of my colleagues spent less time deciding whether or not it was "their job" to do something and more time actually doing it they'd get a lot more done.

Jonathon got Shaun ready for me to take to Yorkshire tomorrow - tyres checked, petrol filled up etc. so he's ready to go.

11 August

Got some washing, watering, gardening and a walk via Sainsbury's done before heading north. It took the usual while to get to the Dartford Tunnel then everything was going well until six miles took an hour between the M18 junction off the A1 and the turnoff to Barnsley. There'd been an accident so one of the lanes was closed - it was chaos!

Finally got to Mum and Dad's. Mum is understandably fretting about her colonoscopy tomorrow and, even more, how she'll react to the pre-med gunk this evening. I had tea with Dad (cheese and yummy beetroot from Dad's garden) before heading to the Dower House. Carole popped in so with some shopping for them - good to see her, albeit briefly.

After a refreshing cup of tea I had a short walk alongside the Nidd to finish my steps and stretch my legs.

Jonathon spent the evening shooting Think Floyd (I didn't like the original Pink Floyd so a tribute band is my idea of hell!). Thankfully, J enjoys their concerts.

12 August

Went for a walk round Jacob Smith Park before breakfast. It was a lovely morning, not too hot, and really to good to see some grass that was green rather than the yellow stuff we have at home.

Spent the morning with Dad while Carole took Mum to hospital. Nothing unexpected was found so we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

Got up to date with finances and filing.

13 August

Had a final walk around in Knaresborough before starting the long drive back South. I popped in to see Mum and Dad very briefly to hand the sports pages to Dad and I book I'd finished last night to Mum.

The journey wasn't bad until I got to Junction 29 on the M25 and had to queue from there over the Dartford Crossing. With the temperature at 30+C it was unbearably hot in Shaun, even with the windows open. I was very pleased to get home and relax a bit.

The hot weather had also taken its toll on the garden. Jonathon had watered the pots and I'd watered the veg before I left on Thursday. It's all had a good watering tonight so hopefully it'll pick up by morning.

Jonathon went to Jo's (she's away) to try and rescue some of the plants on her balcony and check all was OK with the flat.

14 August

It's 44 years today since I started work!

Another hot day so no gym because it would be too warm. Instead, I went for a walk and checked whether the restaurant that we want to go to tomorrow will be open (they've been closed for holidays). Wandered back through Tugmutton Common, Darrick & Newstead Woods and Crofton & Sparrow Woods.

Went to church. Not many there, presumably because of the hot weather.

Had a Skype call with Mum. Dad popped his head round the door but didn't stay, again because of the heat.

Jonathon went next door to deal with the paper (they are away) and went down to Jo's to check on her balcony. I did a load of watering around the garden and topped up the fishpond a bit. Tap water isn't that great for ponds but it's all we've got just now. We've got rain forecast for tomorrow afternoon - I really hope it arrives.

Had a chat with Christine. She's her usual busy self but nothing particularly different to report.

15 August

Yesterday my chest felt really tight and I was coughing a lot. I did a Covid test (negative) so I guess it's all the petrol and diesel fumes I breathed in while queuing on my travels a few days ago. It's also really dusty with the lack of rain so that won't help. I really couldn't face going into a hot sticky gym for a class (and didn't want to scare them with my coughing) so I cancelled and only went as far as Sainsbury's for my paper and Jo's balcony to make sure everything was OK.

Terry and Jay came to start on the list of jobs we'd put together for them. Lekto delivered a whole load of wood for winter. (we got that put away after lunch).

Gilda and Mark both came for a walk and lunch and Jonathon joined us at The Drawing Room. Our walk was yesterday's walk in reverse, adjusted slightly, and we scrounged a lift from Jonathon to get home.

It rained and thundered for about 15 minutes or so which gave us a chance to check all the water butt feeds and fix the one that wasn't working. Hopefully, we'll have some more rain tomorrow (it's forecast).

I'm still coughing. Gilda said it took about 6 months afer Covid before she really felt better - seems I might have a while to wait before I'm back to 100%.

16 August

Usual pre-work walk then into the City. By the time I got to the office, it had started drizzling and then it rained steadily until early afternoon. Everything seemed less dusty and the temperature had dropped so it was much better for travelling.

Work was busy but not too bad.

Jonathon said the weather had been similar at home so we've finally got some water in the water butts.

Trainline confirmed that my train to Devon on Saturday had been cancelled becasue of the strikes so I've had to tell Hillie that I can't be at her Ruby Wedding party. So frustrating!

17 August

Decided to miss body pump (chest still not quite right) and went for a walk instead. Everything felt a lot fresher after the rain we had yesterday.

We have a couple of work-experience people in our office this week and it was my turn to talk to them this afternoon. I conjured up a case study based on our most complex deal and we had a chat about it and what our options were when dealing with it. I was very impressed with their ability to understand the complexity and they even came up with the right answer. Not bad for second year university students.

Terry and Jay came and did some more jobs around the house. They'll be back tomorrow.

Jonathon went down to Devon to stay with Mervyn and Anne. It's years since he went to see them. He's due to stay there until Monday now he doesn't need to bring me home on Saturday. Oli and I will have to fend for ourselves for a few days.

Popped round to see Jenny and Peter to check which of us was going to deal with Peter and Mary's post - I am! P&M are back at the weekend but the timing seems to be a bit flexible because of the train strikes.

18 August

Today's main job was going to Bromley for a routine mammogram. I walked most of the way there to get my steps done and caught a bus for the last bit of the journey into Brom;ley itself. On the way back, I got the bus to Petts Wood, checked in Morrisons for anti hair-ball bisuits (none in either Tesco or Sainsbury's). Morrisons didn't have any either. I walked home from there.

By the time I got back Terry and Jay were here doing some jobs but they had to rush off because Denise called Terry to let him know that they had no electric in the garden so he had to sort it out before his Koi suffered.

Teresa came in the afternoon and I had my hair cut. I did a bit of gardening when I got back and put one of the networks back into action (under strict supervision by Jonathon over Facetime).

19 August

A day of bits and pieces: supermarket to get paper and shopping (had a quick chat with Julie and Esther); back again to get the bits I missed, going via Jo's to check her flat and water her balcony plants; next door to get their paper and post; washing and ironing; lunch (yummy salmon - I misread the time and ended up eating at 11.30 rather than the 12.30 I thought it was - Covid brain kicks in again?); walk to Pets at Home (via Poverest Park and the Riverside Walk) to get a new bowl for Oli to replace the one that got chipped recently. I also checked if they had any Anti Hairball treats but they didn't - seems there are none anywhere in Orpington. Amazon seem to have some in stock so I've asked Jonathon to order some.

On the way back from Pets at Home, I popped into Lopeto / Priory Gardens for a drink and carrot cake. Had a quick chat with Alicia, Lizzie and Michael who were guarding a poorly goose. Julie collected it and took it straight to the Swan Sanctuary. Seems it might have botulism and be dehydrated / undernourished. Hope it recovers.

I saw an article in this week's local paper about The Cinnamon Trust asking for help with dog walking around this area. They match up people who aren't able to walk their dogs - old age, frailty, illness etc. - with people who volunteer to walk them. I've completed a registration form and provided my three referees (Gilda, Mark and Nigel, with Nigel being my "professional" referee). It'll be interesting to see what the charity come up with but I suppose it might take a while for them to complete their formalities.

20 August

I was supposed to be At Hillie and Dave's Ruby Wedding party today but train strikes scuppered that so I had another day of jobs and chores, in no particular order:

popped to Tesco to get my paper;
snuggled and groomed Oli a lot and cleaned his flap door;
went next door to pick up their paper and post;
went to the gym for the first time in ages (Jim was covering Fay's class so it was a bit easier);
did a couple of loads of washing, got it dried outside and put away;
cleaned the bird baths;
sorted out the coal (the foxes had destroyed the cover so it needed fixing);
had a chat with Chris across the road (they've just come back from Tenby);
watered our plants;
went to Jo's and watered her plants;
went for a walk to Priory Gardens and had a chat with other neighbours on the way home;
had yummy Italian-style chicken pasta for lunch;
had cheese and beetroot (from Dad's garden) for tea;
did a couple of hours garden.

Phew!

21 August

Other than Jonathon being away, today felt like a "normal" Sunday. I went to Shreena's class, a walk then church. I was pleased to see that some of the trees on Broomhill have protection around them but not sure why it's recently appeared - perhaps some work is to be done on one of the nearby cottages?

I finished tidying up what I'd cut back in the garden last night (I ran out of daylight yesterday) and did another hour or so.

Had the usual Skype call with Mum and Dad - both in pretty good form.

Chatted to Christine, also on good form - no real news.

22 August

Went to Ela's class to start the day, called into Sainsbury's on the way home then dropped Peter and Mary's post round to them.

Caroline and Pebby joined me for a walk up to National Trust Petts Wood, supposedly to see the heather in bloom but it was so dry there was hardly any colour at all. I think we tired Pebby out because she curled up and went to sleep while Caroline and I had a snack and drink at Lopeto. I collected another calendar from PGWF - this one's for Mum and Dad.

By the time I got home and had a cup of tea it was time to water our veg and pots then go down to Jo's and water hers. For some reason the milkman didn't leave us any milk this morning so I picked up some while I was down there.

Jonathon drove home from Devon and we caught up with quizzes, TV watching etc.

23 August

I went to Goddington Park for this morning's walk. It's a bit further than I can manage if I get up at 6 a.m. and want to catch the 8.20 a.m. train but at least I tried it. Despite some Oli interference as I left for work, I still caught the train because it was a couple of minutes late.

Jonathon spent a long time queuing in the Post Office to apply for his Over 60s Oyster Card. The forms have now been sent off so hopefully the card will arrive soon and he can start to enjoy free travel after 9.30 a.m.

Work was really busy so the day flew by. I didn't have time for a walk at lunchtime, just a quick whizz across the road to get something from M&S.

Met Nicola and Mark for dinner at Thai Square and caught up with their news.

The sun was starting to set as I walked over Tower Bridge to catch my train home - it looked lovely.

24 August

Went to body pump then work - busy day.

We were booked to see Gretchen Peters at Kings Place in June 2020. The show was cancelled several times because of Covid and linked travel restrictions but finally went ahead. Rather than walk up to KP from work, I had my first trip on the new Elizabeth Line (tube) - nice and smooth, air conditioned etc. then caught the Thameslink from Farringdon to St.Pancras. That meant I was near KP early so I went for a lovely walk alongside Regent's Canal.

The concert was brilliant.

25 August

The thunder and lightning at 6 a.m. was pretty spectacular so I watched that for a while, enjoying the sound of the rain, then back to bed for a nap. We had good, steady rain for quite a time so the water butts are looking a lot better with the ones nearest the den door more than 3/4 full (a lot of rain!). I got very wet walking but it was so lovely to feel the rain that I was happy!

I dug up the first of the Desiree potatoes. It was easy to tell we'd not had much rain - there weren't many and they ones that were there were quite small.

Teresa came and did the cleaning. She was helping one of her customers move house in the afternoon so she came to us in the morning.

Gilda and went to The Churchill Theatre, Bromley in the evening - another rescheduled show.

26 August

Popped to get my paper from Tesco then decided to join the Aquafit class. I hadn't done one for ages but it was good fun so I was glad I went.

I cooked savoury rice for dinner. It turned a pretty pink because I added some of Dad's beetroot. It tasted really good.

I treated myself to a couple of new pillows from Julian Charles - they had a sale on. I asked Jonathon if he wanted some as well but he said: "No thanks". That was, up to the moment he saw mine and realised what a great bargain they were so I went back to the shop and got him a couple as well!

I checked on Jo's flat after the rain from yesterday (it all seemed fine) and finished my steps tramping around the streets having spent most of the rest of the afternoon reading my paper and doing the puzzles.

27 August

Jonathon will be 60 on Wednesday so I've started buying him some little presents. The first one (yesterday) was sponsorship of Bubba, a Dogs Trust dog. We can't have a dog because of Oli so this was a good alternative. Today's was a new quilt cover set for his bed. I've stayed with the safari-type theme but this one is nowhere near as subtle as the one I got him a few months ago!

I started today with Fay's class - it didn't seem quite as hard today so perhaps she was still in holiday mode!

Jonathon went off to Sutton to photoshoot "Folk on Foot" for the day so I was home alone. I asked Knoll Walkers if anyone fancied a walk but it seems everyone who saw the WhatsApp message was busy so I caught up with a few jobs (ironing, Jo's flat, Boots shopping etc.) and finished my steps with a short walk to Priory Gardens.

28 August

Fay was in charge of Shreena's class this morning. I checked in with Shreena who says she's not managing too well with going back to work full time - she's really tired. Also, her brother and family are coming over from Australia and she'll see her Lockdown nephew for the first time so she's busy getting everything ready for their visit.

I went for my usual walk between gym and church with an additional stop in Priory Gardens to see if I could find a camera battery that somebody said they'd lost in there yesterday. Unfortunately, there was no sign of it.

We had a visiting preacher at church - he was really good so I enjoyed the service.

29 August

Started today with a gym session with the gang. No formal class with it being Bank Holiday so we made up our own and ended up playing "football" with one of the large, soft gym balls - great fun.

Gilda came and we went to Goddington Park and Lilly's Wood before meeting Jonathon for his first birthday lunch, this one at Masala Dabbas. Very yummy food but I ate so much I wasn't fit to do anything in the afternoon other than newspaper and puzzles.

Jonathon spent most of the day catching up with his photos from Saturday.

The Covid numbers are falling nicely (hope I've not jinxed it!) Hopefully, they'll stay down, at least for a while.

30 August

It was quite dark when I set out on my pre-work walk today - it's noticeable how the nights are stretching and days are shrinking.

We are in the middle of a false Autumn according to the scientists so the berries are ready early. Unfortunately, this probably means that they'll be over by the time the birds are ready for them.

Work was busy enough to keep me occupied then I walked down to meet Jonathon at the National Theatre to see "Jack Absolute Flies Again" - another birthday treat for him. When Gilda and I saw it a few weeks ago, we thought Jonathon would like it and I'm pleased to say he did.

31 August

Jonathon is 60 today!

I'd been and come back from the gym before he got up this morning. I'd collected all up the cards that had arrived (none today because there was a postal strike) so he opened them and wrote his thank you notes while I went for a quick walk.

Today's treat was lunch at Chapter One - delicious as always and theyeven gave him a mini birthday cake to help the celebrations. We had our favourite table - number 25. It's just slightly away from the others and in a window so suits us very well.

I watered Jo's plants as part of my walk before lunch then watered our garden after a short nap to help my dinner settle! We aren't used to eating that quantity of rich food but it's lovely for a treat. Jonathon brought a portion of cheese and biscuits home for his dinner (aka his treat) for tomorrow.

1 September

Went to a Tabata class this morning for the first time ever. It was fast and furious but I think it did me some good. Just hope I'm not too stiff tomorrow.

Met up with Caroline and Pebby late morning and we went for a bus ride / walk to Keston Common and Keston Ponds. On the way back, we jumped off the bus at Locksbottom and had drink and cake at The Drawing Room before walking the rest of the way home.

Will came and cleaned the windows and Teresa came and cleaned the house so we're all sparkly again!

Jonathon went to photoshoot a Burlesque show in the evening (not sure what he'll make of that). Gilda and I went to see The Magic of Motown at The Orchard Theatre in Dartford.

2 September

As expected, I could hardly move today! My glutes were definitely not happy. Today's exercise was Aqua Fit - a nice antidote to yesterday and it helped to ease things up a bit.

I got my mammogram results in the post - all clear as expected. Jonathon received his Over 60 Oyster Card so he can travel in London for free after 9.30 a.m. - it will save him a fortune.

We went to Crawley in the evening to see "No Jacket Required", a Phil Collins tribute act. We'd seen them at Marvellous Festival and they'd like Jonathon's photos so invited him to do some more photos for them and I got a free ticket.

My intention was to walk near to the theatre while Jonathon did his prep etc. but it started to rain as we drove into the car park so I found a nice, squishy sofa and settled down with my book and a drink.

3 September

I was nowhere near as stiff today (thank goodness) so I went to Fay's class then joined Kirsty's Wellbeing Walk in Scadbury Park. With 4 children aged 6 or younger, it took a while to stroll round but it was good to catch up with Netta and Kirsty. Sadly, her mum, Marcia, wasn't well enough to join us.

Jonathon took advantage of his new travel card and went off to Toulouse Lautrec to take some photos and I enjoyed a lovely, quiet night in.

4 September

No church today so got up a tiny bit later and went to Body Pump instead of Shreena's early class.

Went to Jo's and got some milk and juice for her return this evening (French rail strikes and wild fires permitting). I also tidied up her balcony (dead-heading etc.) so it's all ready for her to come back to. I think Jenny (daughter) must have been there thsi morning because there was a lovely bunch of flowers in her sink when I got there.

Did a load of gardening in the afternoon and evening. Cut the hydrangea heads for Linda and the lavender for Gilda. Much less of both because of the dry, hot weather but at least they can have what there is. Tidied up the front garden a bit as well. Jonathon has got a load of bags ready to go to the tip tomorrow.

Had a Skype call with Mum and Dad who both seemed OK. Dad seems to be getting more vague but, other than that, seems in good spirits.

Had an earlier call than usual with Christine. It's Gordon's 73rd birthday today so she was expecting visitors this evening.

5 September

It was a real struggle to get up this morning but I made it to Ela's class on time and managed the four rounds of today's circuit. Jo's back from France and also joined the class.

Gilda came over and we went for a walk in St. Mary Cray then met Jonathon at A Mano for lunch.

Jonathon and I went into London after lunch. We went to Paramo to hand Jonathon's jacket in to get a zip fixed and buy me a new anorak jacket.

From there we popped into an EE shop to check out potential phones for Mum. Jonathon now has some more research to do.

Next stop was Casa de Nata for a drink and a yummy Pastel de Nata (best in London) before heading into Rohan to see if they had any suitable black trousers for Jonathon (they didn't).

Finally, it was time to go home and put our feet up. I walked 20 km today!

6 September

Went for a walk before work - the overnight rain made lots of pretty photo opportunities.

Work was quite busy so the time went quickly.

Liz Truss is now the leader of the Conservative party and our new Prime Minister - hope she turns out better than I'm expecting or it could be interesting times, and not in a good way.

Met up with Jo and went to see "Come From Away" - second time for me and just as good as the first.

7 September

Decided to walk before work instead of going to the gym / body pump because I wasn't sure how tired I would be after the theatre last night. As it turns out, I could have gone to the class but in my head I was walking so that's what I did.

Again, work was busy with plenty to keep me occupied and no time to go for a walk at lunchtime.

I walked up to St. Martin in the Field in the evening to join Jonathon for a concert - The Red Stripe Band. They were very good. The lead singer's boots were an act on their own with lots of glittery stuff that reflected the stage lighting.

My new anorak jacket has arrived and fits very nicely. It's elderberry colour this time so a bit darker than my previous one - lovely colour.

Just got home before the thunderstorm started. Jonathon stayed at the concert longer than me so got a bit wet on the way home (to say the least!)

8 September

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. King Charles III is now our monarch along with his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort.

9 September

I thought I'd have time to go for a quick run around the gym this morning but by the time I'd done a load of washing, been to Tesco and generally got a few jobs done, it was time to go to Hever Castle to visit a craft fair. Jo came with us and we had a lovely time. Hever is a beautiful place (even in the showers) and the quality of the craftwork was first class.

We met up with some people we hadn't seen for a while and even met a Facebook friend (wood turner) that we'd not met before.

We even bought one or two bits and Jo was delighted to find some special kind of olive oil.

11 September

One of the estate agents in the High Street has done a lovely display of HM Queen Elizabeth II - very tasteful.

Went to Shreena's class then for a walk before church. It was really misty when I set off and it seems the spiders have been making the most of the cooler, damper weather - there were cobwebs everywhere. The sun had popped through the clouds by the end of the class.

We had a short remembrance service before the main service at church with the National Anthem, prayers etc. There was also a baptism at church so it was quite a long service.

Rather than cook dinner, we'd booked to go to Masala Dabbas (yummy) then I finished my steps before doing the ironing and having the usual Skype call with Mum and Dad. Mum's had her ears tested and she doesn't need a hearing aid (no surprise at all!)

Christine has had real problems with the heavy rains they've had this week, especially the heifer shed flooded and traffic going past her farm too quickly and splashing flood water all over the front of her house and front garden.

I wasn't sure what time we'd get back so made a chilli to have at home rather than going out. Gilda was supposed to bring her new phone with her so Jonathon could help her set it up but, although it was ordered it hadn't arrived so that's a job for another day.

I spent a couple of hours in the garden in the afternoon, mainly working on the pond and doing some tidying up at the front.

Jonathon went off to The Peacock Theatre to meet Gilda and watch the second programme of The Trocks.

13 September

I went for an early (before sunrise) walk because I'd arranged to meet Rachel for the 8.20 a.m. train. She spent the whole day with me - joined me in a couple of Webex meetings, worked on a set of audited accounts, read a few credit papers etc. We had a quick look at her personality type as a start to career couselling but ran out of time before we could go into any depth. I think she had an interesting time.

Terry came and measured the PH in the pond. Apparently it was a disaster - far too low - and the ammonia levels were all over the place. He thinks it was caused by the really heavy recent rain upsetting the balance of the water - goodness only knows what the rain brought down with it.

Terry drained the pond, treated the filters and put some tap water into it. Tap water isn't ideal but Terry added whatever's needed to re-balance it. He'll be back tomorrow to work on it some more but it looks like we caught it in time and the rest of the fish should survive.

I spotted the cartoon on Facebook and thought I'd copy it here - very amusing!

15 September

I think I've got the hang of Tabata with Ela on Thursdays now, only in that I pace myself a bit better so don't feel like I've died at the end of the class!

I decided I should time the walk for Saturday so went off to Keston, walked across the Common and round the ponds. There were three new white ducks near the pond. I suspect they've been dumped there. They seem to have palled up with some mallards so hopefully they'lll survive.

Jonathon met me at The Drawing Room for lunch then we did some shopping at the big Sainsbury's.

Teresa was here when we got back and she and Jonathon both left at the same time - Teresa to go home and Jonathon to go out to photograph a gig in London. Thankfully, the venue is nowhere near the four mile queue - people waiting to see HM Queen Elizabeth II lying in state.

16 September

Tescos was my first job then met up with Jo and went on the Chislehurst Bear Trail. We skipped Scadbury because we'd both been there recently but managed to find all 21 of the other bears. My favourite was Gardening Bear. It was a lovely walk and we definitely saw parts of Chislehurst and the surrounding area that we'd not seen before.

Jonathon spent a lot of today dealing with Close Brothers and trying to sort out our HSBC ISAs - a very frustrating process, not helped with a deadline of the end of the month. Hopefully we've got to where we need to be and the transfer will go smoothly

Jonathon also found time to go to EE with me to get Mum's new phone sorted out and I put some contacts into the address book for her. We'll take it up when we next go north (early October) and give her some lessons on how to use such exciting things as WhatsApp.

We both did a bit of gardening - Jonathon strimming down the long grass and me raking the paths. It looks a lot tidier now.

17 September

Today was a beautiful day but chilly! 7C when I went to get my paper and, although it warmed up a bit, there was a cold wind that gusted every now and then and reminded us it was September.

First activity of the day was Fay's class. When I got to the gym, everyone was standing outside because there had been fire alarm. As a result, the class started a little bit late but I still had time to stay to the end before rushing around to get ready for a walk with the Gym group (and Caroline and Pebby). I'd been asked to make sure the walk wasn't too long so we went on a bus to Keston, across the common, round the ponds etc. Janet persuaded an unsuspecting fisherman to take a group photo of us.

From there, we took another bus (or two) to get to The Drawing Room for lunch (yummy but chilly sitting outside - Pebby not allowed inside). They looked after us very well and, suitably revived, we went over Tugmutton Common and through Darrick and Newstead Woods on the way back to Orpington.

I just got home before Jonathon left for Sutton where he was photographing a concert. I had a lazy rest of the day reading my paper, doing puzzles, watching TV etc.

18 September

Usual Sunday morning rush around but was surprised to find Jim leading the class instead of Shreena this morning. Still worked hard but it's not as hard as usual.

Church was chaotic but fun. The United Reformed Church is 50 years old (formed in 1972 by merging the Congregationalists and English Presbyterians) so we had a bit of a party atmosphere, albeit with some serious time re HM Queen Elizabeth II. The paper chain didn't stick too well but the kids seemed to enjoy it all.

Tried some Steak Medallions from Tesco for lunch - very tasty and not too expensive so we'll probably have that again sometime.

I was going to rake up the strimmed grass this afternoon but Jonathon tested the water in the pond and it was still haywire so we had quite a lot of work to do with that. Jonathon cleaned the filter (hard to believe Jay did it recently - not sure how well he'd done it!) while I cleared 3 large garden sacks of ivy and other such exciting stuff from around the filter area. I contacted a local tree / gardening service to ask if they could help with the main part of the ivy, the out-of-control honeysuckle and a dead laburnum tree. I'll deal with the grass another day.

My weekly chat with Christine was cut short because Gordon came in from drilling so she disappeared to get their tea ready.

No Skype today because Pauline and Paul were at Mum and Dad's to play dominos and generally keep an eye on them (Carole and Gareth are in Italy on holiday).

The highlight of the day was a candlelight vigil for the Queen on our local common. The Knoll Residents' Association organised it and had done a trial in one of their gardens to map out where the candles needed to be placed then Steve, the Chairman, sent his drone up to take an aerial photo. Very impressive. We also observed the national 8 p.m. minute of silence and listened to a poem that was written by someone local before going home.

19 September

The funeral for HM Queen Elizabeth II was at 11 a.m. today. Our parish church / the Royal British Legion had organised a service around the war memorial at 10 a.m. so I went to that. Unfortunately, they decided to start early so I only caught the end of it. St. John's, The Cricketers and the RBL all live streamed the service so that anyone who wanted to watch it with other people had somewhere to do so. We watched the service at home.

Because it was officially a bank holiday, not much was open so the people who worked in shops, gyms, etc. could also watch the funeral if they wanted.

We finished topping up the pond. I got the long grass raked up and the edges tidied ready for Jonathon to do 2 x mowing tomorrow.

Had yesterday's Skype call with Mum this afternoon. Dad was outside getting some fresh air because they'd watched the funeral in the morning so he'd missed out then.

Finally went for a walk to get my steps done.

... and that's it for this page.