Thursday 28th June 2018

If I am honest, every day working from home seems pretty much the same. We get up, feed the cats, make coffee and prepare for the day. No matter what I plan to do the day, something else comes along to divert me. Then its five in the afternoon, time to do dinner, wait for Jools, wash up, watch some football and bed.

Only the year progresses ever onwards, the days now get shorter, and the garden; well, the garden is a riot of colour as more and more flowers open. Each evening we water as we have had little rain for a month, if any.

Every day is one less until the weekend, when we can reap what we sow during the working week and go out and do stuff, or not.

I can tell its Thursday, as its bin day. So, I put out the rubbish, make a second coffee when Jools has left for work, and watch the clock tick round to quarter to eight when I start work.

It is another glorious day outside; the sun shines from a clear blue sky. Occasionally, a Spitfire flies along the line of the cliffs and I can hear the purr of its Merlin engine. Some people would pay for this view, and for us its an every day thing.

I listen to the radio a while, and then it is time for the first meeting of the day. The first hour of six hours of meetings during the day. I lose track of time, and my brain melts. I grab time to make lunch, and eat as another meeting starts, muting my mic when I munch.

The target for the day is the final group match, England v Belgium; the winner tops the group and might have the easier route, if they win the next game. Both had already qualified. And with the English press saying this is England's year, perhaps it was best that it was a dog of a performance, from a team of eight changes, and instead of the exciting, attacking football of the weekend, it was the usual one pace then lump the ball upfied to the big man. Or Jamie Vardy.

Belgium score the only goal, and that is it.

We now have a day off from the football before the knockout games begin.

Hold on tight.