Friday 11th November 2022

The plan had been to have a lazy drive home from Southampton on Friday. Climate protesters meant I travelled back on Thursday, but any thoughts of taking this easy on Friday had been dashed by an emergency department meeting on Thursday, and the allocation of mentoring tasks.

So, I would have to do those as directed.

We slept through the alarm, but once up, Jools took a test and found she was COVID free, so she would go into work, meaning the dining room table and second screen were all mine!

Jools left for work, I put out the bins make a second coffee and think about work.

Sigh.

THere's no avoiding it, though.

So, I log on and access the spreadsheet of death, write the mails to case handlers either saying you done shit or you done great, did my working hours and spoke to my new boss.

At which point the migraine came.

Was likely to happen with the 16 hours on the go on Thursday, so the plan was to have a lie down and go back to work.

But when I went back, spots appeared in my vision, so I went back to bed.

I think I had done enough hours that week, so with my out of office message still set, I turned the computer off.

But I still had to take the hire car back for two. At which point I got a call from Gary: did I know there was a steam railtour coming through that afternoon?

I didn't.

Jools was going to pick me up at the car hire place at two, but Gary said he would pick me up half an hour earlier, and we could go to the footbridge at Shakespeare Beach.

Yes, that sounded very good.

So, I went round the car to check the car: no damage I could find, so down to Townwall Street where they confirm there is no damage, they sign the car off, and all I have to do is wait for Gary.

He arrives dead on time, so I climb in, and we go round down Castle Street then up and over Western Heights to Aycliffe, park the car, gather our cameras and walk under the A20, then down the steps to the bridge.

Half an hour to wait.

Time passses quickly as we talk to other snappers, and three other trains pass below us, so we can practice our shots.

At ten past two, in a cloud of smoke and steam, the locomotive brings the train round the sharp bend at Dover Harbour, then accelerates and cruises to a stop at the signal just 50 yards from the bridge. Giving lots of time to snap the steaming beast.

With a toot on the whilst, the driver lets out the regulator, and the train begins to mover forward, and with each beat of the piston, a puff of black smoke is belched out of the chimney.

It quickly gathers speed, passes below us, and is soon lost in a cloud of smoke as the train enters Shakespeare Tunnel.

All over.

All that's left is the long climb up the cliff, yet more huffing an puffing to be done, stopping to admire the views and then back through the underpass to the car, we climb wearily in, and he brings me home.

Perfect.

I prepare dinner. I had found some lanb neck in the freezer, I fry some Cumberland sausages, mix them with chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, spies, fruit and honey to make a tagine. Takes the rest of the afternoon, but it came out pretty good. I cook some rice, and once cooked tip that in the pan too and cook in the oven for an hour.

Yummy.

I finish third in the music quiz, the answer being (Tom) Jones the Voice. So, happy with that.

There was football to watch in the evening, but I bail at half time with Sunderland 1-0 up.