Tuesday 31 August:

No walks this morning (in fact, I only got out of the house as far as the postbox!)…
Waited in for a Royal mail delivery of stuff from John Lewis (lighting and bathroom cabinet) and then sat down and wrote out my witness statement in connection with the damaged car in Mount Pleasant terrace on 11 August (tedious but important – just hope I’m not asked to attend court!).
We had our first Asda delivery since moving and it was something of a relief that the delivery guy was so helpful and accommodating.
Ru+Iris+Rosa all came for lunch and to take a look around our new abode. Lovely gentle chats and plenty of laughter.
Sorted out a physio appointment for tomorrow.
Evening telly: new series of ‘Vera’
Image: paddleboarders on the harbour (from Sunday). 

Monday 30 August:

Bank Holiday Monday and living in the city centre…
Although it was dry, I don’t think the sun shone once today.
No dawn walking (my hip is playing up again)… but I did venture out to the shops (Boots in Broadmead) to buy a new comb!
My main aim for today was to try to make headway with my bookgroup book… and, in fact, I managed to finish it (All For Nothing – really excellent).
Afterwards, I tried to find the pile of ‘to read’ books from number40 but, so far, without success (it must be in ONE of the boxes… but which one?!).
Evening telly: the usual Monday night ‘Connect’ and ‘Challenge’.
Image: dawn from the balcony (taken yesterday). 

Sunday 29 August:

Another rather indifferent night’s sleep (back is the main problem)… and ended up emptying one wash load and adding two more before breakfast! Drying clothes is a problem, but hey!
Frustrated that the refuse collection only includes mixed paper+cardboard recycling – NOTHING for plastic or glass (no food waste either, but that might be an issue for apartment blocks?).
No church this weekend (no services arranged… which seemed a little strange), but Alice came round in the morning and stayed for lunch. The three of us walked up Brandon Hill… lovely views.
Spent much of the afternoon reading my bookgroup book (will almost certainly not finish in time!).
Had an email announcing a remembrance service for John Loarridge (although I didn’t know it, he died in March 2020).
Evening tellie: last episode of ‘The Boleyns’ and the wonderful Mortimer+Whitehouse ‘Gone Fishing’ (new series!).
Image: Houses from Brandon Hill. 

Saturday 28 August:

No walking first thing (apart from fetching the newspaper… it’s the weekend afterall!).
But so lovely to have Alice, Hannah and Ursa visit us (and help with yet more sorting)… Moira was particularly pleased that Alice was able to see our new home.
Very good to have the chance to spend some catch-up time with Alice.
At 12noon I disappeared to an urban sketch meet-up in Queen Square… very good to see people again (perhaps a dozen plus attended?).
Had a phone call from Chris H at the end of the afternoon and ended up meeting him and Lal at the Nova Scotia for a couple of beers (Moira opted out through tiredness and mouth ulcers).
Image: bungee jumping (viewed from the balcony!).

Friday 27 August:

A bit of a recovery day really…
Having slept in my own bed (and pretty well, given everything), I went for a fairly brief walk around the harbour (cloudy, but bright) and returned to make breakfast (just espresso and toast).
Sat on the balcony (what a lovely thing to do!) and made a simple sketch.
Later, Moira and I had coffee on the balcony…
I spent much of the morning trawling the internet for cordless drills/screwdrivers, ceiling lights, wall lights and bathroom cabinets – and duly placed online orders for them all (plus checked out potential options for dining tables and wardrobes).
Very aware that we have a bookgroup meeting next Wednesday and that I’m only a quarter through our book… so spent some of the afternoon trying to make progress (and largely failing).
Messaged Clarissa about potentially ‘purchasing’ her charcoal drawing of the girls.
Evening tellie: catch-up ‘Connect’ and ‘University’.
Image: my quick scribble on the balcony.

Thursday 26 August:

Another pretty exhausting day (unsurprisingly).
Really rough night – couldn’t sleep/couldn’t get comfortable/tossing+turning… ended up sleeping on cushions in the living room!
Went for a dawn walk – the first from number17 – very grey morning… 4 minute walk to harbourside.
Continued clearing up… but resolved to go to the cathedral at 10am to see Luke Jerrom’s ‘Moon’ sculpture. Well, we were impressed and yet also left a little underwhelmed by it. Hey ho!
Back home for morning coffee on the balcony (and the sun had appeared).
I was determined to try to set up the bed in the second bedroom – which involved the tedious business of taking out all the boxes, erecting the bed (and a simple desk)(perhaps a mistake?), making the bed up… and then putting all the boxes back in the bedroom! Long, slow business – my back and hip were struggling by the end.
Went to No.1 Harbourside for early supper – sitting outside beside the harbour (excellent)… then back home to watch another ‘Montalbano’ episode… before early bedtime (need to get in some reading time… bookgroup is next Wednesday and I’m only a quarter the way through my book).
Image: ‘Moon’ from the cathedral.

Wednesday 25 August:

Finally, ‘move in day’!
Felix drove Moira and me to Deanery Road at 8am (in advance of the ‘movers’).
Spent the entire morning directing boxes into various locations, unpacking boxes and generally just trying to keep up with the movers.
By the time they departed (and taking folded empties away with them), things looked reasonably well organised. The early part of the afternoon involved further box sorting and then Ru came round at about 3.30pm, armed with a bottle of Cava – which the three of us thoroughly enjoyed, sitting on the balcony in the sunshine.
By that time, the Virgin Media man had arrived and proceeded to install the internet (really efficient, personable bloke)… so, we now have internet again!
Bought a pizza, pending delivery of a package (plug adaptor) from Alice.
Had intended to watch Montalbano – but catch-up was working for some reason, so I watched the cricket highlights, wrote my diary… and bed by 9.30pm.
Image: balcony chairs.