Friday 8 May:

Today is Bank Holiday – re-arranged from the traditional Bank Holiday Monday to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of VE Day. There has bunting up in some streets over the past few weeks – one of the newspaper indicated that “the decoration is aimed at cheering people up, boosting a sense of neighbourly togetherness and being thankful for the NHS and key workers. It is an apt tribute given that the rainbow has been the symbol of solidarity through the pandemic” (image from Leighton Road). I suspect some will see it decorations to celebrate VE Day but, frankly, it’s not something that warrants any ‘virtual street parties’ in my view. It all smacks a little jingoistic for my liking and, indeed, some seem to think it’s a Brexit celebration (in fact the ‘Daily Mail’ apparently described the day to mark ‘Victory over Europe’ instead of ‘Victory in Europe’!!). Nevertheless, I accept that it’s important to mark the occasion.

A strange mixture of a day… (but enjoyable nevertheless).

I didn’t walk today… but did do some clothes washing (two loads and both dried outside).

Spent a brief time after breakfast drafting out a rough layout in advance of tomorrow’s Urban Sketching ‘virtual’ sketchmeet in Sintra, Portugal (I’ve done a couple of sketches already, but there’s SO much to draw…).

Following on from last night’s PCC meeting, I’d been asked to prepare a draft response to Heritage+Community (consultants for our re-ordering project at Saint Stephen’s) and forward it to other group members for their comments/suggested revisions. Fairly complicated business.

After lunch, I put together a replay to Alan’s wonderful letter… and even found a stamp for posting!

Read some of my “Gift” book outside in the garden (another wonderfully-sunny day).

PS: It WAS Robin who left the wine on our doorstep yesterday… what a lovely man!

Bed reasonably early to read.