Monday 8th August 2022

Would have been my 30th wedding anniverasy had I not divorced the first Mrs H.

I have not regretted it once.

Not once.

Anyway.....

You know the scene in Harry Potter when he received an avalanche of invites from Hogworts? Well, that has been me and the cards from Specsavers about an overdue eyetest.

So, along with an emergency dental appointment, I took most of Monday off, with Jools dropping me off midway between St Maggies and Dover, so I could safely walk into town, as no roads or lanes have pavements, so this being the only safe way.

I had time, so once at the cliffs, I sat on a bench and looked at the comings and goings, and a guy base-jumping off the cliff. No idea if he survived, but his partner filmed the leap.

He had a go-pro on his helmet, which made me think he was a cyclist at first, and I was going to tell him off for cycling along the cliffs.

There we no screams of despair after he jumped, so he must have survived. A Google search revealed another base jumper only just survived after his chute failed in 2018, falling to the beach in St Maggies.

I walked on, down into Langdon Hole, with clouds of Chalkhills scattering from each footfall. And there was me saying at the weekend I hadn't seen any.

Down below in the harbour, ferries came and went, and line of cars and motorhomes lined up to check in and board. No queues for freight.

And to the north, a small cruise ships approaches the harbour to dock at the cruise terminal and load up with a fresh set of passengers.

I reach the end of the Cliff Road and climb the path towards the NT building, then turn left along the path before taking the steep path down towards Eastcliff and Athol Terrace.

It is easier going down.

Just.

Under Jubilee Way and out of what little breeze there was, it was hot. I had 45 minutes to get to the opticians.

I walked along Eastcliff, past the multi-coloured houses cowering under the cliffs, along Townwall Street before cutting through the St James Development. I can report that the site of the old leisure centre looks like it is going to be another car park.

As is the site of the old Co-Op, which was the site of an indoor craft market, but that too now has been razed and looked like being a car park too.

The car parks we already have are not full, as the council lets stuff being built in Whitfield.

I walk down Castle Street, then along Biggen Street to the optician, where they get me in early.

And then the blinding machine broke, and it took half an hour to fix, by which time my slot had closed.

Can you come back another time?

Whaaa?

I now had two hours to kill before my dental appointment, so I went for lunch, had a cheese toastie at a place looking out onto the Market Square, where they have repaved it, taken down the large TV stand, the TV went years ago, and the fountain. We will now have large silver hoops.

I was thinking I hadn't seen anyone I knew in town, despite sitting outside 'Spoons for an hour or more, and then as I walked across the Market Square again, a shout went up: Is that you, Ian?

It was Jen and Sylv, just returning from a walk along the prom and heading for 'Spoons.

I told them of my dental appointment, and a plan was made for me to meet them there, where they would try to lead me astray.

But the appointment went on nearly an hour, not the 15 minutes planned, as they can't take my word what was wrong. I had to have an inspection where they confirmed I had two fractured wisdom teeth, and needed to book two appoinments.

I walked back out and into 'Spoons, and seached all the tables, but they had gone. And I didn't stop for a swifter, so I walk up to Boots and get the first taxi waiting to take me back home.

I was home at half two, and with the 14,500 steps done, in the sun and on the hard streets of Dover meant I was tired. I put the radio on and fell asleep on the sofa.

I dragged myself into the kitchen at four, and prepare chorizo hash, which as I was hungry had an extra potato in it. In fact, the boiled to a mush red potatoes came out very crispy and yummy indeed. I opened a bottle of red, of which I drik over half, maybe 60&.

Was good.

It is getting hot again, so before the heatwave arrives, I put the moth trap out to see what's fluttering when we were in bed.