Thursday 19th November 2015

Wednesday

What rain there had been the night before had cleared, and when I looked out the hotel room window, I saw the trio of planets still lined up, although further apart. I have a shower, which helps how crappy I feel, but then I had slept well, with the alarm needed to rouse me for a change. After a coffee I walk to the terminal, get my boarding pass and find that the airport is almost empty compared to the previous week. Only a couple in front of in the line for security, then up through the duty free shop to find a table to work on. The free VIP wifi still works, so I get some mails done, and am up to date.

I have a backlog of Rail magazines to work through, well, two. So what with the previous night and my time here and on the plane, I finish the first one, and work my way through the second, even reading on the train to Dover. But once boarded the plane, we are told to expect a few bumps, which is what happened. There was a strong headwind, so the flight took nearly two hours, and there were a few bumps and jumps, but we got breakfast and coffee as normal, the Lego bigwigs are working away on yet more powerpoint presentations, which I try not to look at, but as ever, good to know they treat their work so very seriously.

Holland was covered by cloud, but over Essex there were a few gaps in the cloud, so the usual landmarks could be seen, if fleetingly. It was at least bright, with the low sun apparently shining low from the east under the cloud cover.

The business types were up and queuing as soon as we had come to a stop at one of the distant stands, so I knew there would be a bus ride involved, so I am the last one onto the bus once we are let off, and first off as I am by the door when we arrive at the terminal. And with no case to wait for, I can go from immigration through the arrival hall to the DLR station. My train is half full, but I chose to stand so I can look at the ongoing work in docklands, with the rails now laid on the Crossrail tunnel where it passes beneath the DLR line. And the works at the Limmo Peninsular are over half gone now the tunneling has ended, the conveyor belts are gone and the mud and waste being collected and the views are opening up once again.

I miss the quarter to ten train by ten minutes, just as well as I only have an off-peak ticket, but this gives me the chance to have coffee and a sausage roll. And read more of the rail magazine.

I go down onto the platform to catch the train, and as ever it is lightly used: I get a seat on the right hand side looking forward, which is perfect. But instead of looking out all the time, I carry on ready, raising my eyes for the highlights as we pass by the Ford factory, the Dartford Crossing and over the Medway. By the time we arrive in Ashford, I have finished reading, but the bright sunshine has now been replaced by cloud, which is getting thicker.

The taxi is waiting for me, aand for a change the driver takes me back along Reach Road so we can look out over the Channel to France with all the ships inbetween. All cats are missing when I enter the house, but a quick search shows Scully to be on our bed, sound asleep and not bothered by my return. Molly comes in after about an hour and seems to give a yelp-like meow when she sees me. I may imagine that of course.

Anyway, after lunch I have some work to do, getting forms off for yet more travel, as is the way, then at three, I am bushed so take to the sofa for some dreadful daytime TV.

I make some potato bread to go with the soup we were to have for dinner, and as Jools and I were sitting down, is when I got an urgent message from Anni saying what had happened to Lee as updates on Facebook were saying he had died. I checked, and sadly, he had. I had been in the hope that no news was good news, as there had been 24 hours since I was told. But no good news, no happy ending to be shared with you. I call Anni, and other friends to make sure they did not find out through Facebook if they did not know. All did, and all are as shellshocked as I was. And still am.

I spend the evening, on and off, reading the Facebook updates on his pages, as his friends around the world, and those he made through his life found out and left messages. Messages he won#t read, but it seemed the right thing for them, and I, to do.

I had had enough of the internet and the news, so we sit down to watch some Scandinavian Noir I bought, The Bridge on DVD. Two episodes of that and then time for bed.

Not many words I can offer on how unfair life is. We all know that.