We’re getting dangerously sociable these days.  Lunch last Friday with Celia and Andy at the Globe & Rainbow (recommended).  I had the rabbit and chorizo cassoulet, since I don’t get to cook rabbit at home.  Good mixture, though I suppose the flavour of the rabbit was slightly overshadowed by that of the chouriço.  Nice bottle of house Rioja, mains and puddings (I had a nice plate of English cheeses): £20 per belly, including a decent tip.

Yesterday evening we had friends round for drinks, nibbles (blinis revisited) and a visit to the model railway.  Today we had my old boss Peter and Margaret here for lunch – chicken stellette soup, quiche lorraine with salad and baby spuds, then Martyn’s splendid apple and blackcurrant meringue pud.  As I lever the jeans on each morning, I wish I were less keen on food. But the diary for the coming weeks suggests little change of pattern.

Interesting day at the hobby on Monday, but I’m obviously no longer allowed to say what it is or what happened.  Suffice it to to say that one of my customers told me I was a prick before he was ushered down the stairs.  On the way there I go along a stretch of road that floods to kerbstone height, and just before I reached the flood, there was a car standing with the bonnet open and the hazard flashers flashing feebly.  The driver had organised help by the time I spoke to him – he’d obviously gone at it too fast, and flooded the electrics: ‘These petrol cars don’t like the water’, he lamented.  Even though I drive a diesel with plenty of ground (bzw. water) clearance, I take it at a respectful walking pace, thanks very much. But I would like to see the colour of its paint some of these days.  With two days at the hobby next week, however, I'm not about to get it washed in a hurry.  I hope our neighbourhood car washers are getting some business, but suspect a lot of people will think as I do.

The temperature has not risen as far as zero today, so putting the bins out earlier was a pretty swift process.  At least we aren't under snow.  Yet.