Thursday 17th November 2022

For the previous two days, the wind had blown and rain fell in large amounts. This meant that most leaves have been blown from trees that we can see from our upstairs window. This also means that the view over the Kingsdown Road to the downs behind now have the Dover Patrol Monument in view through the bare branches of an old oak tree.

This means it is now winter.

Or close to it, anyway.

I slept in, so that dawn was creeping over the valley out the back of the house, and actual blue sky visible above. I might go for a walk I told myself, half believing it.

Coffee.

Read the hellsites on the interwebs.

Another coffee.

And eyes down for a day at work.

Nothing actually burning down to rescue this day, though flames were quite close and people in the building were waving in quite a panic.

Keep calm, Ian.

The day is a mess of meetings, with just enough time between to make some potato bread to go with the chilli I defrosted. As ever, the bread is too big, but also too delicious not to eat all of. And as it contains an onion counts as one of your five a day, no?

After work I do go for a walk. Just up Station Road then up and down each of the four roads in the estate. All the while I had my eyes on the incoming black clouds that threatened even more rain, though in the end none came.

Back home to prepare dinner, another bountiful plateful of fritters dipped in garlic mayo.

Yummy.

More vegetables, see.

And then, instead of sitting in listening to music, we went out.

For the whole evening.

Years ago, when I had met Peter ain Broadstairs, in one of the bars there was a guy playing a cello, Celloman, and he was quite good. Although we were bot drinking pints of Delerium Red after a few other beers. Anyway, bloke with cello was playing at the Lighthouse in Deal, and Jools had invisited a guy from her work, Sean and his wife, Angela, to come along.

I drove us to Deal, parking up on the Strand, and inside Sean and Ang were waiting.

I had not met them before, so we had a nice chat before Celloblokey's brother came on.

Now, in the 90s, every European city would have a troup of panpipers, piping, trying to sell CDs of their work. Flutebloke played a Chinese flute to a claptrack, and sometimes it worked, mostly not. The first one was a mix of the Skye Boat Sone and Take the High Road.

Yeah.

After five similar tunes, he was done, and Celloblkey came on with a drummer and bass player and they went through their new album.

Now, a cello as a lead instrument seems a bit odd, but worked quite well, as I like a cello. Watching him get into the music and the look of joy on his face was wonderful.

Many tunes had a Middle Eastern tinge, which I think is a good thing. Not enough to buy the CD, but enough the enjoy the music.

At half ten we were down, so left before the final number, and as I had down three pints of mild, Jools drove, and on the way I saw one of the Leonid metors leaving a red scar across the sky.

Quite a day.