Wednesday 30 June:

Emailed Alan first thing (in response to his)…
A somewhat different sort of day… starting off with Bloke’s Prayer outside the Society Café (Ed, Robin, Nick, DaveP and me). Lee’s imminent departure was obviously the ‘hot topic’.
Afterwards, because I’d organised an electrical survey at Deanery road (for 12.30pm), I decided to stay in town sketching (the sun was shining brightly)… I drew some boats (predictably!). Also saw Helen (language teacher from NH), Mithi and Robin+Sue plus friends as I sat beside the water.
The electrical survey went well and it also gave me a chance to take some more accurate measurements (and to look at things I hadn’t really studied before).
Watched a little tennis on returning home (felt pretty tired out!)... and ate ice cream.
Earlyish to bed and read more of my ‘Broken Greek’ book.
Image: Lady Rudding boat in the harbour (I've drawn it before).

Tuesday 29 June:

Didn’t go for a morning walk today (but did have a better night’s sleep).
Morning coffee inside with Moira and a useful catch-up chat (conscious that Moira hadn’t really met up with any friends, outside family, for some time). She’s arranged to go round to her friend (lip-reading) Mary’s tomorrow, which is great.
Finished my email to Chris+Sarah and encouraged Moira to add her thoughts to it (which she did)… updating them about Lee, amongst other stuff.
Sketched (a silly selfie) in the morning while listening to Joni Mitchell… which was very enjoyable.
Maria was due to come round to look at Moira’s batch of spare textiles… and then also stay for supper (which was lovely prospect), but she’d received a WhatsApp message saying someone she’d been in contact with had had a positive Covid test and asking her to get tested herself (which she was going to do at the end of the afternoon).
England v Germany game at 5pm (which I vaguely checked out)… football doesn’t have much appeal for me these days, I’m afraid (too many boring crossfield passing!)… but, in the end, England won 2-0 (Grealish coming on as substitute and making the second goal).
Watched some more Wimbledon – Federer won (but his opponent had to drop out injured at 2 sets all).
Image: my ‘colourful’ selfie! 

Monday 28 June:

Another rubbish night’s sleep… tossing and turning/duvet in knots!
Ended up going for an early harbourside dawn walk in the rain.
Emailed solicitor Gail chasing up/updating stuff on MPT and Deanery Road…
Had a phonecall from Laurence… George still pressing lenders and hopeful of reasonably swift response(?). RICS apparently introduced new knotweed guidance last week… hopefully it’ll prove helpful.
Gail hadn’t heard received any further info from Deanery Rd solicitors and suggested I see if agent Nick could have a word with our seller. I duly sent off an email request… but who knows if it’ll have any effect?
Finished my ‘Leopard’ book (not overly impressed – despite it being acclaimed as one of the all-time great novels)… started ‘Broken Greek’ book.
I actually went and ‘laid down’ on the bed in the afternoon for 45 minutes (I definitely need rest/sleep!)… but didn’t sleep.
Ru popped in (and left some beautiful ‘thank you’ gifts in connection with her exhibition).
Watched a bit of Wimbledon (first day of championship)… but not really captivated.
Started to draft out an email to Chris+Sarah (updating on Lee’s departure).
Early to bed…
Image: Ru’s exhibition gifts.

Sunday 27 June:

Pretty rubbish night’s ‘sleep’… so up pretty early and finished off the rapid scribble (my second sketch) I’d started at yesterday’s urban sketch gathering.
Forgot to mention in yesterday’s diary that Ana gave me a beautiful card she’d made following our get-together by the Cottage pub some weeks ago (which effectively marked the first time meeting people after lockdown for both of us!).
Fetched the ‘Observer’ from Tesco’s before setting out to ‘proper’ church at Saint Stephen’s… on a pretty drab and rainy morning. Not a huge number in the congregation but, afterwards, Lee announced that he would be leaving at the beginning of September! So, much food for thought. We continue to live in a time of ‘uncertainty’! Suspect things will be very difficult over the coming months… with lots of extra work required by the ‘remaining’ members of the church communities. Particularly difficult for people like Moira and me – who feel they’ve reached a time when they need/prefer to ‘step back’ rather than ‘step up’!
Read more of my ‘Leopard’ book in the afternoon.
Tried to ring Iris to find out about her DoE practice 2-day session (but my phone and her phone don’t talk to each other!)… chatted to Rosa and then to Ru. It seemed that the practice session went fine… no map-reading problems, but Iris didn’t really enjoy it because she was paired with a nervous girl who wanted to opt out of stuff and so Iris kept her company (and also carried the tent – which her ‘pair’ should have done!). Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, so Iris felt a bit left out. The ‘actual’ DoE challenge is this coming weekend.
Roast beef for supper (plus Magnum)… lovely.
Evening telly: watched a bit of the Netherlands v Czech game (C won), followed by a bit of ‘Countryfile’ and ‘Antiques’… followed by early to bed to read.
Image: Ana’s card… 

Saturday 26 June:

A normal start to a Saturday… fetching the morning paper… then reading it.
Full of calls for health secretary to resign or be sacked…
12 noon urban sketching at Bathurst Basin… dry and reasonably warm… and maybe a dozen people attending? Good fun and very good to actually ‘see’ some old faces again.
Afternoon telly: watched the end of a documentary on the end of steam trains, then a bit of the Denmark v Wales game (which W eventually lost 0-4!).
Had a lovely zoom call with Alice+Dave et al… it’s been a long, long time!
Health secretary did eventually resign (inevitable).
Evening telly: ‘Young Montalbano’.
Image: one of my Bathurst Basin sketches from today.

Friday 25 June:

A dawn walk just down to Bathurst Basin on a very cloudy, muggy morning (after overnight rain).
After breakfast, I finished my Vanessa Bell book (excellent) and then wrote up my brief ‘review’ notes.
Moira and I went out to North Street for morning coffee (sitting outside at Tincan Coffee).
After lunch I read some of my ‘Leopard’ book before watching ‘Blazing Saddles’ film on catch up.
Nothing more from solicitors or Laurence about progress on the house front (frustrating).
Not feeling too good (headache and shivering), so had an early night.
Image: chained chairs from morning walk on Wednesday. 

Thursday 24 June:

No early morning walk… instead I went for a 7am haircut!
Actually did quite a lot of ‘stuff’ before 9am… hung out the washing, finished a colour sketch and caught up with ‘news’.
Morning coffee inside with Moira.
Asda delivery.
Rest of the day pretty lazy, I’m afraid… read more of my Vanessa Bell book and watched a documentary on the ‘Flying Scotsman’ at the end of the afternoon.
Evening telly: ‘Young Montalbano’ plus a bit of live Twenty20 cricket.
Image: colourful living (influenced somewhat by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell!?). 

Wednesday 23 June:

Bloke’s Prayer at the Society Café this morning (in bright sunshine)… with Dave, Dru, Ed and Nick. I walked there taking the ‘long’ harbourside circuit via Hotwells and Pero’s Bridge.
Walked home via the pharmacy and picked up my repeat prescription (just about to run out!)… and then had morning coffee in the garden with Moira.
Received a very disappointing email from Laurence saying that George has been told by his lenders that it might take them 28 days in which to response to the Japanese Maple ‘situation’! SO frustrating…
Telephoned Beaver Electrics with a view to arranging a survey of number17 (hopefully, next Wednesday)… and exchanged emails with Nick (agent) confirming key collection etc.
Collected my two books from Storysmith and also re-stocked with some basic fruit+veg from Hugo’s.
Read more of my Vanessa Bell book in the afternoon… and also did a lazy sketch from my armchair!
Evening telly: ‘Villages By the sea’ (Clovelly) and watched a bit of footie (much prefer watching ‘neutral’ teams!).
Image: Escape Stair Shadows.

Tuesday 22 June:

Once again (I’m getting lazy), no dawn walk.
I ended up reading and then sketching (in the house) before morning coffee with Moira (at home).
Robin rang me in response to my email to him yesterday. He was keen to speak ‘off the record’ (which was fine by me)… but he indicated that, despite the expressed intention (in last December’s AGM) to go out for quotes and get a EWS1 survey done on the apartment block, this hasn’t been done. The ‘Board’ have either been told or have just made up their own minds that this is no longer required. It all seems very strange to me… but at least allows me to chase up answers from our sellers’ solicitors. As things stand, there are an awful lot of questions that require answers! I followed up my chat with Robin with another email to solicitor Gail underlining the need to obtain clarification. All somewhat frustrating!
In fact, Moira and I ended up deciding to go to Little Victories Café on Gaol Ferry Steps for outdoor, sit down coffee towards the end of the morning – which was good (but chilly in the wind).
More reading in the afternoon… and Iris popped in to look at fabrics that Moira had sorted out (and it was lovely to hug her again!).
Evening telly: Watched a fascinating documentary on the Indian Partition; I vaguely kept in touch with the score in the England match… but only watched bits on catch-up.
Image: my sketch from the sofa this morning.

Monday 21 June:

I’m afraid I didn’t get out for an early morning walk (despite it being the Summer Solstice!)… rather grey and overcast and my motivation wasn’t ‘there’(!).
Did some clothes washing first thing (three pairs of trousers) and got them out on the line by 8am… will it rain?
Sketched our cornflowers (with added vague colour) before morning coffee… have a feeling that our scanner is nearing the end of its days.
Read more of my Vanessa Bell book for some of the rest of the day(!)… Ru popped in on her way home.
Emailed Robin to see if he could provide me with a decent update on the external wall (EWS1) issue/surveyors at Deanery Road.
Drafted an email solicitor Gail – with a view to passing on Robin’s comments etc.
Evening zoom session with Adrian (last of his Local Learning Group session of this academic year).
All in all a non-day of twiddling thumbs and waiting for things to happen!
Image: disappointing cornflower sketch.

Sunday 20 June:

Another somewhat strange day (after another pretty rough night ‘sleepwise’… I’d originally planned on going to the service at HTH, but the weather was pretty dismal so I decided to follow it online. Sadly, the sound link-up was incredibly poor, so I just tuned in to Adrian’s talk (which I think I just about heard).
Fetched the newspaper and then Moira and I digested stuff over morning coffee.
Because we had a zoom meet-up with Gerry/Merry-Carol/Alan+Gareth at the end of the afternoon, we decided to have our roast (pork) at lunchtime – which turned out very well.
Moira went to have her hair cut immediately after lunch.
Responded to various points from solicitor Gail’s email.
Read more of my Vanessa Bell book in the afternoon.
It was Father’s Day (texts from H+R) and Ru called in on her way home from work with a card – which was lovely.
Zoom call with the old Ithaca people went well (although A+G’s link was pretty rubbish – they were on holiday on the Isle of Arran).
I watched the second half of the Wales v Italy game (Wales lost 0-1 but qualified for the next stage).
Evening telly: token ‘Antiques Roadshow’ before early bed and reading.
Image: Superhero (Ru’s Father’s Day card)… 

Saturday 19 June:

Grey and overcast day.
My days seem to be on ‘pause’ at the present time… completely in limbo, waiting for house move stuff either to be confirmed or cancelled. I have to say that I’m finding it all a bit frustrating (to say the least).
Fetched the newspaper (and some odds+ends)… and then sat and waited for the doctor to ring me to discuss whether or not I should be taking a statin… and that was helpful (I’ve agreed). Dr Wilson explained that it’s basically an age-related thing - they’d entered various figures from my recent test… which suggested I had something like a 23% chance of experiencing some heart-related issues (can’t remember quite how he described it) over the next 10 years (they’d prefer it if this figure was closer to 10%!). Interesting that I wasn’t asked about my lifestyle (exercise, diet, alcohol intake etc). The doctor’s agreed to add the medication to my existing repeat prescription.
I spent a fair amount of time running through the pile of documents that solicitor Gail had emailed to us yesterday afternoon… and endeavoured to draft a response.
Hugely painful to follow Bristol Bear’s semi-final game against Harlequins in the afternoon… leading 28-0 at one stage, but ending up losing 38-43 after extra time!!
Watched some of the Portugal v Germany game at the end of the afternoon.
Evening telly: ‘Young Montalbano’ (series 2!).
Image: Cornflowers from Hugo’s (just love them).

Friday 18 June:

Another rather ‘gentle’ day…
Went for my regular dawn walk to the harbour on a very grey, but warm, morning… saw one cyclist.
Moira and I had morning coffee indoors.
I was determined to use most of the day to finish my re-reading of ‘Big Sky’ (which I duly did… and realised how many of the ‘details’ I’d missed or glossed over.
Fetched fruit and veg supplies from Hugo’s.
Wrote a blog post after the LibDem’s ‘shock’ by-election win in Chesham+Amersham.
Evening telly: I decided against watching the England v Scotland footie… but did watch Portillo in Germany.
Received another batch of papers from Gail (solicitor)... we have a busy weekend ahead of us!
Image: sunken café boat in the harbour.

Thursday 17 June:

I’m afraid I’ve been very lazy today… no morning walk (not even leaving the house all day).
Spent most of the day either re-reading ‘Big Sky’ or ploughing through my book on Vanessa Bell (fascinating, detailed… but also very long)… while, at the same time, also being aware that my eyes were tired!
I phoned the doctor’s surgery first thing and arranged an appointment (on Saturday) to discuss the possible benefits of taking a statin (suggested after my recent blood tests etc).
Moira and I had coffee inside and chatting about stuff related to our (hopefully) impending move… New carpet? Replace one of the sofas? Wooden Lichfield chairs to go? Dining chairs to be replaced?
Moira also emailed solicitor Gail – with a general update and a statement about hopefully being able to move in July.
Scribbled some draft reflections on leaving number40 (and the fact there’ll be no more exhibitions etc)… and tracked down some (but certainly nothing like all) of my old arts trail photographs.
Moira and I enjoyed a glass of wine in the garden (cloudy but warm weather).
Evening telly: nothing really worth watching (unless you wanted to follow the footie)… so ‘Antiques Roadtrip’ and another early night.
Image: timeless timepieces (metaphor for the day?). 

Wednesday 16 June:

Bloke’s Prayer sitting outside the Society Café in the sunshine… Dave, Dru, Nick, Tim and me (Ed, Robin, Dave Pike unable to join us – plus Jonny, obviously). Jeff texted Dave last night to say he found it difficult/unacceptable that we didn’t spend more time in prayer etc.
Moira and I had morning in the garden (another beautiful day – DESPITE the weather forecast from last Sunday which warned about torrential rain and heavy thunderstorms! Local forecast for today suggests sunshine all day… and light rain at 11pm… and light rain from time to time tomorrow).
Emailed Laurence to check if they’d been any progress as far as George’s lenders were concerned… transpires that it’s likely to be 3-4 more days (or more) before we might hear something. All a little frustrating, but…
Completed my very rough Bloomsbury painting before lunch.
Spent the first part of the afternoon checking possible ‘furniture layouts’ at Deanery Road – based on my rough check dimensions... and also tried to assess shelving requirements/possibilities.
Read more of my Vanessa Bell book in the afternoon and sketched a figure loosely based on a Joseph Southall painting.
Evening telly: ‘Sewing Bee’ final… Serena won.
Image: silly Bloomsbury painting. 

Tuesday 15 June:

No walk today… going into town later.Moira and I had morning coffee inside, despite the sunny weather.
Read some of my Vanessa Bell book and then did some rough painting based on some of the accompanying illustrations.
In the afternoon, we met up with Ru and had another look round Deanery Road (and took ‘survey/reminder’ photographs and a few check dimensions. Ru was suitably impressed and seeing the place again was also a very positive experience for M+I too.
Ru had to get back to her studio, but M+I stopped briefly for a cool drink by the harbourside.
Evening telly: last of ‘Between The Covers’.
I also ‘attended’ the Resonate zoom on ‘Education’… can’t say I really saw the relevance, but hey!
Image: Ru standing on the balcony at Deanery Road (photo taken from the hall).

Monday 14 June:

Hot night, but managed to sleep reasonably well… up by 4.30am and, with the weather so nice, I decided to go for a ‘proper’ dawn walk to the harbour and left the house just before 5am (sunrise = 4.53am). It was all rather lovely (I passed one person the entire walk)… no wind, clear blue skies and sunshine.
Home for breakfast… and Moira and I were joined briefly by Ru en route to her BV Studio – and so we were to catch up on our respective weekends (they’d camped at Lyme Regis).
I then wandered back to the harbour and sat and sketched (under shade) at Gaol Ferry Steps – not a great drawing, but it was good to be out sketching again.
I started by Vanessa Bell book (and also continued to re-read Atkinson’s ‘Big Sky’ for bookgroup purposes).
Had another zoom catch-up chat with Alan in the evening which, as always, was very good… Alan+Lesley+M+E etc are off to Norfolk next week.
Image: photographs from this morning’s walk. 

Sunday 13 June:

Very patchy night's sleep… got up around 5am and wrote a brief review of my Bloomsbury book.
Fetched newspaper and essentially waited for Sheila and Moira to get up.
Another beautiful sunny day (it was going to be hot!)… so decided to go to Eastville Park and walk along the river – which was very nice (lots of shade). Didn’t enjoy Sheila’s driving (she seems to think that if she signals, she can immediately change lanes without really checking etc).
Turns out that Iris’s proposed DoE training weekend was cancelled because someone had tested Covid positive (not sure if it was one of the students or a family member)… so Ru+Stu ended up deciding to go camping (at very short notice instead). No idea what the implications will be for Iris’s DoE challenge (she was due to do the ‘real thing’ next weekend).
Sat in the garden after our walk and enjoyed cold drinks. Moira made lasagne… and Sheila announced that, as she wouldn’t be seeing Ru et al due to their camping, she depart straight lunch… except she didn’t! She insisted on telling us about canal building back in Lichfield and then eventually went off to pack her two cases/bags (she’d only stayed ONE night!)… which took her some 40 minutes. Hey ho! She makes difficult company and, perhaps understandably, her ‘conversation topics’ tend to focus entirely on herself.
Went to bed reasonably early (after the ‘usual’ Antiques Roadshow’ and ‘Countryfile’).
Image: Heron from our walk. 

Saturday 12 June:

A Sheila visit… arrived mid-morning and due to leave sometime tomorrow afternoon.
I woke VERY early again (around 3am) and ended up getting up, changing the bed linen, sorting out my clothes for the weekend… and, ultimately, having an early breakfast.
Scribbled some ‘political thoughts’ and generally messed about until Tesco’s opened (so I could fetch the newspaper… plus white wine, juice, crisps etc for later).
Read more Bloomsbury while waiting for Sheila to arrive.
The three of us wandered into town before lunch – ostensibly to look at the Deanery Road apartment (from the street). Probably for the first time, our proposed move actually felt as if it might happen!
Read more Bloomsbury while Moira and Sheila ‘rested’.
Han+Fee+Ursa cam round at 4.30pm and we sat and drank in the garden before eating a roast chicken (and Han veggie option) supper… again in the garden (on a beautiful sunny day). Lovely to have them with us… to help ‘dilute’ Sheila!
Thinking about Iris on her DoE ‘training day’ (in the Mendips?)… so hot and having to cope with heavy rucksack.
I went to bed pretty early (to avoid conversation… was offended by Moira’s comments about me not taking an interest in stuff she watches on telly!!). Give me strength!
Image: flaming June (scribbled a few days ago in the garden).

Friday 11 June:

An important day… the knotweed specialist cometh!
I decided to skip my early morning walk (again) and, instead, read for a while before Moira and I had morning coffee.
I wandered down to the harbour and completed my sketch (started yesterday… but abandoned due to rain)… and then added a little watercolour once I’d returned home.
The specialist (Eugene) from Japanese Knotweed Limited (www.japaneseknotweed.co.uk) arrived just after 12noon – originally due at 2pm.
I’ve been hugely aware of just how important his visit and comments were… and just how stressed I’d become about it all. In the event, he was re-assuring… they can provide a 5 year treatment plan (for £1.8-2K)… and thereafter, if required, a five year guarantee. They’re able to undertake the treatment from our property – but apparently have the right to treat within 2metres of the boundary on our neighbour’s land.
Hopefully, this will satisfy both George and his funders. Huge relief that the uncertainty seems to be coming to an end… and that we can start planning the next phase (fingers crossed!).
I duly telephoned Laurence and gave him an update (and suggested he tell George that we’d be happy to go 50:50 on the treatment costs)… he’s going to wait until after George receives the formal report.
I also emailed Nick to ask if he could arrange for us to visit Deanery Road sometime next week (subsequently confirmed as Tuesday 15^th at 2.30pm).
Spent the bulk of the afternoon reading more of my Bloomsbury book.
Evening telly: ‘The Statue Wars: One Summer in Bristol’.
Image: Rope Walk sketch. 

Thursday 10 June:

Something of a frustrating morning (after another broken night’s sleep)… I decided not to go walking but instead, after morning coffee with Moira, to go down to Gaol Ferry Steps and sketch. Sadly, after 30mins, it started to rain… so I gave up and walked home.
There was an eclipse (at around 11am), but it was very cloudy and therefore invisible!
Tried to read, but couldn’t settle.
Our fortnightly Asda order represented the most positive action of the morning!!
There was an eclipse… but sadly it was too cloudy to be seen.
More reading in the afternoon… plus catch-up telly stuff: documentary on the Celts; an episode of ‘What Artists Do All Day’ (street photographer Dougie Wallace); and a documentary/interview with Bridget Riley by Kirsty Wark.
Image: sketch based on an Eric Gill sculpture. 

Wednesday 9 June:

Started the day at “Bloke’s Prayer” at the Society Café (with Dave, Dave, Ed, Nick and Dru). Quite relaxed and enjoyable… sitting outside in bright sunshine.
Returned home and scribbled a brief ’reflection’ (essentially taking stock of where we are as far the house ‘move’ is concerned) and also a long-overdue email to Chris+Sarah.
At 12.30pm, I’d booked a ‘free ticket’ to see the Colston statue exhibition at the M-Shed (despite campaigners trying to prevent people seeing it by block-booking the event online)… my view is that the statue ought to have been removed some considerable time ago. It’s a good exhibition (with views from both sides of the argument), but I found these words (which accompanied the exhibition display) shockingly powerful:
“Edward Colston’s family had longstanding links with Bristol… He was engaged in international trade and became a high official of the London-based Royal African Company (1680-1692). They had the monopoly on the Transatlantic Traffic in Enslaved Africans until 1698. As such, Colstan played an active role in the trading of over 84,000 enslaved African people (including 12,000 children) of whom 19,000 died on their way across the Atlantic. As a Bristol MP late in life, he campaigned to keep the slave trade legal and on favourable terms for traders”.
Read more of my Bloomsbury book in the afternoon.
In the evening “Bloke’s Books” met up online to discuss Dru’s “The Way of the Pilgrim”. Interesting discussion… but I wasn’t really taken by the book!
Image: Colston statue at the M-Shed.

Tuesday 8 June:

Decided against an early morning walk… and messed about on the laptop instead(!) – including booking M-Shed (tomorrow) to see the Colston statue.
Moira and I had coffee with Ru (she was here fairly briefly, before going on to BV Studio).
Ended up walking up through Leigh Woods (and then back down to the Avon and home). Beautiful sunny day (but not too hot)… and back by lunchtime.
Did a couple of sketches during the course of the day (neither very good – delphinium and another Eric Gill image).
Read some more of my Bloomsbury book.
Still no feedback from Solon HA (no real surprise).
‘Attended’ an online talk by Guardian journalists. marina Hyde and John Crace (excellent).
Image: pics from my Leigh Woods’ walk It was very green!).

Monday 7 June:

My usual dawn harbour walk (quite a few rowers about) on a lovely sunny morning.
Back home to the mountain of washing up after yesterday’s socializing (seems as though every plate, bowl, pan and dish in the house had been used!)… one dishwasher load on last night and still left another two loads (and some hand-washing)…
Moira and I had morning coffee inside (the bright start to the day had clouded over.
Sorted out various bits for the solicitor.
Nothing back from Solon HA about the Japanese knotweed… but had a call from Laurence at lunchtime: George had organised a knotweed specialist to come and assess things (Eugene, Friday 2pm). It’s probably the best way of actually progressing matters – one way or the other.
Scribbled a colour doodle in my sketchbook (took my mind off knotweed!)… and then read the second half of my latest Atkinson novel (she’s pretty brilliant!).
Image: early morning rowers. 

Sunday 6 June:

A quiet Sunday (the sun shone)… fetched the newspaper; Moira and I had morning coffee together.
Moira and I walked our usual harbour circuit.
I read for much of the afternoon (Kate Atkinson)…
At the end of the afternoon, we had Ru+Stu+Iris+Rosa round for early supper… and it was just LOVELY. Time to relax, chat, relax, laugh and catch up. We‘ve missed doing this stuff SO much!
Early to bed… fingers crossed that I’ll be able to sleep.
Image: bungee jumper, amphitheatre.

Saturday 5 June:

Pretty lazy day… no walk, just fetched the newspaper.
Sketched the Butler’s Pantry (‘black hole’!) in the morning… and also sorted out some ‘house move’ admin files.
Posted info regarding the next Urban Sketching ‘live’ event.
Read the start of my next ‘Jackson Brodie’ book in the afternoon.
Had a lovely telephone call from Rosie filling me in on her holiday in Plymouth with her friend Ruby’s family… and also great to speak to Alice (on the end of her conversation with Moira).
Emailed Alan with an update on the house etc.
Bristol Bears narrowly beat Leicester 26-23 away (AND got a bonus point!).
Moira and I enjoyed wine and olives in the garden before supper.
Evening telly: we re-watched the first Young Montalbano episode.
Image: ‘Black Hole’ sketch.

Friday 4 June:

No early morning walk, despite the fine weather.
Another rather typical broken night’s sleep… and got up around 4am (and read and caught up with social media etc).
After morning coffee, Moira and I went through a batch of ‘house’ documentation received from our solicitor… tedious but important stuff. No further news/developments regarding the Japanese knotweed etc.
Walked into town to buy some ink cartridges from Ryman’s at the top of Park Street (cost a small fortune!).
Finished my Shukla book during the course of the afternoon (excellent).
White wine and olives in the garden with Moira before supper.
Image: wild flowers in front of the cathedral. 

Thursday 3 June:

Had a pretty awful night’s ‘sleep’ – pondering Japanese Knotweed matters! Ended up getting out of bed around 2am and scribbling a draft email to Laurence/Solon HA.
Woke up at 6am and went for my usual dawn walk along the harbour (incredibly grey morning – every bit of visible sky the same drab light grey colour – with a very light drizzle).
Chatted my draft email (to Laurence etc) through with Moira and sent it off by 9.25am.
Waiting was frustrating.
Wrote a blogpost about Ru’s beautiful exhibition (and pasted some photographs).
Utilised (wasted?) the time sketching (yet) another harbour boat.
Moira went into town to seek out buttons for the dress/skirt she’s making.
Quite a stressful day all in all… sending out emails to Laurence, Gail and Solon HA and receiving their responses (and replying to them)… and yet still feeling as if we’re still a mile away from getting the Japanese knotweed matter resolved. All very frustrating (and left feeling pretty helpless).
Read more of my ‘Brown Baby’ book.
Evening telly: ‘Sewing Bee’… fingers crossed for a better night’s sleep!
Image: we are next door’s cats’ new best buddies! 

Wednesday 2 June:

A very full-on day!
Zoom Bloke’s Prayer first thing (but no early walk!)… with Jonny (in Denmark) and Robin (in Spain) and others in Bristol!
After that, Han+Fee+Ursa collected us and drove down to Bovey Tracey to see Ru’s ‘Moonlit’ exhibition… which we all really thought was quite stunning. Everything about the space was wonderfully conceived and presented. Very very proud!
H+U+F then dropped us off at Exeter station (they were travelling on to stay with Martin+Ruth in Bridport for a few days) and we got back home at around 5pm.
Laurence rang me on the train – George wanted to reduce his offer by £10K (which is fine by us) and the real concern/uncertainty relates to the potential Japanese Knotweed issue (which may affect George’s mortgage offer). Clearly need to think about the best way of approaching the problem… and get back to Laurence tomorrow.
Early evening Storysmith bookgroup for me (graphic novel)… another excellent discussion.
Evening telly: ‘Repair Shop’… and to bed pretty early (Moira’s eyes were hurting – so we’ll watch ‘Sewing’ tomorrow?).
Image: just one photo from Ru’s pretty special show.

Tuesday 1 June:

My Mum would have been 93 today!
I decided not to go for an early morning walk today… wrote a brief review of my latest Atkinson book instead.
Moira and I had morning coffee inside (despite the sunshine).
Ru+Iris popped in very briefly to collect some stuff to take on the BV Studios.
I sketched in the garden (briefly… and not particularly successfully).
I had an appointment with the nurse for checks to determine that my repeat prescriptions can continue… everything went well (blood pressure and pulse fine, blood sample taken).
Read (‘Brown Baby’) inside and outside during the course of another lazy afternoon.
Also watched a pretty amazing/terrifying Panorama documentary on artificial intelligence.
Evening telly: ‘Railway Journeys’ and we tried to watch the first episode of ‘The Pact’ – but gave up after 50minutes (too tense… need to find some Poirot substitute!!).
Image: my garden scribble sketch.