Friday 15th March 2019

Friday dawns, and time to go home.

Well, once I had made sure everyone was aligned in the yard, and attended two important meetings. But then they're all important.

I pack and check out, then meet Jesper for breakfast, and watch as he puts away cereal, toast and a full fried breakfast. I have toast.

We drive in a small convoy to the old power station, park at the main gate and walk trough the blade park again.

As soon as I am signed on, there is a meeting. And it is all full on stuff.

And once we have agreed on that meeting, there is another.

Oh jeez.

I have urgent mails to send, last minute arrangements to make in the office, so at ten I could shake hands with everyone and make my way back to the car.

I program the route home, and set off back tot he main road, then along that to Southampton and onto the motorway.

Rush hour was over, so traffic wasn't too bad But I give up on the radio now 6 Music have changed their lineup, I can't stand Mary Anne Hobbs. So drive in silence, enjoying the passing countryside as I pass Winchester and get nearer to London.

Onto the M25, and going is slow, but each mile means I am getting nearer to home. The M20 now is nothing but a 60 mile long roadworks, with most of that being the motorway being turned into a lorry park. It is now two weeks before Brexit, and this will be the new normal.

With the wind blowing, ferries are being cancelled, and just after Ashford the traffic slows to a halt, and we sit in the three lanes for an hour, edging forward little by little.

I turn up Stone Street when I get the chance, and go through various country lanes over the A2, and then to Whitfield and to home. All well and good, but I need to get the car back to the port.

I unload the car and go tot he port past the castle, and just about edge onto Towerwall Street, then edge again along until I get to the port, dump the car in the car park near the entrance, and take the keys to the office.

From there I walk into town, taking twenty minutes walking into the teeth of the stiff breeze, to the taxi rank outside Boots and getting the car in front to take me home.

I get home, it is half three, and I am shattered. But it is the weekend.

And I'm home alone.

Jools is taking Sylv's stuff back to Bolton in a hire car (don't ask), so is gone for just over 24 hours, so it is me and the cats.

I have a brew and some fruit, watch Only Connect on the i player, while the day already darkens even near to the spring equinox.

One of the wonderful things about being home, is going out to check the garden to see what had grown over the week. 21 Imperialis now, apparently, and the garden is heady with the scent of those and the hyacinths.

I had bought a pasty for lunch, but end up saving it for dinner, having that with some fried potatoes and Boston beans with another brew.

Outside it gets dark, the cats get fed and so we settle down for a night of music and TV.

I put on London Calling, A Few Small Repairs and Porcupine, and inbetween I watch Monty who is potting plants like there's no tomorrow.

And Mach the Mouth sings The Cutter and the Back of Love, I sample more of the fortified hedgerow wine, and very nice it is. Also, makes me sleep like a dead man.