Wednesday 16th July 2025

Back when I worked, I used to go and have haircuts on Sunday mornings, as we usually did stuff on Saturdays. Which means now I can go whatever days I want to.

And as Billy Connolly remarked years back, I have no idea what my body is preparing me for, but after a month I have a thicket of hairs in my ears and from my nose.

The place in Dover I went to didn't do my nose, so for the first time since March, I went to the guys on Folkestone.

It was also a trip out.

Sea mist shrouded St Maggies, and would be the same, if not worse at Capel on the way to be shorn.

I set the alarm, was up by seven, had coffee.

Jools had a class in town at eight fifteen, so I dropped her off on the way in Folkestone. I would collect her "later".

The roads were pretty quiet, but misty as expected at Capel, then down into Folkestone, parking near the top of the Old High Street, before walking up the the (new) High Street, only to find the barbers didn't open until nine.

I could have waited the half hour outside, instead I sought out a coffee shop, had a cuppa and two sausage rolls, as I was suddenly hungry.

That went down well.

So back down to the barbers, straight into a chair, and lots of catching up to do, as my locks fell like snow as he snipped.

Half an hour later, I look like a million dollars. A fat million bucks with dodgy legs, but good enough.

I walked back down to the car, then drove back home to wait for a call for Jools. Resisting the urge to say we'd meet in Chaplins for breakfast.

She called, I went to pick her up, and once back, we had fruit and yogurt for lunch, which was surprising, and then there was the garden.

Jools started clipping the hedge, and I got the mower out and did 90% of the lawnmeadow, so access to the hedge was easier, and I wouldn't stress about wild flowers and plants getting flattened as I had mowed them to pieces.

I helped pick up the hedge clippings before Jools went out, and I retired to the sofa to watch Le Tour, and see if I could stay awake.

Last stage before the mountains, and was exciting anyways.

For dinner, I made Stacchino allo focaccia, though I didn't have the right soft cheese, I got something close. Made the dough, then using just my hands, made it thin like filo pastry, half on top, half n the bottom, with the shredded soft cheese in the middle.

It was different, but also a triumph, of course. And with no leavening, was done in an hour.

This all went very well with Caprese and some vin rouge.

For the evening there was Women's football, Norway v Italy, with Italy winning 2-1 with a last minute header.