Saturday 2nd May 2026

It is the weekend again.

Saturday was supposed to be dull and cloudy, but we were treated to clear blue skies at sunrise, though the sun did rise out of sight away to the east. As it does this time of the year.

Despite the alarm being set for six, I was awake at half five, so got up and pulled on my shorts for a session at the gym.

We drink coffee, check on the world, then am ready for the short drive to the sports centre, where we were all confronted with a total software failure, so none of the scanners worked, so we were let in through the open gates.

I did my session, though Jools decided to go swimming instead. Giving me time when I was finished to pop to Tesco for a few things we had forgotten, then be back outside the centre when Jools was done.

Back home for breakfast and then a shower, so come nine we were all ready to do some plant shopping.

First stop was Edible Culture in Faversham, so a quick blast up the A2 past Canterbury and into the town, where at the sports centre next door, music boomed out for some kind of dance fitness class.

We bought ten plants, paid and then drove back out of town, over the roundabout before turning off through Boughton to Dunkirk.

Not Dunkirk in France, but a small village in Kent, with another garden centre.

Tucked away at the back of a residential estate, was a good place, so we buy another fifty quid's worth, load the car, then drive home.

We call in at Lydden on the way home, to check on the Man Orchids. This would be a test to see how my fitness and weight loss had gone, because last year I struggled for half an hour to get over the style.

After parking, we walk over the road to the fence. Jools is over easily enough, so it was my turn.

One foot on the lower rung, big step to the middle one, swing my leg over. Climb over, other leg follows, and was over.

Easy.

We find about a dozen spikes in partial flower. Not bad for this time of the year. I took a few shots, then we walk back to the style, both of us climb over at first attempt, and so back in the car and home.

Back home for eleven, giving me time to make salsa for nachos later in the afternoon, tidy up, so to be ready for the last matches of the season in the Championship.

Norwich were playing at Hull, and City dominated the first half, but over and over again, the final pass just wasn't good enough. City scored with a picture perfect goal, only to give away a penalty two minutes later.

A lot more even in the second half, with Hull scoring the winner from an unmarked header.

Meanwhile, Ipswich were promoted after thrashing QPR 3-0, so, sigh.

Later, West Ham hit the woodwork three times and had a goal ruled out for offside, just, and so lost to Brentford 3-0, so are teetering on the brink of relegation, hoping Villa can beat Spurs on Sunday.

We watch Arsenal beat Fulham, also 3-0, while we eat nachos laden with extra cheese and some leftover bacon, which really took it to the next level.

And that was the weekend half done.