Friday 29th November 2024

We have made it to Friday. But not without our expanded department suffering one of the latest rounds of redundancies, a business risk analysist being let go we found out at the end of the day.

We had been in the same department barely a month.

So it goes, so it goes.

Up at half five so that I was ready for work having got dressed, but the bins out and filled the feeders up before seven.

Jools went to yoga.

And so the day began.

Cloudier and cooler than previous days, so the central heating was fired up and the weekly round of meetings begin.

Like me with my excuses for not doing my homework at high school, the excuses for not completing the tasks before deadline, their mitigation, like my excuses, were poor.

It will be escalated to four function's senior management then.

So it goes, so it goes.

I finish work at half twelve, go for a shower and a good change in clothes so that at two, once Jools comes back from work, we can go to Jen's for cars now that my eye test had been cancelled.

John won heavily, so all was sunshine and smiles from him at the end, we leave just after four, just after the sun set, and dusk settled on eat Kent.

I warmed up ragu for dinner, and cooked some fresh pasta, though not hand made, but good enough. And seemed good enough reason to open a pottle of XV to glug.

There was football in the evening, but in truth, I was tired, and with a big day on Saturday, I head to bed at half time with Brighton 1-0 up against Southampton, though it ended all square in the second, but I was sending them home by then.

Thursday 28th November 2024

We wake up to the first hoar frost of the winter. That I have seen here, I guess they had frost last week when I was in Denmark.

I sleep through two alarms, Jools getting dressed and Cleo when she climbed back on the bed. Jools woke me at half six. I has a woolly head most of the morning.

Jools had left, I made a coffee, then found out what crazy stuff the world had got up to now, and then get ready for work.

Each day something else goes wrong, and in every more spectacularly stupid manner. I no longer have words to describe the chaos.

Cats sleep, I have breakfast and coffee, talk to Rune and the world continues to surprise and appal us in equal measures.

The frost quickly melts, and the sun climbs high in a clear blue sky, and by ten its almost warm. I sit for a while to look at the birds and rats feeding, then back inside for a brew and back to work.

Another round of redundancies is under way, my former boss is let go, as is the data analysis in a sister department.

So it goes.

I was planning on going for a walk, but temperatures plunged after lunch, so that it seemed bitterly cold. I had convinced myself to go out, only to find the Tesco delivery I had forgotten about turned up, so Put that away and by then it was really too late to go out.

For dinner we had some of thelast wheel of cheese bought in France three weeks today. We have to be quick as it unpasteurised and won't keep long.

I defrosted one of the baguettes bought from the boulangerie next to the cheese top, microwaved it, and warmed in a low over.

Yummy.

So yummy that Jools had a second bottle of cider, and I drained a bottle of XV as we talked over the chaos of the past week.

There was a couple of games to listen to, Man Utd won, just, and Spurs conceded a last minute goal not to win.

So it goes. So it goes.

Wednesday 27th November 2024

I grew up thinking me and my generation would change the world.

In the end, I am pleased with the new coffee, tea and sugar tins we bought.

Rock, and indeed, roll'

The rain began before I went to sleep Tuesday night, rain hammering down being driven by a keen wind.

Needless to say, I slept though it all, and by the time I got myself out of bed, it had stopped., and there was hope of sunshine later in the day.

But the cold morning demanded having the heating on.

The fall out of our manager being let go a few weeks back, continues apace. Yes, we know that's a gap, we told her and were ignored.

So it goes, so it goes.

Rain ends by midday, but is cold and grey outside. Shall i go out for a walk?

No. I shall not.

Maybe tomorrow.

Or not.

All in all, not much happened through the day. I cook, id that's the right work, garlic chicken, boiled potatoes and defrosted peas and corn.

I create a spreadsheet showing the hours I have worked this year, and how many days work I have to go before retirement.

66 days, it seems to suggest

Through the evening there is much football, Liverpool v Real, with the Scousers running out 2-0 winners as both teams miss a penalty.

I have some whisky as it is Wednesday.

Tuesday 26th November 2024

Back to working from Chez Jelltex, and with no travel, it means laying bed later than usual.

I drop off back to sleep when Jools goes to work, waking up when she comes back up for a shower.

I get up.

It is dark still, but seems to be another fine day, though things turned out, work stopped me from going out for a walk.

I have told myself I will go out every day at least once in the New Year, rain or shine, so lets see.

Jools is off for work, and I have podcasts, videos to listen to and watch, then make another coffee, have breakfast and get down to work.

I am writing this on Wednesday, and after some calculations, it appears I have just 66 days left at work before we plan to finish at the end of March.

That seems so close I can almost touch it.

My colleagues are pleased for me, but it breaks all our hearts that the bond of the "three wise men" will be broken. We have been though a lot these last four years. I'll miss them, for sure.

I have stuff to be getting on with, and calls to make to offer advice on quality issues, so the morning passes quickly, and lunch is a pancake with lemon juice and sugar.

Yummy.

And then back on the treadmill for the afternoon, and beyond three in the afternoon to turn some jobs round.

It is getting dark when I finish, cats are hungry and follow me round, so I feed them. Which they seem to be pleased with.

We dine on chorizo hash for dinner, this time made with black garlic spiced chorizo, which added a new dimension to the dish.

The evening is filled with football: Champions League on the wireless and Norwich on the tellybox. And Scully beside me on the sofa.

Arsenal win 5-1 in Lisbon, Citeh through away a three goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord, while Norwich crush Plymouth, Wayne Rooney and all, 6-1.

I go to bed happy.

Monday 25th November 2024

Thanks to travel I have had thee short weekends, this last one not beginning until I got back home at nine in the evening, so I thought I would start the day slowly, laying in bed until I was ready to get up.

Which meant I heard Jools leave in the car for work at five past six, and I lazed in bed with Cleo at my feet for half an hour before getting up and going down to make a coffee.

Before work, I had a shave and shower, some fresh clothes and some liberal use of after shave made me feel human again.

So, to work. And I am pretty much up to date, but require some time to file mails away from the inbox, by which time I had breakfast and brew.

Outside, the sun shone from a clear blue sky, the wind had dropped and was a fine day, if chilly.

I have reports with ayes to dot and tees to cross, making sure the report looks good as it now gets circulated high up in the company.

At two, I decide to go for a walk.

I have had sciatica on and off for over a month, and was pretty bad on Sunday. But the taking of pain fillers and use of the massage gun had eased things, so I thought a walk might be a good idea.

Just along to the end of the road, along the track, before taking the slope to Collingwood, careful in the mud not to slip over, then after checking on the Heliotropes, back along Collingwood, into the rays of the setting sun, then turning down Station Road and back home, just as the sun set and temperatures dipped.

I thought I had a quiet evening with Jools going to aquafit, but Jools was tired, so cancelled, meaning we had no dinner. Other than other half of party food, which took just twenty minutes to cook/warm though.

After clearing up there wasn't much to do, other than wait for the Newcastle v West Ham game to start, so while Jools went to bed early, I sat with Scully on the sofa watching the game.

Sunday 24th November 2024

Day 2 of Storm Burt, but this time with no rain or clouds. Though the sky was a little hazy, so not strong sunlight.

We really should do something, so after breakfast of fruit and more coffee, we headed out to St Martin's Battery to look out over the Channel and see how high the waves were.

With France being so close, sometimes the French coastline protects us from the worse of the winds so waves are not as high as hoped. But this time they were pretty good, although at high tide, again a little disappointing.

There were two other photographers up there, snapping away. Though the old chap really struggles to keep his hat on in the winds and got into a proper tangle.

Down below, Dover Harbour Board have been filling in the inner harbours with sand, for some reason, and a mechanical digger has been making holes of compacted sand. Looks nice enough, though not sure if I'd want a house built on sand at lea level.

From there we went to Tesco for a few things, then to Jen's, where John went home on Monday, and Jools is coping well except shopping and hanging out the washing.

Jools hung out some towels, then had to get them in as the storm ripped them off the line. I made brews and we talked about life and stuff.

Snooker was due to start at one, so we left Jen to it, came home for lunch of bacon butties before the football started. Liverpool just beat Southampton 2-3, and Man Utd with new manager only managed a draw at Ipswich, 1-1.

By then it was half six, time for a supper of beer and party food, because tis the season.

But no travel this week to prepare for, so a lazy evening watching videos and to bed at half eight.

Saturday 23rd November 2024

The weekend comes round, and I am pooped. I mean really tired.

Jools had done shopping already, via click and collect, so no need to get up early for the hunting and or gathering.

Jools however, was to go into work, due to an issue they have had for a couple of weeks. So, I would have the house and cats to myself.

There was the case to empty and sort out clean from dirty clothes, back away presents from friends and the such.

I did at least write blog posts through the week, there was just the task of uploading more pictures, having breakfast, take a shower.

There was no going out, as Storm Burt swept across the country. But swept through so slowly, it would take nearly two whole days to pass, ruining both Saturday and Sunday.

All the above was done with the radio on, and a regular supply of strong coffee.

While outside, rain fell and the ground struggled to soak up the water. Elsewhere there were floods, blizzards, trees torn down, dreadful traffic.

And so on.

Lunchtime came round, so I made oatcakes with butter and marmalade, and began watching football.

Not that it grabbed all my attention, but enough.

Jools came back at half two, time to make coffee and settle down for the main batch of games, following Norwich on BlueSky rather than Twitter as I used to. Norwich flattered to deceive, drew 2-2 and WBA, which in fairness we would have taken before kick off.

Afterwards it was Man City v Spurs, with the home side on a four game losing run, but it couldn't stretch to a 5th, right?

Wrong.

Citeh play well in the first ten minutes, then Spurs score.

And score again.

And between Citeh pepper the Spurs goal with shots, but never to score. Haarland missed at least six.

We missed most of the second half, as it being the occasion of Jools's birthday, and we were going out.

Spurs scored a third just as we were leaving, out into the black night, rain horizontal.

I drive us to Deal, the wind and rain had shaken a lot of leaves down, so the new road was now marked with black tyre tracks in the carpet of leaves all the was to Ringwould.

Deal has its Christmas lights up on the High Street, but we were going to Middle Street to the dining club, just as seeing as the cost for two meals is quite steep.

We go on, our bottles of plonk were opened, and soon the mackerel and horseradish parfit (or mushroom substituting the fish), followed by celeriac and tarragon soup, pan-fried wood pigeon breast and the main of pan-fried bass fillet with gnocchi and harissa beans.

My phone told me after the pigeon that I should slow down before bedtime, so we would be late home. I guess quarter past ten by the time Jools reversed the car down the drive, and a group of four cats all demanding .

Something. Probably food.

Friday 22nd November 2024

And time to go home.

Having gone to bed at a sensible time, instead of a lay in, I was awake at half five, so lay in the darkness and listened to the end of Word in Your Ear before leaping into action.

I wash, get dressed and begin to pack, going round the room and bathroom twice to make sure I had everything.

One last look over my shoulder, and I walk out, over the bridge to the side where the elevators are, then down to the lobby to pay the bill, before going for one last breakfast.

I see no colleagues as I much a bowl of pineapple, then get a fresh roll, butter and crispy streaky bacon to make a second course so high mere mouths struggled to get round it.

I am as early as previous day, but then I prefer the light traffic, and with yet more frost, it was best to take one's time with as few distractions as possible.

I get to the offices, my two colleagues were not yet in, so wait in the lobby of we were going to our dedicated area of open plan office.

Henrik arrives, and he takes me up, directing me to one of the cooler hot desks, so I can set up and tackle the inbox that has been filling up daily.

We work through the morning, have an actual fat to face meeting with our new interim manager and outline some issues.

Then it was a dash down to the canteen for lunch, before the final closing meeting from the auditors, where we would be in the presence of the company's top management. Or should have been, but it would appear that a meeting at 12:30 on Friday is close to the weekend, or they were all washing their hair or something.

With news of snow in west Jutland, I made my excuses and went to pack my laptop up, and went back down to do another round of hand-shaking.

I was right to leave early, and take my time.

I drove to the motorway, then tucked in the slow land behind a line of trucks as we drove through 30km of roadworks.

I turned off at J57, where a huge service station has now been built, then along to the short stretch of motorway heading west.

I arrived at Billund well ahead of schedule, so parked up just before the roundabout and put on a podcast. Then I saw in the rear view mirror, a hire car jack-knife off the road into a drift of snow. He managed to reverse out, but had blocked the road in both directions for a few minutes.

Into the airport to drop the car off, then into the terminal to try to check in early. After 14 years of using the same gate, British Airways now are on the other side of departures, and with no BA sign, wasn't sure if I'd have to wait 20 minutes until two hours before the flight.

I asked a lady, and she said, no worries, she had opened the flight, so I checked in my case and was able to go to security, where there was no line, so through in a couple of minutes, then up the escalator to the duty free shop.

I bought Jools a Lego Landrover for her birthday, then went to the old Gastropub for a beer and some crisps, to while away the 90 minutes before boarding.

The box in which the Lego came in was huge, and I began to regret buying it almost straight away, but I could just tuck it under an arm, and get along like that. It would be harder once I had my case, but should be alright.

The flight was full, as one earlier flight had been cancelled, and some transferred to ours. So we were fully laden when we took off, though most of that was the various Lego sets most of us had bought.

Lights twinkled down below as we flew down the Danish coast, then along Northern Germany and into and over Netherlands.

The stewardess does well is going round with drinks, then dinner, then aperitifs and finally ice cream, then collects the rubbish. All in about an hour and twenty minutes.

I only have a Coke and ice cream, read my book and look out of the window occasionally.

Onto final approach, only for the plane to do a 360 degree turn over the Dartford Crossing, but us only about a thousand feet up. Back onto final, along the river before touching down.

Into the fresh air, where it was cool, but seven degrees above freezing, and not that breezy. So glad I didn't put my jacket on, a dash into the terminal, a walk to immigration, though the scanners in seconds and to baggage reclaim, all while carrying the huge Lego box.

My case was on the wrong belt, but I noticed it, with the Lego under one arm, pushing the case with the other and by work bag swinging, I made my way to the station, where I had a two minute wait for a train to Stratford.

Normally its standing room only at seven in the evening, but I got a seat, so the twenty minute run went quickly.

Even the queue to get on the escalator to street level was all very calm and no you go first. I had missed a Dover train by 15 minutes, but one to Ashford was leaving in about twenty minutes, so I asked Jools to meet me and went down on the platform to watch Eurostars hammering through the station at speeds that sounded every bit of 187 mph.

The train had 12 cars, so had loads of seats. Even place to put my case. I close my eyes. I was suddenly very tired.

At Ashford there was a walk tot he lift, then along the passage to the exit, where Jools was waiting.

She drives us back to the motorway, then back to Dover, taking her time as she was pooped too. We get back at just gone nine, where there was time for a brew before bed called.

Thursday 21st November 2024

And so to the final day of the audit.

I was up, as usual, at six. Had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast.

Outside, it was frosty again, and the frost very thick, so I had to clear the screen and side windows. Putting the heating and fans on full, got back in and drove off, to the main road, turning left ready for the turn down over the river, then up the hill to the ring road, then to the office.

For a change, I was first in, and was just making a brew when first Rune then Henrick came a few minutes later. With it being grim and grey outside, I took the chance to take the shot of the day then and there.

We have worked together for 12 years, and at first I was their manager. Either they have forged a great career to catch me up on the greasy pole, or I have been a lollygagger.

We prepare the conference rooms, and so all was ready for the half eight start when the auditors arrive and open up their notes.

The day progressed slowly, and we me neither auditor or auditee, just taking notes, I struggled to keep my eyes open, and I am sure, at times, I let out a low, quiet snore.

Half four we were done. So, the grand clean up began, making sure the rooms were neat and tidy, as our week there was done.

Our interim manager had arranged for us to have dinner in a nearby Italian place. I had the address, it was 1.4 miles away.

Did I need help to find it?

No, I have Google Maps.

Anyway.

The app took me across the main road, through a housing estate, and after several turns ended up in an unlit car park.

I went out, and Maps thought about it and took me somewhere half a mile away, where a small Spar shop nestled in the ground floor of a block of flats.

No restaurant.

I called Rune, and he said it was easy to find.

Easy for him to say.

Anyway, I turned and went down a narrow street with all parking spaces, and round the corner there was the restaurant, half of which was a sports centre, and inside the hall were several young ladies practicing volleyball.

Oddly, our table looked out into the sports hall, so on one side was the candle lit restaurant, and on the other a sports class!

Odd.

Anyway, the others ordered either steak or pizza, while I had lasagne, which I can never be bothered to make the two sauces for.

And as we were all driving, no wine or beer was supped.

As I got up to leave, what with it being nearly half seven and me about to turn into a pumpkin, they pulled out a large parcel as a gift for me, as I am soon to hang up my auditing notebooks.

Seldom am I at a loss for words. But I was this time.

Everyone so darn nice.

I drove back to the hotel, the streets quiet and few cyclists about, the best way. I find a spot to park near the hotel, buy a glass of vin rouge from the bar to take to my room, and take the glass elevator to the executive floor.

Wednesday 20th November 2024

Day three of the audit marathon, and this is my view for nine hours each day. The only change is it getting light, then snowing, then fog and then fog and snow outside.

I am up at six, dressed and down for breakfast by half past, and to the car, clear the windscreen and then drive out onto the quiet streets, round past the art museum, over the river and up the hill.

I hit no one with the car. Which was nice.

I park up, and saw my colleague, Rune, already at work, preparing the day, so I went in and helped.

An hour's rest before the auditors arrived, and then their victims, and we got down to work.

Breaking for 90 minutes at lunch, as like most Danish companies there is a fine subsidised canteen with a healthy salad bar.

And back for more auditing by one.

Again, we clear away things and make the rooms ready for the next day, taking the refreshments back to the canteen, listening to the debrief, and escaping to the outside world, where several snow showers had encased the car in ice, needing me to clear the screen again before driving back to the hotel.

With it being cold and frosty, very few people about, so I make it to the hotel without incident, and have the whole evening to myself. So I listen to a podcast, write, before going down for dinner at half seven, where the menu is now more like tapas, with the only "proper" main course was burger.

Which I am pleased for, of course.

I have coffee, then go back to the room to call Jools before getting an early night what with there being no football. Not that I checked.

Tuesday 19th November 2024

Tuesday. And the weather was expected to take a turn for the worse later on, with snow, maybe eight hours of it expected overnight.

I got up, checked the world online, then got dressed, packed my office bag and went down for breakfast at half six, just as the restaurant opened.

The reason for being early was mainly to go to work before the roads got too busy, and to prepare the offices and meeting rooms for the day.

But mainly for the traffic.

So I had fruit, a bacon butty and two coffees before I went out to the car to find I have to scrape ice off the windscreen.

That done, I start the car up, put the blowers on full and drive slowly out to the main road, check for traffic, cyclists and pedestrians, and make a slow turn left towards the centre, before turning left again and driving over the canal and up through the massive university to the inner ring road.

Once the lights change, turn right, take the left hand lane to turn onto Randersvej, and the three mile run to the turn off for the office. The hardest part now done, I could relax and keep an eye out for trams.

Into the office car park, gurn at Rune through the window of our office for the week, then to reception, sign in and go to have a brew with Rune before everyone else arrives

The audit team arrive at half eight, and so the dance begins. Eight hours of it, with a break for free lunch at the salad bar in the canteen.

Then back for four more hours until the audit team were done, a debriefing, and we clean the offices and meeting rooms, and bugger me, its nearly six again.

The journey back to the centre is always fraught, with me talking myself through the junctions and traffic lights, and that final right turn near to the hotel, where you have to cross between cyclists and pedestrians..

I get back safe, and have an hour before old friends, Anni and Bo were due, so I procrastinate in my room until I get a message saying they'd arrived.

We talk over half litres of Christmas beer, catch up on news and dreams. Its half eight, I have not eaten, and with the kitchen about to close, they leave, leaving me with a fresh beer to wait for the traditional burger and fries, which was very good indeed. But eating late brought me a restless night's sleep and indegestion.

Monday 18th November 2024

So, back on the road again.

Or back on the rails again. At least at first.

Up at four, so early the cats didn't want feeding, a coffee, a final check of my passport, then load the car and leave.

A steady rain was falling, which would be the case most of the week, if the BBC were to be believed.

Down into town, Jools dropped me off at the station.. So early the ticket office wasn't even open either. I got my my ticket from the machine, then went onto the platform, making sure I kept hold of my bag this time.

At half past five, the train slid in from Ashford, and we were allowed on, so I put my case in the rack, and chose a seat on the left hand side. Then came 23 minutes wait until it was due to leave.

The train ploughed on through the inky blackness, stopping at overbright stations to allow the bleary-eyed to board.

Five stops on, it was my turn to get off, back into the chilly pre-dawn, and taking the escalator to the concourse, then to the DLR station, where a train had just arrived.

The DLR filled up with those, like me, traveling to the airport, but also of those heading to The City and many, many builders heading for yet more condos being built along the north bank of The Thames.

Checking at the airport takes a couple of minutes, then five more to get through security, and then have a slap up breakfast in the new restaurant, pricy, but the company was paying.

So, I dined on a variation of a fry up, with "bubble", or lightly fried mash balls as it actually was.

I looked at the duty free shop, but could find nothing really "typically" British friends living in Denmark.

A half an hour spent people watching, then walk down to gate 8, and a twenty minute further wait while our plane taxied, parked and disgorged two whole passengers.

There were about twenty of us, waiting to get on and spread ourselves round the 29 seats of the plane.

Then came the pre-flight brief, doors closed and we rev the engines and set off.

We took off to the east, so no views along the River to the City and beyond. Instead we rise above the river and the industrial wastelands of east London, where gentrification has yet to reach. But the brand new Barking Riverside branch showed well, though for the time being, the station stands in splendid isolation.

Over east London, heading north and east, over the nightmare that is the M25/A12 junction, the urban sprawl meeting nature in her golden colours. And as a hazy cloud almost hid the east Suffolk coast, my eyes dropped and I snoozed for half an hour our so.

I woke up with the tiny plane jumping around as we dropped through clouds, and the Danish countryside showed down below.

The usual steep, low turns, and we drop down and then onto the ground and land safely.

The planes rushes to the terminal, we wait to get off, then up the stairs for the long walk to immigration then to baggage reclaim.

Why are you here.

How long are you staying.

Where are you staying tonight?

Happy with my answers, I was allowed into Denmark, grab my case and walk out to the car hire place.

I wizz to the motorway some 35km away, only to find the motorway, the mid-Jutland motorvej, a huge set of roadworks, as they are now triple-laneing the part they failed to do a decade ago.

I have a meeting to be at, so nudge the speed up so that I am overtaking, slowly, other traffic.

There is no roadworks in the section of triple lane road, but starts again as Arhus Sud junction, all the way up to Nord.

I race up Randersvej, turn off and find a space to park in the office car park, race inside, meet the team just in time to set up the meeting room, get out my notebook and the audit to start.

I am neither the auditor or auditee, so I listen, make notes and try to stay awake. Not made any easier with there being sponge cake to graze.

The audit finishes, we clear up, return the refreshments to the canteen, attend the closing meeting, clean up the meeting rooms, and so it is nearly six by the time I leave for the run into town.

I know the way, but driving on the wrong side of the road, where cyclists could veer into the road and have priority at most junctions mean I was glad to get to the hotel beside the musikhaus, park and go to check in.

My old RAF chum, Shaggy, was coming to visit, and arrived as I was checking in, we go up to my room to exchange contraband: Bovril and Marmite for him, and Danish Christmas beer for me.

We then walk into town, under the newly installed lights, to the canal to find a place for dinner.

We end up in a grill, and have more Christmas beer and Korean fried chicken sandwich, which was mighty fine.

I pay, then we go to a traditional bar for one last Christmas beer, more chatting and our plans for the future, and then gird myself for the walk back up the hill to the hotel.

I get back at half ten, have a shower and relax, before getting my head down as there is even more audits to look forward to the next three days.

Sunday 17th November 2024

I can't lie, but I hate going away.

Its not that I don't like travel, its that travel for work eats into the weekend, with booking seats, packing and generally thinking about things not to forget when we get up at four the next morning.

That being said, Sunday began very early and in a panic.

I woke at half three, with the sound of blood pumping deafeningly loud in my ears.

I tried to calculate my pulse in the dark and got it very wrong, but assumed I was about to have a heart attack.

This is all true.

So, I laid there waiting for death, but then I noticed my breathing was shallow and normal. I had no cold limbs indicating a thrombosis, and other than the sound of my own heart, I was fine.

Maybe I wasn't going to die. Yet.

I laid in bed until Jools got up, we got the heart monitor and blood pressure device out, and my blood pressure was slightly high, and pulse nearly 90, that was probably down to my stupid brain.

Did I want a coffee?

Yes.

So, life carried on as before.

Coffee.

Breakfast.

More coffee.

Check in online for the flight, pack and be readier than I usually am at half ten on a Sunday.

I even located my passport.

Dover District Council and Kent County Council have spaffed £34,000,000 on what they called "Fasttrack".

The idea was to have electric buses going between Whitfield and Dover Priory. As the Brexit-related facility at Whitfield was cancelled, so the land that had been compulsory purchased, and the Roman road, we turned into a bus route.

For buses and bikes only.

On top of that, a new bridge and approach roads were built beside Tesco, leading straight to the new mega-estate at Richmond Park.

There are "problems" with the electric buses, so some "ultra-low emission" buses have been sourced to run on the green route.

At the moment, there will be one bus an hour in each direction, and for this they have built new roads from near the Castle to beside B&Q, then via a bridge over the A2 to Richmond Park.

A wonderful piece of tarmac, and bridge for two buses an hour on Sundays, and six and hour weekdays.

And remember, my hometown Lowestoft, had to wait over 100 years to get a third river crossing, and Dover gets a bridge for two buses an hour over the A2.

The service began this morning, with the first bus due to set off from Dover at 11:00, only for the bus to break down, so services are currently running half hour late.

So, we went out to walk over the new bridge, snap the new bus, and be out of the house for a while.

We parked by the vets, then walked to the bridge, which rises over the A2 offering views in both directions. There are a matching pair of shelters near the roundabout.

And that's it.

We walk up the bridge, down the other side, take more shots, then turn round to wait for a bus to come to be snapped.

Here's the thing.

Where the bus route comes out near B&Q, there is already a bridge over the A2, and 400 yards the other side, a roundabout linking to the new estate, using this simple route, even diverting along to Tesco and coming back, makes the new bridge surplus to requirements. But they built the new bridge anyway.

So, a bus comes, bus nerds jump off and I get my shots. We walk to the car and drive home.

During the afternoon I had a snooze with Cleo, but waking up in time for the England v Ireland game, which ended in a 5-0 triumph for England after Ireland got a player sent off.

Time for supper, and that was that. Bed by eight and try to get seven hours before the alarm went off at four. And I begin the long commute.