Tuesday 26th November 2019

Half four on a wet and windy Tuesday is too early. Too early to be getting up and getting ready for travel.

But there I am, international playboy and quality expert.

Jools is making coffee, feeding the cats, and I can declare my shoulder is almost better.

But its still too early.

Jools goes for a shower and get dressed. I wash up, top the bird feeders up and all the other stuff needed before we load the car up at ten to six. Jools takes me down the hill, over the road to Martin Mill, dropping me off at the station with time to buy my ticket, then take shelter under the insufficient awning.

I saw Insufficient Awning support the Fall at the UEA in 1981.

The wind howled along the platform, meaning that no matter how far under the awning you were, you got wet. Gotta love this time of the year.

It was only just getting light, I mean light enough to tell the slightly later blue of the sky from the darker of the land as the train whizzed across the Essex marshes before plunging into the tunnel.

I get off at Stratford, walk to the DLR station, arriving just as a train left, meaning I had eight whole mintes to wait for the enxt one. We all have our crosses to bear.

Into the airport, and being a Tuesday, the place is nearly empty, as opposed to the crowds that are there on a Monday. I check in, drop my case and am through security in ten minutes, going to the restaurant for breakfast. And coffee.

I have sweet potato pancakes with a poached egg. And a bonus sausage.

Bonus Sausage also supported the Fall.

And have another coffee, then find somewhere to sit and wait for the flight to be called.

Time passes.

The rain continues to fall.

Aircraft come and go, but I am a seasoned traveller, I have seen such things before.

The flight is called, so me and the nine other passengers gather at the gate to board. I could have jumped the queue with my frequent flyer card, but with a row each on the plane, why bother?

And once in the air, London fades from view as we enter the low cloud, and the earth is lost from view until we were on final approach 100 minutes later, and skimming over the tops of fir trees next to Legoland.

It is raining. And cold. Welcome to Denmark.

I collect my case, jump the queue for a hire car, swap greetings with my friends behind the desk and I am off to the car park to find my car.

I have an Opel Insignia, with six gear and several horses. I load it up and set off for Aarhus, I know the way with my eyes closed, but keep them open. Just in case I'm wrong.

I arrive at the office, find a parking space and go to the office, a different one now, with new old colleagues.

I am hugged when I arrive and quizzed by my boss. She is pleased to see me and the fact I am now back at work. And after coffee I fore the computer up and get down to answering mails.

Four hours later it is time to leave for the hotel, Scandic on the outer ring road, as the city centre ones were all full. It is easy to get to, although the traffic was very heavy and I caught most of the dozen sets of lights on the twenty minute drive.

I have time for a shower, as my old RAF colleague, Shaggy, was coming as I had supplies of Marmite and Bovril along with tea bags for him and his children. He gives me home brew in return.

We talk and have a couple of beers before having a bite to eat. But he has to work in his home brew shop, then get ready for his day job, so he leaves and I go to my room to watch the footy.

But my eyes drop just after the game started. I wake at half time, then nod off again, waking on the hour, but give up and switch the TV off and go to bed. Properly.