Saturday 28th June 2025

It is the weekend.

Apparently.

Though, in truth, we're less likely to go out weekends that weekdays due to people.

Saying that, I signed up for a digital newsletter from Dover District Council about stuff that is on we might like to attend, and this week is was Deal and Walmer Classic car Show on Walmer Strand.

We should have been up and about early, heading into Walmer by nine, so to see the cars with less folks and when it was cooler.

But I laid in.

Needed a shower.

So it was half ten when we did leave the house.

Rather than try to find a spot in town or along The Strand, I thought the small car park opposite The Berry would be idea, and we could call in for a pint before we left.

Traffic didn't look too heavy, but we got stuck on the Deal Road as a taxi had a flat right on the sharp bend. But we got through, then into Walmer and down Cambridge Road to find there was just one space left.

Which is all we needed.

We park, I grab the camera and walk up to The Strand, to find they had set the car show up right opposite, so no long walk down to near Deal castle as expected.

It was hot.

Damn hot.

But lots of cars to see and admire, and room enough to get shots.

Best of all, I think, was an RS Mexico, looking like new, and on sale which could be yours for £30,000.

We passed.

But Rovers, Minis, Aston Martins, Rollers, Jaguars and much else beside.

We wandered for an hour, which I think was about right, before we walked back along Cambridge Road, where we arrived at the Berry at opening time.

The barmaid couldn't find a place to park, so we waited while she tottered around in heels and skin tight leather jeans, but we soon were nursing a fresh pint of IPA or a rhubarb cider.

Too hot to sit outside, so we sat in the bar and ate scampi fries to go with our drinks.

Cheers.

After draining our glasses, we return to the car, and I drive us home, avoiding The Strand, cruising home along the Deal road, under the canopy of summer foliage of Oxney Wood, which cast dappled shadows on the road.

Back home we have Caprese with home made garlic bread. Or stale bread seasoned with home made garlic butter. I slice the loaf, 90% through, insert the butter and back for twenty minutes.

Caprese, garlic bread and a bottle of a decent red wine.

Lovely.

As normal, the rest of the afternoon was spent trying to stay awake with no live football to entertain my brain.

At five, the ice cream van came round, so I go out to wait on the street to buy two 99s, which we eat on the patio, wolfing it down before the soft ice cream melted and coated our hands and chins.

For the evening there was the U21 European Championship Final between England and Germany.

England played well, and were 2-0 up just before half time, and in control. But, Germany pulled on back in the closing seconds. Then, in the second half, Germany levelled and were in control.

2-2 at full time, and in the opening minutes of extra time, England scored through former Norwich player, Jonathan Rowe, scrambled what turned out to be the winner.

England hung on. Germany hit the bar in the final seconds, but failed to score.

England: champions again.