Tuesday 7 September:

I posted a ‘moving reflection’ first thing… thinking back over our first week at Deanery Road.
A busy morning and a catch-up afternoon…
I walked into Southville first thing… firstly, to get my hair cut, then to talk to the people in Bristol Flooring, then coffee+cake on the pavement outside Albatrose, and finally to Storysmith to collect my bookgroup book.
Also managed to cram in a very quick sketch of some North Street buildings while drinking my coffee.
And all the while the sun shone brightly (beautiful day)… took lots of photographs.
Spent the first part of the afternoon noting down our electrical requirements (in advance of my meeting with Beaver tomorrow morning).
Listened to the WW2 podcast of Lancaster bombers over Berlin (sent to me by Ian).
Also booked a flu jab.
Read on the balcony from 3.30pm (just shady enough at the right-hand end!).
Evening telly: ‘Vera’.
Image: North Street façades (on the back of an envelope!).

  

Monday 6 September:

Another restless night (not improved by a number of blokes arguing loudly at 3am outside my window!).
No walking… but went to Tesco’s early on to buy some provisions.
Morning coffee on the balcony.
They’re filming close by (College Street?) and therefore there are lots of ‘film cars+trucks’ parked on our street.
Took me some time to sort out an issue on my camera (for some reason it had started taking 1:1/square images instead of landscape)… I’d obviously accidently pressed something!
Phil+Abbie came round for coffee after lunch – good to spend time with them.
Moira ordered a dining table!
England lost the Test Match by 157 runs… another batting collapse.
Beautiful sunny day – almost too hot to sit on the balcony.
Evening telly: the usual Monday stuff (‘Connect’ and ‘Challenge’).
Early to bed to try to read some more of my book (‘Still Life’).
Image: on location with the film crew?

Sunday 5 September:

A somewhat complicated day…
It was Lee Barnes’ leaving service at HTH, but I also had a 10.30am appointment at the Eye Hospital. The Eye Hospital was very efficient and speedy (and happily had only a few patients… so no waiting time etc).
Immediately after breakfast, I’d done a quick sketch through the window of the buildings opposite.
I ended up managing to get to the end of HTH service – just in time for part-communion  (no cup/wine involved), presentations and food(!).
Felt a little guilty that I didn’t hang about for washing up etc.
Read the newspaper when we got home.
Did another quick sketch on the balcony (and hung a picture in my bedroom!).
Evening telly: ‘Gone Fishing’ and the end of ‘Antiques’.
Image: Deanery Road façades. 

Saturday 4 September:

Iris is 15 today (how did that happen?).
Somewhat disrupted night’s sleep – I thought my back had improved, but perhaps not?
Cereal+espresso… and then bussed over to Ru+Stu’s for a birthday breakfast with Iris (with wonderful waffles made by Rosa)… sun was shining, so we sat out in the garden. Iris seemed to be in good form.
Home for lunch and newspaper.
After lunch put up bathroom cabinet (using new drill etc!)… everything seemed to go ok… and very good to be able to clear stuff away at last.
Sent off some shelving info to a prospective handyman/carpenter (via facebook)… will he get back to me??
Moira’s still uncertain about our colour scheme and went off to Wilko’s again in the hope of getting some paint samples.
England’s cricket pretty disastrous… India 270-3 (171 runs ahead).
Drinks on the balcony…
Evening telly: re-watched an old Montalbano episode.
Image: Ru's photograph of birthday girl Iris. 

Friday 3 September:

Very grey, drab morning… but I DID go for a dawn walk along the harbour.
Back home for cereal+espresso breakfast.
Morning coffee on the balcony and then up the hill to Wilko’s to buy light bulbs, wash-up salt and pick up some paint charts.
Dropped in to St George’s for a toastie (+wine) lunch.
Afternoon spent rather messing with various tasks (hung picture in the bathroom and tried to put my thoughts together for possible shelving quotes)… while checking out cricket scores.
Watched the 9/11 documentary on catch-up… brings it all back.
Evening telly: Moira got us Netflix very recently (can’t remember why or how!), but we watched ‘The Dig’ film about Sutton Hoo.
Image: Three Tuns street art from this morning’s dawn walk.

Thursday 2 September:

No morning walk, but Moira and I decided to go to IKEA to check out various things (armchairs, dining tables, wardrobes etc etc). Actually the bus journeys (both ways) were pretty depressing – I think perhaps only 5% of passengers were wearing face masks.
We checked out various things at IKEA but, apart from one or two minor items, didn’t return home full of enthusiasm about any particular products.
Had coffee+cake but that was it (must be a new record for an IKEA trip!).
Late lunch at home and I then visited IKEA online and ordered some ‘wardrobe’ storage plus some simple shelf ‘squares’. Nothing special but, hopefully, it’ll help to start getting things organised.
We had a pre-supper drink on the balcony (which was good) and then chilled in the evening.
Evening telly: an old episode of ‘Repair Shop’.
Images: homeward bound across College Green. 

Wednesday 1 September:

Bloke’s Prayer at the Society Café first thing (with Ed, Dru, Nick and me)… coldish, but dry.
Tried to sort out more boxes (looking for books!) and after lunch went to see a physio about my back (interesting, but concentrated on my body imperfections rather than trying to sort out my back – albeit they’re related).
Naked Wine delivery eventually arrived at around 7pm (by which time I was out of the house).
I walked to MPT to collect some large bowls (left by the movers) from number40… which also gave me an opportunity to meet George (we had a very good chat).
Then on to Storysmith for our bookgroup – excellent discussion (everyone was impressed by the book).
Home on the bus (with heavy bowls!).
Evening telly: watched a quick episode of ‘ghosts’ while eating late supper.
Image: desperately short of pictures to post (this from an old sketchbook!)