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!?).