Sunday 21st September 2015

Due to reasons, we went to the gym first thing Sunday morning.

The alarm went off at six, and we were out of the house at ten past seven, and I was cycling up a mountain by half past.

I did forty minutes, all the while listening to more new wave, post punk and glorious 80s dance tunes.

The gym was almost empty, just a few of us gym rats there so early.

When we left, the first of the kiddles were arriving for the swimming gala, which had been closed to everyone else for the weekend.

Back home for breakfast, and then the main task for the day: the final mow and scarify of the lawnmeadow before the wind and rain arrived next week.

Sowing the wildflower seeds can wait, but the scarifying needed doing as the ground dried from Saturday's rain.

Jools went to see Jen to sort our her electronic visa for the USA, while I got the mower out and began going up and down.

Every 15 minutes I stopped to sit with Scully, whose readings were the lowest thus far.

And once the mowing done, I got the new electronic scarifying machine, and did the same, but collecting the dead thatch, moss and top soil it removed.

Once Jools returned soon after midday, we were straight back out to Snargate Street down by the harbour, to revisit The Grand Shaft.

The defences at and around Dover Castle are in the open and obvious, but on the downs and cliffs facing it is the Western Heights, or the hidden castle. A series of Napoleonic era defeces built on and in the downs and cliffs.

Barracks and messes and defences were built, but on the chance the French Navy tried to take the harbour, a way of moving a lot of soldiers from the Western heights down to the harbour, quickly, was needed.

A triple helix staircase was built, an amazing design and testament to the skill of the builders.

By the time it was finished, Bony was on Elba then St Helena, so the stair were used by the Officers and their Ladies, NCOs and their wives and by the ordinary ranks and their concubines.

Or something.

I have been several times, but not for a decade and a half, and just wanted some new shots looking up.

Which once I had walked from the car to the entrance and along the short tunnel, I got.

Snap.

Snap.

Snap.

Done.

I walked back via the corner store, getting some things for lunch, and we could go home.

Once again, an afternoon of football lay before me.

None of it any good really, both games ending 1-1.

Scully and I watched an evening of old Sky at Night specials on the exploration of the Moon and Solar System, before heading to bed just after nine.