Friday 12th January 2024

The last day of the longest day of the year, and for added thrills, we got to meet our new manger.

By Teams.

The usual stuff to do breakfast, so put the bins out, make coffee and feed the cats, so that when Jools left for her yoga class, I just have to set up the office.

Our new manager is based in wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen, which means she is separated not just the Indian half of the team, but from head office, and we European members of the team.

But over the course of 90 minutes she introduced herself, and then we introduced ourselves. Apparently, I have worked 38 years, I found when counting up my previous experience, and 14 years with the current company.

I finish some loose ends and wrap up for the week at midday, have a quick shave and shower, put on some aftershave and clean clothes, all ready to walk up the hill to the village hall to give a talk on orchids.

In my rucksack I had my laptop, three orchid books, notes and leads, so the bag was weighty, going downhill was fine, but the climb from the new house to the church, hurt.

The three new houses were having their foundations laid, so a truck had a long articulated pipe, through which cement was pumped.

Past the village shop and post office, then through the churchyard and out the otherside. Down the muddy lane to the walkway round the hall, where the front door had just been opened.

I had exchanged mails with the organiser, and the upshot was that I should just be able to connect the lead from the TV and switch it on to link the two.

And that's what happened.

Good stuff. We just had to wait to see how many would turn up.

Over 20, it turned out, and so just after two I begin, and discover the mess I made with my notes, matching them with the picture files.

Once through that, the second half went well, and my jokes even raised a few laughs. I was done in 50 minutes, which was time for tea and cake, and a chance to chat with a couple of people who were more than interested.

By half three, dusk was falling, so I made my excuses and set off down the hill, and being downhill, going was easy, until the final climb to the end of our street, but home just before four. Jools got back five minutes later, so we had a brew and caught up on our days.

I make dinner, carbonara and a large loaf of fresh focaccia which was very good indeed.

And all finished eating by ten to six, in time for the music quiz, where I get two points, but enough to keep me top of the monthly leaderboard.

So, a fine day: what could be better than see Norwich live on TV?

Oh noes.

But, away at Hull, Norwich were hanging on at times in the first half, but Johnny Rowe cored a worldy to give us the lead at half time. And with five minutes to go, City scored a second, though in injury time pulled one back, but it wasn't enough.

So, an unexpected win for City.

Yay.