More time out

We were Sandra’s guests yesterday for lunch and a show.  The D-day Darlings did a show at the Hazlitt theatre in Maidstone.  Great entertainers, and a whole lot of fun.  As ever, though, the amplification was almost painfully overdone, which detracted a whole lot from our enjoyment.  The traffic was about as bloody awful as usual - I really dislike driving these days.  The centre of Maidstone is pretty much closed off, so we decided to head north and pick up the motorway.  His Majesty’s armed forces, meanwhile, had managed to crash or break down at the motorway junction roundabout, so we had a long wait.

A simpler outing today.  Martyn’s bike’s gear change shifters have seized up, so we took it down to our local repair café, where bike fettler Chris took a look at it.  Following his diagnosis, and with his expert help, we have ordered the necessary spare parts, and will take them and the bike along in early July for him to do the necessary.  Wonderful institution, the repair café.  We’ve had a couple of clocks sorted there.  Of course, I barked my knuckles getting the bike out of the boot, and hadn’t got the right size of plaster in the car.  The repair café sewing desk kindly applied scissors to cut something suitable.  And our neighbour Rosemary presided as ever over the kettle.

With the exception of one very unpleasant foul-mouthed neighbour (she is plainly no right in the heid) our environment is about all we could wish for.  We don’t live in our neighbours’ pockets, but lend a hand when we can, and so do they.  You need to like aeroplanes, of course, since we’re on the Gatwick approach when the wind’s coming from the west.  We’re far enough from the main road not to be troubled with traffic noise much of the time.  And the village provides most of what we need from day to day, and a decent cultural agenda too.  

So things could be worse.  I spent a while at hospital yesterday, preparing for planned surgery.  (I first wrote ‘preparing the ground’, but don’t think we’re quite there yet!).  All very professional, thorough and friendly.  Since the hospital is so comfortable, I’m not dreading the experience.