Wednesday 24 June:

We’ve now been in ‘lockdown’ for 14 weeks! Stu’s 50^th birthday!

Didn’t go walking today – too many bits and pieces to deal with… and Bloke’s Prayer at 7am (which was good).

Moira and I had morning coffee in the garden on what proved to be probably the hottest day of the year so far.

Spent some of the morning sketching – a quick cricket scoreboard for Drawing Group (‘non-cricket season’ based on this week’s ‘Seasons’ theme!) and also a sketch of Mary Beard (last weekend’s ‘Portrait of the Artist of the Week’ challenge). The result was a pretty poor portrait of Mary Beard, but a lovely scribble of her bookshelves! (see image). Never mind.

Finished working on the ‘package’ of files to be sent to PCC members in connection with the re-ordering proposals (something of a relief that none of the group members wanted things modified at the last minute).

Spent the rest of the afternoon recording/updating our book database to take account of all the books we’re proposing to pass on to charities. It’s a bit of a chore: deciding what books we no longer want to keep; record them and stack them in boxes for disposal; and then, ultimately, transferring the piles of books currently ‘located’ on landings and suchlike on to the vacant spaces on the bookshelves (and logging their locations!). I’ve really only just got through about 25% of the process thus far… so a LONG way still to go!

Moira and I ate supper in the garden which very nice.

“Bloke’s Books” meeting in the evening (via zoom) – discussing Simon Armitage’s “All Points North” (which was very enjoyable).

Villa played Newcastle away and... drew 1-1 (they DESPERATELY lack a goal-scoring striker!) - but better than a loss.