Friday 3rd October 2025

I woke up after a poor night's sleep, which was punctuated with bouts of coughing and a rattling sound from my chest.

Once up I had a headache and felt pretty sorry for myself.

Jools went back to yoga after six weeks off, and said she would get a COVID test kit on the way home.

Meanwhile I drank my coffee and continued feeling sorry for myself.

Jools came back, and I unpacked the kit, read the instructions and began to swab my nostrils, then swirling it in liquid A before squeezing out four drops onto the test strip.

Then to wait.

15 minutes. Control line appeared.

30 minutes. No second line meaning no COVID.

But still not sure, so I cancelled the physio appointment for the afternoon, just in case.

Friday was also noteable for Storm Amy, the first named storm of autumn, that blew in, though we in Kent only got the southern flank, so not too bad, but still plenty of rain.

So, not much to do outside, and I really should go anywhere where there were folks about, so I read, listened to music, while Jools nipped to Tesco again, and then to her arty class in the village library.

As the afternoon faded, and behind the clouds, the sun set, the sky turned an incredible lilac colour, with high above, a rainbow could be seen, though neither end coming near to land.

Darkness came soon after, and after an early dinner of apple and blackberry crumble and custard. Lovely winter comfort food.

We were out for the evening, to the village hall for a charity quiz night to raise money for the RNLI. A fiver per member, but no food or drink available, so it was an "American buffet", in that you took your own.

Some tables had a proper cheese and wine party, with baguette, bread knife and stinky cheese. We made do with snacks and beer (or cider), as the quiz started.

It was a good night with our neighbours, Bev and Steve, who are regular quizzers, but between the four of us we came joint second, only dropping five points, behind a team of at least eight that only dropped two.