Wednesday 22nd October 2025

Not really an Indian Summer as we have still had no frosts, but we will take these sunny and warm days as long as we can.

Day three of the kitchen work, and after the ripping apart and new cables and sockets, it was a day of sanding.

And both Jools and I had a lot on, so we would be out of the noise of it for hours.

First up after tea, as we can't make my coffee without a hob, we go to Tesco for fruit and yogurt among other things. Then realise we had to pay for new plug sockets, so have to go into Deal to an electrical wholesaler, we we had been promised would have received the order and would just need paying and collecting.

Deal just after seven is waking up, we drove though the narrow streets to the north of the town, park outside the warehouse and go in.

We explain what we want and there should have been either a mail or text.

What is the name of the electrician, the poor guy behind the desk asked.

No idea.

Jools tried to explain what the guy looked like: five foot eleven, black curly hair.

But we knew how silly that sounded.

However, we picked the design we wanted, I took a shot of it, so the guy could order them now knowing what we wanted.

And back in the car, and back to Dover to drop Jools off for her class, then dash home for breakfast before I had to go out for bridge.

They fitter arrived and began work. Sanding, sanding, sanding.

I drive to Walmer, along near the castle to a Yoko's house, where twelve of us gathered for instruction.

A year ago they struggled to get four players for a table, now they have enough for three tables.

One hand I make 5 hearts, and am very happy with that.

Back home at half eleven. Jools is back, so we have lunch of sandwiches before we're off out again, as this week it is churchcrawling group again, and the lucky church is my favourite: Barfrestone.

Barfrestone is a Normal two cell church, but the top half of the walls are made of Caen stone, richly carved and I find something new every visit.

As parking was limited, we had to give three ladies a lift, and Jools had to drop me off first, then collect them.

It was a glorious trip over, passing through Coldred, along avenues of golden trees, and woods now with more golden and crispy carpets of recently fallen leaves.

So it was I was sitting in the small churchyard on its only bench, finishing the Beatles book, then listening to a podcast.

I checked the church was open, cribbed from my friend John's book. And all was ready.

People started to arrive at half one, all there by two, and the visit began.

One said before this week I had never heard of Barfrestone, let alone been here. And they were all delighted by the church, its carvings, stories and mystery.

Sadly, no one could give me a lift at the end of the visit, so I had to wait while Jools took the ladies back to Walmer and Deal, then return for me. By which time the warmth of the day had faded to a damp chill, and I was shivering as she pulled up.

I climbed in, and she took us home via the A2, the quickest way.

And when we got back, we found several units in place and the kitchen looking like one again, though there's a long way to go.

Jools went out for a Chinese for dinner. There was enough for another dinner the next day.

I tried to watch and listen to football, but shattered from three very early mornings. I went to bed at nine, with Liverpool and Chelsea both five goals up in Europe.