Sunday 21st November 2021

When I first moved to Kent, Jools' brother, Mike, was in a long term relationship with Dionne, who was very nice. I thought.

But, in 2010, the split up, and Mike met Jane and they set up home.

So far, so good and simple.

So, for 11 years, Mike and Jane have been a thing, and they seemed happy enough, though the shine and sparkle seemed to have worn off, doubly so as Jane went to live in a specil bungalow out in the country in Nonnington as her troublesome legs were giving her more trouble. As part of the lease, Mike could only stay three nights a week, or something, so for four nights, they had separate lives.

And, as it turned out, little fun.

So last week, Mike ended their relationship.

Which soon descended into a debate about money.

Sadly.

So, Mike is coming round for dinner tomorrow (Tuesday) as it's Jools' birthday, Jen is coming too, so we will have a fine meal and drinks together.

And hopefully some laughs.

Of course, it is also Dr Who's birthday, 58.

But that is for tomrrow, and before then there is today and I have to write about yesterday.

Unlike most recent weekends, I had two things planned: a haircut and go to Minster to snap a steam railtour. And as the day dawned clear and bright, but cold, I vowed to go for a walk in Folkestone before the haircut.

And so, after coffee, criossants and another coffee, I leave for Folkestone, while Jools stayed to do some gardening.

Did I say it was cold?

It was.

I parked in our usual place at the top of the Old High Street, paid for three hours parking and taking my camera, went for a wallk.

At some point on Saturday, in Tunbridge Wells, I must have spun the wheel on my camera changing the aperture from f9 to f1.2.

I wondered why shots at Goudhurst had such blurry backgrounds. And when I reviewed shots taken on Sunday showed blurry shots and over-exposed shots, caused by the maximum apeture.

Sigh.

Most could be rescued, but the over exposure in some is quite marked, but creates different shots as to what I was intending.

I was in Folkestone to have a haircut, and being clear, the light would be exceptional.

Which it was.

I walked down the Old High Street, round the inner harbour and out along the harbour arm.

Although the light was wonderful, it was cold and a very keen wind blew.

Brrr.

The old station is still looking fine, the renovation made have taken one of the tracks away, and the remaining line is now embedded into a footpath, but it is pleasant to walk through, and has places to eat and drink in it, as well has hosting craft fairs in the warmer months.

But not this day, too cold, too bracing.

I walk along the upper platform and then back along the quayside, into the teeth of the north wind.

By crikey that were cold.

Back up the Old High Street, up Rendevous Street to the bottom of the new High Street, and then wait for the shop to open. To entertain me, a series of stalls were being set up for a food fair, with comments about the ones selling hot food would do best.

The owner arrived, I go in and after the usual "how are you?" questions, he gets the garden shears out and begin to tackle the thatch.

At one point he used this razor thing on the outside of my ears. I mean, I am so old now that my frikkin ears need to be shaved!

I pay the guy and I leave, walk back to the car via the fancy cake shop where I buy two huge slices of carrot cake for afternoon snacks with another coffee, and then drive home.

Jools had gone out with Jen, so I had the house to myself, so make myself cheese on toast and a nice cuppa and review the shots I had taken in Folkestone.

Jools returned, but it was time for me to go, as I said I would pick Gary up en route to Minster to snap the railtour. Very early, but parking is limited, and we wanted to be sure of seeing it.

Gary is well, he has been away in Sussex where he visited Sheffield Park to snap the autumn colours of the trees, the weather was kind for him. And we talk. Al ot as I drive us past Sandwich onto Thanet then down the narrow High Street to the station where we had a spot near the entrance. And an hour to wait.

So we talked some more.

A lot more.

We didn't run out of things to say, either.

Then as the clock ticked towards two, and others began to arrive, we gathered our camera gear together and chose our spots on the platform and waited.

As it happened, we had an extra couple of minutes as a high speed service had to go through, but the steam engine could be seen a quarter mile away, bubbling and steaming away.

As soon as the modern train was out of the way, the points were changed and the light went green, and the locomotive began to work, getting up to a running pace, before slowing down to take the points to the up line in preparation for taking the single curve towards Sandwich.

As the train got near, I switched to the compact the take a video as the tour wnet past, and then back to the big lens before the locomotive began the tight turn north.

And that was it.

We amble back to the car, turn up the heating and drive back to the main road, then turn south back towards Dover, getting back as dusk was falling.

And me back in time for the second half of the footy.

And have a coffee and the cake I bought and can confirm it was as delicious as it looked.

Back to the football.

I have no idea now wheo played, and it was just 24 hours ago.

During the second game, I cook chorizo hash, which was as tasty as ever, and some left over for Jools' pack up for Monday.

OOutside it was dark, we tidy up, make one last coffee and to bed at eight as I am nearing the end of the JCC book, which is just wonderful, and full of sex, and drugs and roack and roll and poetry.