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Postcard #20 Yorkshire Dales National Park
It's an astoundingly pretty part of the country.At last I've stumbled, almost breathless, into the Yorkshire Dales. It's not easy running up those hills when you have so little oxygen left in your blood. `Or when you've had so few opportunities to run. Or, in fact, so...
Day 39 A funeral
Today was the day of Brian's funeral.People have asked me how Brian's funeral went. I'm not sure how to reply, though it did go smoothly and according to plan, I think. Francis Chappell Funeral Directors managed it all beautifully all the way through and I am grateful...
Days 36 and 38 A weekend in the country
A time to breatheAfter the constant phoning and not a little frustration of the previous few weeks I largely passed the reins of sorting out the aftermath of my father in law's death to John and caught up with a treasured friend for a walk with her delightful...
Days 26 and 31 Happy place
Finally, I returned to one of my favourite places on earth for performances from two wonderful saxophonists.Courtney Pine was almost as delighted as me to be returning after such a long time to Ronnie Scott's the iconic Frith Street jazz venue, which has somehow...
Postcard #19 Bradford
I find that I have now run through Bradford. And also through Bingley. I know little about these two places, except that that they were a Building Society.Now, a friend of my mum's taught at Bradford University once upon a time, I think, and for a time in the 1970s...
Day 27 My joy
At long last, I get to sing with my choir. In person.It took 21 months but finally I got to sing with my home choir in person and not as usual blearily at 2am in my pyjama top, over Zoom, hoping that my singing won't wake up the household or the neighbours and knowing...
Day 25 With the Funeral Director
This is the day that I went to make the arrangements for Brian's funeral.Funerals involve admin, and things don't ever sort themselves out. The task of sorting out the details of Brian's funeral has fallen to me because I am here. Incidentally, when did we stop using...
Day 23 Chirpy chirp
Where I call for help and end up spending quality time with a treasured friend.The standby battery in our mains-wired smoke alarm suddenly ran out at 11pm on Friday and started making a regular and profoundly annoying chirp at regular intervals. It does not sleep. We...
Days 20-22 Edinburgh
After a sleep-deprived night on the Caledonian Sleeper, I arrived in Auld Reekie.If you were expecting this account of my Edinburgh jaunt to be filled with snaps of its many and varied photo opportunities, you'd be disappointed. Best to try last year's posts instead....
Day 19 – The Caledonian Sleeper
I didn't want to cramp Eliza's style on her 22nd birthday so I booked a ride on the Caledonian Sleeper for my trip to Edinburgh to see her. I saw it as a little foretaste of my upcoming Canadian train Odyssey (The Gitiad?) which, as I write, is still on. I was so...