Wednesday 30 September:

No dawn walk today because of Bloke’s Prayer (all present apart from Ed and Robin).
Was originally due to meet up with Charlotte+Alice (outside) at Secret Café, but cancelled due to rain.
Went into town later to buy some new watercolour pens and to check some potential sketching locations for Saturday’s ‘Live’ Urban Sketching meet-up… somewhat ironic that this weekend’s ‘live’ get together was later cancelled because heavy rain is forecast (‘virtual’ meet-up still happening but the ‘live’ version postponed until the following Saturday.
Arranged to meet at Saint Stephen’s with Glenn Mower next week (she’s funding a potential art project at the church).
Spent a fair amount of time preparing a Re-Ordering Report to go into Community News (and also a note to Lee about my thoughts regarding the future of the re-ordering group).
Richard Tovey phoned me at lunchtime (he has a Ringer’s Court meeting tonight and thinks the re-ordering might prove controversial (one of the members thinks we used wrong consultant!).
Watched ‘Britain’s Biggest Dig’ and ‘Repair Shop’ later.
Image: Busy waters (from Sunday).

Tuesday 29 September:

Didn’t go for my usual dawn walk because I’d booked a hair appointment (that’s how they now do things at my local barbers, thanks to coronavirus).
Had an email from Richard Tovey (following last night’s ACPM) and spent a little time responding before going out to Cumberland Basin to sketch (beautiful sunny morning… and the forecast for the rest of the week wasn’t looking good). Sketched yet more boats – but with difficulty due to the fact that I’d forgotten my glasses!!
Later dropped into Storysmith to collect my Bloke’s Books book (‘Under The Frog’ by Tibor Fischer).
Bacon sandwich for lunch at home with Moira and Ru.
Read more of my Campbell book in the afternoon.
A Van Der Valt episode and ‘Bake Off’ in the evening.
Image: Under the Tarpaulin at Underfall Yard (squeezed in my camera through an opening in the hull of a small boat up for repair).

Monday 28 September:

Woke up early (as usual) and decided to set out a little earlier than my normal dawn walks (set out around 6.25am – sunrise scheduled for 7.07am) as the sky looked quite interesting. Glad I did… impressive sky as I crossed over the cut and walked along the harbourside to the marina. Beautiful clear, crisp morning.
Ruth was working in the studio today, so it was lovely having her around for coffee and at lunchtime. She’s been asked to do another Grommit – which is brilliant news!
Spent part of the morning creating some very quick ‘wax drawings’ of the flowers I bought from Hugo’s (and also managed to spill wax over my shirt sleeve!!).
Read some more of my book in the afternoon.
Most of the evening was spent at the zoomed Saint Stephen’s ACPM (Annual Meeting)… a little frustrating that there was no Re-Ordering Group report (did I miss the email? I don’t think so)… so, with all the other business, I offered to write up an update for the Community News (which Lee thought was a good idea). In other news, I’m now off the PCC, after completing my 3-year stint! Meeting finished by 8.15pm.
Villa played Fulham away and won 3-0 (unbeaten this season and have yet to concede a goal)(obviously, it won’t last!).
University Challenge+Only Connect on the telly later.
Image: This morning’s marina photograph. 

Sunday 27 September:

I’ve decided to give ‘live’ church a miss for the foreseeable future… not because there weren’t effective Covid-safe measures in place, but essentially because I preferred to avoid proximity with lots of people. I’m probably being over-cautious but, if Ruth+Co are trying their best to try to ensure we stay safe (which I personally think is the right attitude, given the rising coronavirus cases), then I think it makes sense for me/us to adopt a similar approach. I’m ‘happy’ to carry on with my daily walks (trying, wherever possible, to do so at ‘quiet’ times); to meet up with individuals outdoors; and to occasionally shop at, say, Hugo’s… but that’s about it, for the time being at least.
Anyway, ‘streamed’ church proved a waste of time as they initially had technical difficulties with the internet connections and then, when those issues had been resolved, we had virtually no sound (it seems as if some ‘streamed’ members of the congregation could eventually hear… but, certainly, not us!). Very frustrating… so we gave up. Originally, Moira had intended to attend Saint Stephen’s but woke with a headache and also troubled with sciatica).
At 9.15am, I ended up setting out for a walk on my own (Moira didn’t feel up to it, with her sciatica)… to the park; Underfall Yard; Marina; Gaol Ferry Steps etc. Beautiful blue sky morning (somewhat chilly, but lovely). Lots of people out and about: families, walkers and lots of rowers and paddleboarders.
Read the Sunday paper before lunch.
Watched ‘The Damned United’ AND ‘North By North-West’ films… and later ‘Mortimer+Whitehouse’ (last in the series) on TV.
Image: paddleboarders.

Saturday 26 September:

Moira and I had to be up and out quite early (for Moira!) this morning because we had our ‘flu jab appointments just after 9am. In fact, it turned out that we were their first customers – so we were both in and out within two minutes! Anyway, good to have got that sorted.
Home for coffee and newspaper.
Wrote a few notes on a potential further Blurb book (covering September 20 – March 21)… let’s see how things develop over the coming months.
Richard Tovey had asked if I could prepare a ‘brief report’ for the Ringers’ Court Meeting(!) on Wednesday and so I spent some time trying cobble something together from my various papers (also sent a draft to Lee for his observations), before emailing the document to Richard.
Watched the first half of Casablanca after lunch (I watched the second half a few days ago(!)… I’d obviously watched it a couple of times before, but an excellent, classic film.
Read a little more of my Patrick Campbell book.
Yet another ‘Repair Shop’ episode!
Image: the flowers from my Hugo shopping trip of yesterday.

Friday 25 September:

Set out just before 7am on my usual harbourside dawn walk (I really don’t like these late dawns!) – somewhat overcast skies. Quite a few people about (including joggers, cyclists, rowers, walkers and the odd personal training session)… and quite a few of them wearing face masks. Villa beat Bristol City in the EFL Cup last night (3-0), so I can hold up head locally!
Moira and I had morning coffee indoors.
Finished my ‘Wise Children’ book (at last)… very much enjoyed it. Storysmith are having difficulty getting my Bloke’s Books book (‘Under The Frog’) – they thought they’d secured the last copy, but apparently not… so I’ve started re-reading a Patrick Campbell book instead (and quite hilarious it is too!).
Did some Hugo fruit and veg shopping after lunch… AND bought some flowers to lift the emerging winter gloom!
Moira and I walked over to R+S’s and sat in the sunny garden drinking tea (we’d taken over frozen macaroni and milk sake thingies for I+R). Very good to see them.
Yet another ‘Repair Shop’ episode!
Bristol beat Bordeaux in a Cup game 37-20 after extra time (0-13 down; finished at 20-20)!
Image: coxless fours at dawn.

Thursday 24 September:

No internet this morning, so my ‘normal’ routine was disrupted… frustrating not to have access to news or to be able to post stuff (the internet returned at 8.30am).
Dawn walking to the harbourside on a beautiful, fresh, sunny morning (I continued beyond M-Shed, over Prince Street Bridge to catch the sun emerging over St Mary Redcliffe/water).
My foot was incredibly painful overnight (plantar fasciitis) and I was unable to put any weight on it at all… but, remarkably, once I’d put on my ‘walking shoes’, walking felt reasonably comfortable again… and, although I set off with some trepidation, everything was fine.
Moira and I had coffee inside and chatted, amongst other things, about coping with a potential second lockdown (and the prospect of only being able to get together with family in the ‘open air’).
Did some quick sketching before lunch (house plant – pretty boring!).
Read more of my ‘Wise Children’ in the afternoon.
(Yet) another ‘Repair Shop’ in the evening (getting a little worried about what we might watch if lockdown mark II hits!).
Image: St Mary Redcliffe+crane. 

Wednesday 23 September:

Bloke’s Prayer today so no ‘proper’ dawn walk – although I did set out early and walk to the marina and then back to Cumberland Basin and back into town on the other side of the river. Pretty cloudy and ended up drizzling quite hard. Very good to meet up with the ‘blokes’ (Ed, Nick, Jeff, Dru and Robin), but the rain meant we had to sit inside and I really didn’t feel very comfortable at all. We agreed that we’d resort to zoom ‘meetings’ in future – unless the weather looked particularly clement!
I also spent some time pondering whether I felt comfortable ‘welcoming’ at church on 11 October (as scheduled)… and decided I should ‘step back’ and ask for a replacement to be found. I also emailed Lee to say that, for the foreseeable future, I wouldn’t be attending ‘live’ church due to my discomfort about virus etc. Lee duly responded sympathetically.
Read a little in the afternoon – I’m very much enjoying Angela Carter’s ‘Wise Children’, but also feeling a little frustrated that it seems to be taking me an awful long time to finish it!
Messaged Charlotte and Alice to check how they were coping.
Evening telly: ‘Repair Shop’. Just hope that I’m able to sleep pain-free tonight… over the past few days my right heel has been incredibly painful (once I settle down in bed)(I think it’s related to my plantar fasciitis issues of recent years) – piercing pain, despite the fact I’m largely pain-free during the day. Puzzling.
Image: Dawn over The Cut (from Vauxhall Bridge) – before the rain came down.

Tuesday 22 September:

Unusually, no dawn walk again today… I’d arranged to meet up with Ana at 9.30am in Cumberland Basin to sketch, so walked there along the harbourside from Wapping Wharf. Really beautiful, warm+sunny morning – perfect for chatting and sketching. And sketching early proved to be a good move because, from lunchtime onwards, it had turned overcast and dull.
Read more of my ‘Wise Children’ book in the afternoon (taking me much longer than I’d anticipated).
PM announced new Covid-19 restrictions (pubs, bars+restaurants to close at 10pm; people now advised to work from home if possible… and these restrictions could last six months).
New series of ‘Bake-Off’ started… we’re trying to record them, so that we can follow the sub-titles!
Image: my Cumberland Basin sketch.

Monday 21 September:

I was about set out on a dawn walk when I remembered that my Blurb book was due to be delivered sometime today – and, according to the email confirmation I’d received, would require ‘signing for’. Delivery was ‘helpfully’ scheduled was scheduled for “any time before the end of the day”. In the end (with Moira still fast asleep at 7am), I decided not to risk being out when the package was delivered and went back into the house. Predictably, the package was delivered just before lunchtime… and no, they didn’t ask me to sign for anything (they simply posted the book through the letterbox!). Hey ho!
Wrote some 'reflections'... thinking about the repercussions of a potential second-wave.
The book looked good and, on first inspection, no glaring errors.
Ruth was in the studio today - it was lovely to see her again and have an opportunity to chat briefly. They all seem to be coping.
Went down to Hugo’s for fruit and a loaf.
I did a little sketching and a little reading… and ordered a couple of books (Bloke’s Books and a biography on Joni Mitchell).
Watched a bit of a documentary on ‘The Shadows’ via iPlayer.
‘Only Connect’ returned to telly this evening, so the traditional ‘OC’ and ‘University Challenge’ Monday evening entertainment is re-established!
Image: pages from my Blurb Book.

Sunday 20 September:

Moira and I skipped our usual pre-streamed-church walk because we made our way to HTH for the ‘live’ service. We didn’t stay for communion, but it was good to see a few people (albeit very briefly). Frustratingly, the loop system wasn’t working, so Moira was unable to hear most of the service… which was somewhat annoying. Moira’s arthritic hip(?) was also troubling her, so we walked there and back VERY slowly.
By the time we got home it was lunchtime, so we spent lunch reading the Observer.
I spotted that Doctor Zhivago (1965 David Lean film) was on the telly during the afternoon so, because I’d never seen the film in its entirety, I spent just over 3 hours watching it (and enjoyed it a lot!).
Roast beef supper… went down very well!
Watched the Mortimer+Whitehouse fishing programme in the evening (good, relaxing, amusing Sunday night telly!).
Image: Doctor Zhivago film poster.

Saturday 19 September:

A quiet day… no dawn walk (as usual on Saturdays).
Spent part of the morning reading the newspaper… and getting depressed by the government’s ‘apparent’ inability to cope (on SO many levels). Also incredibly frustrated that the ‘Party Conference’ season will mean that parliament is in recess for 3 weeks at an absolutely critical time (ie. Covid-19 and Brexit in particular) – which effectively means that parliament is unable to challenge the government’s actions (and inactions). Hugely depressing.
Spent a little time drawing a quick ‘scary’ selfie (after reading an article about conceptual artist Gillian Wearing in last week’s Guardian)… I can’t compete, but at least the ‘sitter’ does move about!
Watched some Rugby League(!) on telly briefly in the afternoon (while doing some of Moira’s ironing!)(she was aching after standing for so long).
Read some more of my ‘Wise Children’ in the afternoon too.
Coronavirus cases (and deaths) continue to rise again… and there’s a sense that we’re facing a second national lockdown. A local lockdown in the Bolton area has apparently been traced to a man who returned from holiday, failed to quarantine for 14 days and went out on a pub crawl with his mates. *no words*.
Watched another ‘Repair Shop’ and a documentary about archaeology in connection with the HS2 route out of London.
Image: All the leaves are brown(ish): Autumn is coming (from Tyntesfield yesterday).

Friday 18 September:

Six months calendar since Moira and I went into lockdown.

Tyntesfield at the end of the morning.
It was good to be at Tyntesfield again (you had to book in advance and they’d implemented a one-way walking system!). Beautiful sunny day and we were surprised that the car park was so full and by the numbers of people. With the number of coronavirus cases on the increase around the UK (and perhaps the distinct threat of a second wave and another lockdown?), it almost felt as if people had decided they needed to take advantage of being able to get into the countryside. But perhaps I’m being over-pessimistic?
Spent a slightly frustrating time trying to post something on facebook about my Blurb book (I wanted to put up a link to the online page-turning device). Eventually, I managed to sort it – but not without a few posts that didn’t show the details I wanted to highlight.
Booked Car Club and went to Tyntesfield (for a picnic lunch and a wander)… beautiful sunny day, so we were very lucky (again).
Moira had a bookgroup ‘virtual meeting’ in the evening… I watched a documentary about African art… and went to bed early (surprise, surprise!).
Image: Cows in the Shade, Tyntesfield.

Thursday 17 September:

Went for my ‘usual’ dawn walk this morning… once again, very aware that, as a dawn gets later, there are far more people and cars about.
Moira and I had coffee indoors.
Getting increasingly frustrated at the government’s inability to get to grips with coronavirus testing (they’ve had six months to sort it out!)… huge implications for schools etc.
Spent a good of the morning preparing for tonight’s PCC meeting (my last before stepping down!!)… so much to discuss and comparatively little time to do so (AND I’m going to have to bite my tongue as I have an opinion on virtually all the agenda items!! Oh dear).
Jennifer (from urban sketchers) has set on ‘urban sketching relay challenge’… and has nominated me as the first person to take up the baton. I’m not quite sure I understand the ‘ground rules’, so will need to get my head around things.
More reading in the afternoon (‘Wise Children’)… although I’m enjoying it (we’ve seen the play twice), I seem to be reading it incredibly slowly. Hey ho!
Jennifer, from Urban Sketchers, has set a #sketchrelay challenge – she produced a sketch loosely base on unknown artist’s painting and has passed it on to me; I have to make my own version of it in my own style. Well, I spent part of the afternoon sketching something out – I don’t even know if I’ve ‘obeyed’ the rules, so we’ll see what happens next (I’ve nominated Judith to take on the baton!).
PCC meeting in evening via zoom (my last ever PPC meeting!). Huge amount of stuff on the agenda. In the event, two of the bigger agenda items weren’t discussed and so the meeting finished by 9.05pm.
Image: urban sketching #sketchrelay challenge (my attempt!). 

Wednesday 16 September:

Bloke’s Prayer get together at the Social Café (Robin, Dru, Ed and Nick), following by me taking the opportunity to sketch beside the harbour (beautiful sunny morning).
I’d seen an image from last week of a rather special sculpture (placed anonymously, artist unknown) in connection with World Suicide Awareness Day. I knew it was somewhere in Jacob’s Wells Road, so I thought I’d investigate… and eventually found it (at the top of the hill, of course!).
Read a bit more of my ‘Wise Children’ book in the afternoon – but also ordered a case of wine from Naked Wines (making a £20 monthly payment meant that, with additional discount, it cost me £15!). I also emailed+texted Rich about getting a quote for our front basement door.
I also read through ALL the PCC papers in advance of tomorrow’s meeting (and there are LOADS of them… and lots of them without ANY explanation)… clearly, I’ll need to spend a lot of time preparing tomorrow.
Watched another ‘Repair Shop’ in the evening.
Image: Suicide Awareness sculpture. 

Tuesday 15 September:

Had a very rough night… disturbed by severe pain at the base of my right heel (apparently related to plantar fasciitis). Frustrating. No dawn walk as a consequence… had a proper bath instead! Pain had eased by lunchtime... and I ended up going to Hugo's to buy fruit.
Moira and I had coffee in the garden and then I spent most of the morning drafting a possible blog post.
Read a little of my ‘Wise Children’ book before watching Attenborough’s “Extinction: The Facts” documentary on iPlayer. Excellent, impressive, sobering programme.
In the evening, I tuned into the Neil Oliver lecture on “Wisdom of the Ancients”. Interesting, but very aware that it was geared towards encouraging people to buy his book.
Image: Neil Oliver lecturing from home via zoom.

Monday 14 September:

Started the day with my ‘usual’ dawn walk – although it must be nearly a week since I last followed the route. Very aware of how much things have changed since I first started making this almost daily excursion (sunrise times; position of rising sun; number of people about). Actually the day had started much earlier (around 4am!) – I’d noticed how close the Moon and Venus were in the sky (when I went to the loo), so took a few photographs.
Finished my Sarah Moss and wrote up a brief review.
Morning coffee with Moira, inside. 

Ruth was working in her studio today, which was very good. She explained that, depressingly, Iris has tourettes… really tough for a 14 year-old… but she (and Ruth) are dealing with it quite brilliantly at this early stage… openness, humour and encouragement (wonderful to witness their relationship).
It was good to have lunch (bacon sardies!) with Ruth and Moira for the first time in six months. Iris and Rosa came to ours after school (which was lovely) and we enjoyed time in the garden chatting, laughing and catching up.
I ordered my Blurb book (‘Love in a Time of Covid-19’) and was duly sent a PFD. No doubt it will contain various errors, but at least it’s something of a record of these strange times.
Watched the last episode of ‘Strike’ (excellent) and ‘University Challenge’ before bed.
Image: the waning crescent Moon and Venus.

Sunday 13 September:

Moira and I went to ‘real’ church today at Saint Stephen’s (first time for more than six months)! Felt very strange… the entire congregation in face-masks; no singing (just Emily playing the piano and some recorded Taizè music) and seated suitably social-distanced. Another excellent ‘talk’ from Lee (follow on from his talk from last Sunday). Good to see everyone again – and then to gather in the garden (although that did feel somewhat strange… us all socially-distancing). Presumably, with the maximum-groups-of-six rules being introduced tomorrow, we won’t be able to continue this après-service get together?
Back home fairly promptly for a quick lunch before another ‘virtual’ urban sketching session (this time involving a trip to Mikonos, Greece!). Very enjoyable, as usual (8 ‘zoom’ sketchers).
Read more of my ‘Summerwater’ book before supper.
Late afternoon/evening telly: watched the last 45 minutes of Casablanca (1942); ‘Landscape Artist’; and ‘Mortimer+Whitehouse: Gone Fishing’.
Image: one of my Mikonos sketches.

Saturday 12 September:

A bit of a non-eventful day… spent the first part of the morning phoning John Lewis regarding the fraudulent money withdrawals from our account (turns out it might be linked to a £10 NHS charity donation made to ‘Facebook Money’ or something like that?)… anyway John Lewis will be writing to us and investigating accordingly.
Moira and I had coffee indoors reading the newspaper.
Spent the rest of the day scribbling a couple of sketches (Drawing Group and Urban Sketchers) painting a watercolour rough wash as a basis for another ‘virtual’ sketch (Mikonos, Greece).
Evening telly: ‘Landscape Artist’ and ‘Repair Shop’.
Early bed and read more of ‘Summerwater’.
Image: we have our own grapes (ok, growing over our fence via our neighbour’s neighbour!).

Friday 11 September:

Well, a bit of a special day… for the first time for SIX MONTHS, Moira and I have travelled more than walking distance from our front door! In fact, we went to the seaside (Clevedon)… AND we even had fish+chips overlooking the ‘beach’!!
For the first time this year, we used the CarClub… and, frankly, it felt very strange driving again (and it also made me very aware of my left hip – getting in and out of the car/low seat and actually lifting my left foot on to the clutch etc). Old age! Anyway, we had a lovely time and walked along the ‘promenade’, past the marine lake, following ‘Poet’s Walk’ coastal path and then back along the ‘Salthouse Walk’. The weather was kind… blowy, but fine.

Read a bit more of my Sarah Moss book in the afternoon.

Rang both Iris+Rosa to check how their school week's had gone... they both sounded pretty positive, but tired (it had been a long week!).
Watched ‘Portrait Artist’ and ‘Repair Shop’ in the evening.
Having made reference to ‘special day’ at the start of this entry, it didn’t end well! We discovered that our account had gone beyond its credit limit… and found that 11 payments (totalling over £1,800!) had been taken from our account. We tried to telephone the card people (but there was a problem at their end) and so we’ve sent a written plea for help via the online link. Scary.
Image: Clevedon pier (of course).

Thursday 10 September:

Alan drove down from Brum in the very early hours and we met up near Bedminster Cricket Ground at 6am. From there, we walked up through Leigh Woods (with our torches!) and up to the suspension bridge… and then back along Bridge Road and into Ashton Court just as the sun was rising… meandered through the woods, before sitting on a log for breakfast (I’d prepared coffee and BLT sandwiches) and enjoying watching the sun emerge through the trees. Watched a group (from Cameron Balloons) inflate and test a balloon before we ambled back down to the car… and all before 9am!

We were very fortunate with the weather – a beautiful clear, fresh morning – and as I was walking past the open grassed area near Metrobus bridge (Ashton Avenue Bridge) on my way to meet up with Alan, I surprised perhaps three dozen rabbits – who all hopped away in mad panic!

The remainder of the day was somewhat gentler. Moira and I had coffee in the garden, after which I started my Sarah Moss book (‘Summerwater’) and sorted photographs.In the evening, we watched the third episode of ‘Strike’. Four hot air balloons flew over the house in the early evening - a very rare event in this pandemic year.

Image: Breakfast with Alan watching the sun emerge through the trees, Ashton Court. 

Wednesday 9 September:

Bloke’s Prayer at the Social Café first thing… everyone there except Dru (but Jeff seemed completely ‘out of it’). Spoilt by a bloke on his phone (wearing headphones) having a VERY loud conversation with his ‘mate’ (we ended up exiting the café and sitting outside!).

Home to ‘prepare’ for tonight’s Bloke’s Books (on Olusoga’s ‘Black+Bristish book).

Finished my ‘The Wild Silence’ book… and scribbled up a draft blog review.

Watched the ‘Portrait Artist 2019’(?) final.

Mr Johnson announced that there will be no gatherings of more than six people from next Monday.

Finished the day with a zoom “Bloke’s Books” zoom discussion on Olusoga’s book (all seven of us involved). Good discussion – although Jeff (who hadn’t read the book) took us off at various tangents. We all need to come up with a suggestion for a ‘humorous’ book for the next session.

Image: From the Extinction Rebellion gathering in the city centre last weekend.

Tuesday 8 September:

Went for my regular dawn walk around the harbour. Looking out of the bedroom window sometime before 5am, I sensed it was going to be a bright clear morning… but I was obviously still half asleep because, when I stepped outside the house just over an hour later, it was just dreary drizzle! But I still enjoyed being out… and, in these times of social-distancing, strange to see a coxless fours boat setting out from the marina.

Met up with Hannah at Queen Square for a retrospective birthday ‘lunch’ (Pieminister pies followed by coffee at the Social Café!). Very enjoyable catch-up.

Spent the rest of the afternoon juggling urban sketching ‘events’ and more reading.

Evening telly: ‘Bauhaus Rules with Vic Reeves’ and ‘Portrait Artist’.

Image: coxless fours emerging from the marina.

Monday 7 September:

No dawn walk today because I had a meeting with Lee at 10am (at the Vicarage)… and it’s an uphill journey! Fine morning weather-wise.

Good to meet up and chat over coffee in person after such a long time. Interesting, wide-ranging conversation.

Home before lunchtime… put washing out on the line and, of course, it started raining within the hour!

Spent most of the afternoon reading ‘Wild Silence’, but also did lots of admin stuff – including FB posts about another forthcoming urban sketching meet-up; Re-Ordering Group report for the PCC (my last one!); and trying to sort out arrangements for Bloke’s Books (Wednesday evening).

Watched the final Worsley “Fibs” programme and the second episode of ‘Strike’ (excellent).

Image: morning sunrise from the bathroom window.

Sunday 6 September:

Moira and I went walking around the harbour on our usual Sunday morning walk (and picked up the newspaper).

Holy Trinity were holding its first ‘live’ service (but also streamed)… we watched part of the ‘streamed’ version (Lee’s talk was excellent… found Frances somewhat irritating – but I acknowledge that that’s just ME!).

Urban Sketchers were actually meeting (properly!) to sketch at Brandon Hill… Jane and I organised/led two groups (maximum group numbers = six, under the Covid-19 rules)… and others were encouraged either to join in ‘virtually’ or just sketch independently. Anyway, it was good fun and very good to actually ‘see’ real people!

Read some more of my ‘Wild Silence’ book and later enjoyed roast beef supper!

As yesterday, later watched Lucy Worsley’s “Fibs” history programme and another ‘Portrait Artist’ episode.

Image: one of my urban sketching drawings (rear façade of one of the Park Street buildings, from Hill Street).

Saturday 5 September:

No dawn walk, just concentrated on collecting the newspaper.

Gentle start to the day flicking through all the newspaper sections.

Collected the next bookgroup book from StorySmith (‘Wise Children’).

Moira and I walked to Kennel Lodge Road (adj Ashton Court) to check out car parking arrangements in advance of me meeting up with Alan later in the week and then stopped off at Bedminster CC for a quick beer and to watch some cricket (on a very pleasant, sunny day).

Read more of my ‘Wild Silence’ book.

Watched Lucy Worsley’s “Fibs” history programme and another ‘Portrait Artist’ episode.

Image: more Bedminster CC action.

Friday 4 September:

Usual dawn walk… dry, cloudy and it suddenly felt as though Autumn was just around the corner! Swans landing and taking off... three rowers... and generally far more joggers, cyclists and walkers about!

Morning coffee inside… and spent the early part of the morning finishing my excellent ‘Sacred Art of Stealing’ book.

Sent Rota information to drawing Group people.

It was Iris’s first day back at school (which went well) and, more importantly, her 14^th birthday! Moira and I went round to R+S’s for a birthday tea (pizza and amazing chocolate birthday cake – by Rosa!). Lovely time… special people.

Moira and I watched yet another ‘Portrait Artist’ before bed and more reading.

Image: Iris (and Rosa) and birthday cake!!

Thursday 3 September:

Felt properly better and, despite the drizzle, went for my ‘normal’ dawn walk. Very conscious of how much busier things are as the sunrise times get later (Coronation Road in particular).

Read for while and then Moira and I had morning coffee together.

Rosa’s first day at comprehensive school… and I know she was feeling pretty apprehensive. Jemima started back yesterday; Mikey and Ursula re-started today; Dan and Iris tomorrow. All a bit uncertain given the pandemic rules and general moving of goalposts by the government. Just hope they’re all ok.

In fact, I managed to speak to Rosa, Iris, Jemima, Dan and Mikey later  and they all sounded in very good spirits. Jemima and Rosa seem to have enjoyed re-starting/starting school again… and, although he refused to go to school in his normal taxi, he’d had a good day.

Posted a reminder about Sunday’s forthcoming ‘live’ urban sketching meet-up and also endeavoured to sort out a rota of themes for Drawing Group.

Read more of my book in the afternoon, plus did a ‘virtual’ sketch of some houses on Charlotte Street (in advance of Urban Sketching on Sunday).

Watched another episode of ‘Portrait Artist’ and then disappeared to bed to read.

Image: Charlotte Street ‘virtual’ sketch.

Wednesday 2 September:

Although feeling slightly better, as a precaution, I decided not to go to Bloke’s Prayer.

I read for a while (and have actually started to ‘get into’ my ‘Sacred Art of Stealing’ book). Moira and I had coffee indoors and then I settled back to some reading for the remainder of the morning… by which time I felt pretty much back to ‘normal’.

‘Prepared’ a little for tonight’s bookgroup (felt the need to remind myself of the characters etc).

Read more of my book in the afternoon but also caught up on “Strike: Lethal White” - BBC1 detective series (latest adaptation of a novel by Robert Galbraith – the pen name used by JK Rowling). We’d watched the previous three(?)series and had been impressed.

StorySmith book group in the early evening and, having been somewhat underwhelmed by the book (William Goldman’s “The Princess Bride”), I feared that I might be in a minority of one or two and that most of the others would be gushing about it… but, actually, although it was generally well-liked, there was a wide range of views. Always a good, happy discussion.

Feeling back to normal health-wise by the end of the day.

Watched ‘Repair Shop’ before early bed and more reading.

Image: Early morning today through the bathroom window.

Tuesday 1 September:

A slightly strange day. Because I had a couple of ‘morning tasks’ lined up, I decided not to go on a dawn walk. So, after a fairly lazy start (and morning coffee with Moira, indoors), I set about re-decorating the low wall beside our front door… a simple task, but one that I managed to ‘botch up’ in some ways (despite masking tape etc, difficult to avoid getting paint on adjoining walls, railings and slabs!). Hey ho!

Went sketching to Bathurst Basin (yet more boats) before lunch (I think this was only my third on-site sketching since lockdown). Sketched in the shade for an hour and produced an unremarkable drawing.

Started feeling somewhat feverish during the course of the afternoon and ended up sitting in front of the TV watching rubbish telly!

Moira and I watched another ‘Portrait Artist’ episode after supper but, as I still felt ‘unwell’, I decided to have an early night.

Image: yet more Bathurst boats from this morning.