Saturday 2nd October 2021

Welcome to the the weekend.

Again.

And as we are eight, now nine, days into the fuel shortage, we can't really go far. So, as the pictures we had printed and then put in for framing, were no done, soo we could collected.

Not surprising, twenty plus pictures and photos framed and glazed works out quite expensive. But this was our choice to fill the house with shared memories rather than the prints of shots I had done from old slides back in 2002 when I moved into my own place in Oulton Broad.

We manage to sleep in until after seven. Its easier to do that when its coudy and the sun rises at seven. Even the cats seemed happy with this, so we slumbered on.

We have coffee, and decide to go to the butcher and then into Sandwich for breakfast before the framing shop opened at ten.

Let's do it!

Shell at the Duke of Yorks was closed with no fuel, but we are OK for a week or so, but it is getting a worry and we have to fight the British instinct to join a queue. Even more so as when we arrive into Sandwich there was fuel, but a line of traffic some ten cars long for two pumps with only one kind of fuel on sale, we didn't stop to see whether it wa diesel or petrol, and when we left the line was twice as long and over the level crossing.

The butcher, Mark, said things are starting to get crazy and supplies short, and Christmas is looking very dodgy, but he has secured his supplies, I make our order for Christmas, just to be sure. I was going to do it anyway, although, he said, as regulars he would have looked after us.

I buy sausages, burgers, steak, and rolled lamb joint and pies, load up the car and we drove into Sandwich.

The three spaces in the small square near the shop were occupied, so I parked in a spot along Strand Street, giving us an hour to get our stuff done.

We walked along to the first place to eat, and find every table was free, so we took a table for two in the corner and order standard breakfasts which came with toast, juice and unlimited coffee or tea. And when it came it was rather wonderful and certainly hit the spot, and there was no washing up, for us, to do.

The frame shop was open, and Val insisted we see all the pictures before we paid, to ensure we were happy, I brought the car round the one way system, we loaded the car, and with the weather closing in, we go home, back along the main road where at the Duke of Yorks, although it wasn't open, a tanker was unloading, and a queue had formed to the roundabout and down towards the castle out of sight.

It feels quite, quite mad.

Back home, the rain had started and soon the wind picked up to gale force, and threw the heavy rain against the back of the house. We would be going nowhere for the rest of the day. And there was football to follow and watch.

We bring the pictures in, unwrap one and decide where we want to hand them, and those that could be hung straight away, were. And quite marvelous they look up too.

We have lunch and a brew. Which is important, clearly.

And then, come half two, the important stuff of football. Norwich were away at Burnely, and way back in 2004 I saw City's only ever win there, when we ran out 5-3 winners on our way to be promoted out of the First Division, and before and after I got very, very drunk.

Anway, six straight defeats, two goals scored, and Burnely a team of giants I had zero confidence in us getting a result there. And although a 0-0 draw wasn't the best result in the world, its our first actual point and a clean sheet, our first ever at Turf Moor, I am more than happy with that.

Still bottom of the league, though.

I watched the Brighton v Arsenal game at half five, played in a howling game and torrential rain. It also ended 0-0, but Arsenal looked clueless as to what they should have been doing, coming 5 days after easily beating Spurs, that must be seen as a backward step.

And that was it for the day, and despite doing very little, come half eoight I was tired, so I went to bed to read and have Poppy happily making a nest between my knees.

Outside the wind still howled and the rain continued to fall.