Tuesday 11th October 2022

And now for the reason I am away from home: an audit.

I am staying at a home from home, my favourite hotel (that I am allowed to use), which overlooks The Solent and Southampton water. The rooms are comfortable, and it is quiet.

I sleep well.

I have to get to the test facility, a new location for me, and I see that the auditee has arranged a meeting to start at 08:00, and with breakfast only starting at half seven, I would have to wolf it down and get on the road.

So, I had a shower, got dressed and was down at twenty past, able to get a table and get a pot of coffee and order sausage and bacon sandwiches. I have a table that looks out the front of the hotel, over the garden and road below to The Solent beyond, so I can watch the ferries and jetfoils coming and going.

And this counts as work

Breakfast comes, I eat quick and program the address into the sat nav, it's three miles, but traffic along the main road into Newport is legendary bad. I do make it to the facility at eight, I was early, apparently.

So, I have a safety induction, and prepare the agenda and put on my audit face.

Ha ha ha.

It goes well

We finish at four, seven hours later, and despite being gentle, I was pooped.

I drive back to the hotel, park on the road and after a wash, grab the cameras to walk into Cowes as it was another stunning evening and the light amazing. In The Solent, a Cunard liner, The MS Queen Victoria was making her way out to the open sea. Light glistened off her sides as she turned from west to east, giving me and the photographer beside me, good views of her from all angles.

She moved on towards Portsmouth, and moved out of sight. So I carried on walking into town, past the Yacht Club, then down High Street looking for somewhere to have a burger, as lunch failed to turn up (don't ask) First place, The Globe doesn't do food on Tuesdays, but the Piew View did. I checked both via online reviews, and both had glowing reviews for their food.

So, I order burger, and it was good. OK, really. But oddly, I was the only customer again, and the four staff hung around hoping for more customers to turn up. I felt bad forthem so ordered their cheeseboard, which was wonderful, and came with a free glass of excellent port.

I walk back to the hotel, which is the worse part as I had done 15,000 steps, and my feet were complaining.

I make it, then climb the stairs to my room, the beer and port making themselves felt, as I fell asleep on the bed, listening to the radio.