Sunday 30th August 2026

It rained most of Saturday night, and the possibility of doing anything outside come Sunday seemed remote.

And yet by six in the morning, the skies had cleared, the garden was drying, and the sun was preparing to rise.

All systems go!

First up was the cats and coffee, of course. Then, I did not really fancy going to the gym, but Jools suggested we should or do something else, so we went to the gym anyway.

The middle day of a three day Bank Holiday meant it was even quieter at the sports centre, and only a couple of others in the gym.

As I had other stuff planned, I did 300 k/calories and finished, Jools did a few minutes more, and we were done.

Back home where I went straight for a shower, then changed, before the internet seduced me and stole all my time.

Fran was coming from Herne Bay, and Iain and friend were also coming on another final orchid hunt, but up the downs at Temple Ewell.

Last week I found two spikes, the expectation was that there would be more spikes a week later after more rain, but what if those were the only two, and had gone to seed?

Well, a walk is never wasted!

Iain arrives with his friend, Emily, a birding "widow", but she does love an orchid or two.

We climb into the Audi to drive to Priory to pick up Fran, then we happy four drive along London Road, past the old flat on Crabble Hill to Temple Ewell, parking behind the old pub as usual.

Emily hadn't been here before, but I had taken both Iain and Fran here previously. Fran several times.

We climbed the steps cut into the down, leading into the wood, then out to the lower meadow.

A quick diversion to the second meadow to look for, and find, Adonis blues basking in the still morning sunshine, then back to the path up the down, and through the woods.

Into open ground, and the path curves upwards, apparently into the sky. It looks steep, but my healthy lifestyle means it was an easier climb than ever as we went higher.

I spotted the first two ALTs beside the path, so the main task was achieved before we got to the main slope.

Photographs were taken before we walked to the gate, through that and along the fenceline, before dropping down through the long grass.

Butterflies scattered from our footsteps, but no orchids seen. Until Iain sees one, then a second, before more an more were spotted.

I guess in excess of thirty, maybe more seen, one spike being a good six inches tall, with a perfect tight spiral of green-tinged white flowers.

We walked back up the down, then into the next paddock to look for Autumn gentians, as I had seen none the previous week.

It seemed a fool's errand, until i spotted a tiny spike, topped with a lilac coloured flower.

Bingo.

I thought we'd find more, so didn't take a shot, so was disappointed when where the plants were usually at their densest, there were none.

So began the hunt for that first plant, so then it was when I saw about half a dozen more, getting shots.

But time was getting on, so we walked back to the car, down the down, then dropping Fran back off at the station, then home, as I had to be at Shepherdswell at half twelve to meet Andy off the train.

Time for a drink of iced squash, and off again in the car, along the A2, through heavy traffic from the port, turning off as the dual carriageway began, into the village by way of the narrow lane, playing chicken with cars coming the other way.

Jools would meet us at Eythorne, the other end of the short preserved railway, and I waited for their arrival on the train from Faversham.

Once Andy Nydia got off the train, we hurried to the ticket office to catch to twenty to train.

The class 142 was over half full for the ten minute trip, and engines roared, and the train rocked and rolled over the jointed track, over one level crossing and through Golgotha Tunnel to the terminus.

Jools was sitting at a table, so we rushed to beat the others from the train to the beer tent for fist drinks of this year's beer festival.

The beer was fine, if a little warm, but once I switched to mild it was better.

There was a food stall that did average "gourmet" burgers, but at a tenner with a portion of fries, was OK.

Once the half two train arrived, full of thirsty passengers, it got really busy, so we all decided to leave, with a return trip in three minutes for our friends, and Jools driving us back home through Eythorne village to the Sandwich road, then a 360 turn at the roundabout back to Dover and home.

There were four game on TV, but also the cycling on as well. What would I choose?

Well, there's football every weekend, so I watched the cycling, ignoring the football for a couple of hours, as the tour raced through arid hills around Valencia, before one last 22km mountain climb at the end.

It was half seven once it ended, and they can all enjoy their rest day on Monday.

I wrote, edited shots and rush to do the things I take half a day to do usually.

Saturday 29th August 2026

Its the bank holiday weekend.

The last one before Christmas, though in fairness, every weekend is a bank holiday now.

Being the weekend, it meant going to the gym first thing, so up just before six, sort the cats out and drink coffee.

The gym is at least quiet at weekends, so we park easily, walk to the entrance and up the stairs to our twin instruments of torture.

I do 35 minutes again, as I was cooking and I really wasn't into it. Being a holiday weekend, there was no new pods to listen to, so I grumbled as I peddled.

Then to Tesco where renovations are nearly done, with just the new freezers to be plugged in, but more aisles have moved and were hiding their wares.

We get all the stuff off the list, and back home for half eight, it was getting darker, not lighter, and the plan to meet up with friends at the East Kent Light Railway beer festival was looking increasingly like a bad idea.

As heavier rain was expected, I called Andy and we agreed to delay it 24 hours, meaning I suddenly had hours free.

And with the rain beginning to fall, I made a huge pot of Boston beans, taking nearly and hour to prepare the ingredients, and then combining in a big pot and cooking in the oven for four hours.

And then it was time for football: Middlesborough v unbeaten WBA, which ended 3-1 home win, then listen to the main games on the radio whilst watching the cycling with the commentary turned down.

Norwich were 2-0 up within two minutes of the start against Burnley, and romped to the first league win of the season, 4-1.

In the cycling, it was all gearing up for a sprint finish, but had been marred by three small crashes. Then forty kilometres out, leader and legend, Tadej Pogačar, swerved, crashed into a rider next to him, then went over the handlebars, breaking his collarbone and suffering concusion.

His race was run.

Wow.

Jen came round for supper. I defrosted and warmed up some ragu, boiled pasta and once dished placed crispy guanciale on top.

It was magnificent.

We talked, laughed, and drank wine.

Friday 28th August 2026

Friday.

After two early mornings in three days getting up at ten past five, to be able to lay in is a real luxury.

Of course it is my choice to go to the gym at six, but it works for me, and gets me down there, pumping lard.

I wake up as Jools was leaving for her yoga class, so I get up, make a coffee, and after drinking it put the bins out.

I put the new bird feeders out I bought. Did you know its possible to spend upwards of £60 on a single bird feeder?

Bugger that, I spent nineteen quid and bought three, and a block of seed encrusted fat. So put those out, and within half an hour a Great tit was chirping about how great it was.

Job done.

Jools comes back. We have breakfast, and then she's off again, off to knit and natter, collecting her group of old ladies on the way to the library.

I stay at home and re-read Jon's book on orchids, sitting outside on the patio as the clouds clear and the sun comes out.

For the afternoon there is more cycling from Spain, four hours of it. I take up position on the sofa with Scully and the afternoon slips by.

There was no quiz, due to summer holidays, so we have dinner of fish cakes and Boston beans, the last tub of them, so ingredients were added to tomorrow's shopping list.

After watching the football, the full moon shone low over the southern horizon, so I take a shot of it and the shelter lights.

Thursday 27th August 2026

Thursday began like it was the end of the world.

The sky began pink, then went dark pink and then to red.

Angry red.

The actual light was red. Like the earth was on fire, which in some places, it is.

We were up at five so we could do stuff before going to the gym, which we do. Cats tested, jabbed, red, and coffee made.

It is the last week of school holidays, I believe, and there are bleary-eyed kids being dragged to the pool still in their PJs, possibly for a gala soon.

The gym was quiet.

No it wasn't. It was loud, loud playing Euro-pop to no one as we all have headphones on, and the staff had yet to appear.

We get down to our session and peddle like crazy for thirty five minutes. Jools does forty, but I was cooked, so bail five minutes early and go outside to cool down.

Jools joined me five minutes later and we went home.

So began another day in retirement.

Once out of the gum, the sky was black with the promise of rain. A promise which was delivered a couple of minutes later as we drove back to St Maggies to vote.

By the time we got to the village hall, it was proper bouncing it down, and we got soaked running from the car to the entrance.

There were four of us waiting to vote at a minute past seven, voting for new local councillor as one had stepped down a few weeks back. The parties had taken this very seriously, with all parties dropping lies, I mean leaflets through our door. Some I chased up the drive giving them short shrift.

That done we drove home, and the rain eased, though there was thunder near Canterbury, here the skies cleared and the sun came out.

I collected the clippings from the lawnmeadow, bagged them up, and do other chores around the house, as well as writing, editing shots, and listening to podcasts, so that the morning slipped by.

We had an early lunch so that I could watch more cycling from Spain, waiting an hour after it started then watching it on delay, so I could zip forward through the ads.

The afternoon flew by.

We finished up the cheese and crackers for supper, and the evening, well, that slipped by too.

And we were both in bed by half eight, as it was already dark.

Wednesday 26th August 2026

Happy unbirthday!

Its Wednesday. Apparently.

There is no phys to do, so I can lay in bed until I want, then get up, drink coffee and check on the world thanks to my left wing Blue Sky view.

Blue Sky is not leftist, its just that you choose what you see and from whom, so what you do choose matches with your world view.

There is no algorithm to dictate that, just you. Which is why I interact mostly with people I met in those first few months on the platform, and fewer newer contacts.

But I digress.

Jools goes to fitness class, then has breakfast out, then stays in town to have a routine blood test.

I look at the lawnmeadow, ponder the recent rain, and decide that its time.

Time for a mow.

And being healthier, I don't need to use the traction motor, but run the mower up and down, side to side, without much effort.

But was sweaty afterwards.

I then rake the thatch into piles, but put off their collection until Thursday. As you do.

Once done, the lawnmeadow is brown and dead. Mostly, but I hope this harvest will generate fresh green growth.

It comes as a surprise to find there is more than one grand tour in cycling, so after doing as much internetting one can after lunch, I put on the tellybox and watch the latest stage of La Vuelta.

AKA, the Tour of Spain.

I watch after switching the coverage on, starting it from the beginning, and so able to fast forward through the talking into and all the ad breaks.

Much better.

The countryside of northern Spain is very similar to that of Southern France, where we should have been two months ago.

Maybe we should go back when its cooler? If only there was another eclipse in the near future.

There was football in the evening, on the tellybox. But was predictable, so I go to bed before it was over, so only found the results in the morning.

Tuesday 25th August 2026

It's my birthday. Again.

Didn't I have one last year about this time?

Jools asks was there anything I wanted to do for the day.

I replied that as most days I get to do what I want to anyways, I would just take it easy, as the last orchid species had been ticked off on Sunday.

It was a Tuesday, and that would normally have meant phys. You don't think I would do phys on my birthday, do you?

In fact, I did go to the gym, as there was a pod to listen to. So up at five, Jools wished me happy birthday, and gave me the cards from her and one from Jen.

And then off to the sports centre where there were many going to the pool, but a few of us going to pump lard.

I do thirty five minutes which isn't forty but nearer it than thirty one.

I cool down outside, then come back home so Jools can have the car. She makes me a brew, and I sit outside with Scully in the cool of the morning.

Jools leaves for her class, and will be gone all morning as she was going to meet up with the group she used to meet on Mondays for morning coffee.

I was home alone.

So after breakfast of toast. I have a shave and shower, and look spanking once dressed and smelt lovely too I expect.

Upon her return, Jools asked what the plan was. I suggested going to the Castle Street chippy and then the Hoptomist, that or going to a café for a slice of cake and pretend it was a birthday cake.

And in a surprise turn, we go back to the car and come home. I listen to more pods sitting on the patio, sipping French bier and eating peanuts.

Not exciting, but good enough, and Scully laid beside me and dozed.

For the evening we picked Jen up before driving into town, parking in Ladywell for the short walk to The Italian Kitchen, where we had a table booked.

Its a small place, but the former owner has bought it back, and doing some old favourites.

We feast on chilli and garlic prawns, and I followed that with spicy sausage with ear shaped pasta. And Jen and I shared a bottle of primitivo, which was very nice.

And that was that.

Jools drove us home, dropping Jen off on the way, getting back in time for the last ten minutes of the Cardiff v Norwich game, which we won 2-1, though in the League Cup. Not a good performance, but a win.

Health update

This will be, by accident, the third year I will have written such a post.

And this year, its altogether more positive.

I have lost something like 30kg in weight, which is the most important thing.

I have done this by eating less, or had been, then along came summer and holiday. But the straight and narrow beckons next weeks as the new month and autumn rolls round.

Drinking alcohol only on phys days, two meals a day, still going to the gym, and increasing what I do there. More walking.

In doing regular, near forty minutes on the bike, four times a week, its just not my weight that's improved.

My skin is no longer dry and flakey. My scalp no longer itches.

My feet no longer swell.

They no longer swell much at all, before the holiday they'd only swell on really hot days when I didn't go to the gym.

I can feel my legs and feet. The decline had been so slow that I hadn't noticed, but I can climb stairs, by choice, and walk without numbness or pins and needles all the time.

The ulcers on my shins are still there, but much improved. The skin on my calfs has repaired itself, but mostly they are returning to their natural colour. Some way to go, but much better.

I no longer struggle to get up from the sofa, I can put socks on without having to hold my breath. I no longer cough for hours at night as my lungs struggle with the pressure of my weight. I used to drink a bottle of Gaviscon a fortnight, but not any more.

Of course I am no longer out of breath all the time. And after exercise my recovery time is much reduced.

So, one last thing. At my last blood test, I had reduced my blood sugars to almost not being diabetic. Probably will be about the same next one, but I can and must do better.

Anyway, I feel a decade younger than last year, and as Jools put it, fit for retirement.

The other thin I should point out is that I no longer have a bad back. And my knee is mostly pain free. I get up from a chair or the sofa and expect pain and to have to make a noise to amplfy the pain, and there is no pain.

How good is that?

Monday 24th August 2026

The year is getting older, of course.

The sun rises to the east, but is now visible when it first rises away in the east, south east. Evenings are cooler, some days too. One day over the weekend we closed the front then back door to keep the chill out.

Of course, September might bring a return to warmer temperatures, but we are hoping for rain. Much more rain.

It seems that I am still delicious, as I was bitten aplenty when I went up Temple Ewell down on Sunday, so I was all itchy through Sunday night, but I slept on when Jools got up, not waking until half six, when it was all daylight.

It is three weeks or so since we came back from France, and I am working my way through the pictures taken over those 19 days. I am editing the church and other non tour shots, as well as at the same time editing botany and butterfly shots from the six days of the tour.

It keeps me busy.

And then there is Heritage Weekend to plan, churches to visit and so on. Lists made, postcodes found.

That also keeps me busy.

And there are locations and orchid species in West Australia to write down and store, so my trip next year is not in vain.

Keeps me busy, and is exciting.

I find time during the morning to walk to the end of the street to snap the Common toadflax on the other side of Station Road, it is one of my favourite native plants, and it always makes me smile to see it in flower.

When Jools returns from her chores, we have lunch, and I have a beer to go with the chicken salad. I didn't look at the strength of the DIPA, and found after emptying my glass it was 8.4%, which explains why I went for a lay down for an hour or so.

There is cheese and crackers for supper, then football, as Fulham hosted neighbours Chelsea, which ended in an entertaining 2-3 away win.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Of all the Beatles' albums, this was the one I worried about most.

It has, over the years, topped many best albums of all time polls and lists, and is cited to have begun the rock album genre.

The band had stopped playing live in 1966, as they felt their studio sound could not be replicated on stage, and thus not touring freed up lots of time, the recording of the album coming after the band took three months off to do their own things.

The title came from a misheard phrase: can you please pass the salt and pepper, as pass the Sgt. Pepper.

The album was preceeded by the double A single "Penny Lane" / "Strawberry Fields Forever", songs that looked back to their band's youth in Liverpool. That single may well be the pinacle of popular music, Penny Lane is majestic.

It sold buckets, topped the charts for months all round the world.

Could it ever live up to the hype?

Side 1:

1. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
2. "With a Little Help from My Friends"
3. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
4. "Getting Better"
5. "Fixing a Hole"
6. "She's Leaving Home"
7. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"

Side 2:

1. "Within You Without You"
2. "When I'm Sixty-Four"
3. "Lovely Rita"
4. "Good Morning Good Morning"
5. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"
6. "A Day in the Life"

The album begins with the title track, and sung by Paul in the vocal shredding style you might more associate with John on Twist and Shout. It's hard to know what to say about a song so well known, but the use of brass and other instrumentation, along with crowd sound effects make it something different. It then fades into the second track:

"With a Little Help from My Friends" has Ringo on vocals, and, to my ears, carries on the same or similar beat to the title track. Ringo doesn't have a good voice, and this is enjoyable, as well as very familiar. Its no surprise I prefer this to the Wet Wet Wet version from the 80s, even if that was for charity. It ends with a long piano chord.........

The strongest of starts continues with "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" with John on vocals. What elese can you say about a song so familiar, and yet distils most of the band's development to this point. It may be about drugs, probably is, but the lyrics, harmonies and sheer joy shines through. The end of the track brings the fist eight minutes and sixteen seconds of the record to a close.

"Getting Better" tells of the joy of finding love, and in the last verse the regret of past cruel actions. More harmoies, its a delight, it really is.

"Fixing a Hole" is next, with Paul on vocals. It starts with a slight meloncholy note, which it returns to in the outro, but between is another joyous slice of pop music, that other bands would if not kill for, then commit serious crime for. Probably.

Harp, then cello comes in to back Paul's vocal on "She's Leaving Home" where the verse tells the girl's story, and the chorus her parent's lament. The real girl in the story that was read in the papers had a strong link to the band from years before. A beautiful song, a work of art.

"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" inspiration was taken from a vintage variety poster, and the song built around that. An amazing thing, really. It pops along before fading into an outro os distorted fairground organ, thus closing side 1.

"Within You Without You" must have sounded so exotic on first hearing upon the album's release. Sitars and other Indian and far Eastern instruments made a sound so unwesternlike, and yet with George's vocal deep in the mix it sounds wonderful. The different layers that go to make the record is quite headspinning.

"When I'm Sixty-Four" has an oboe, at least I think it is, and is more pop genius. Paul's clear vocals speak of a contented married life, or settled status, even if the choris hints at other things. Of course, for the band, married bliss would be hard to find, at least until the band had split. Masterful.

"Lovely Rita" has what could be described as a false start, then Paul comes in with the vocal. Another dazzling op song, built on a slip of an idea.

Starts with a cockrel crowing, before launching into a refrain of "good morning, good morning", the staple of many radio breakfast shows. Is it me, or does John's vocals always suggest something sinister, while Paul's is more whoolesome? Even if te song descibes a walk into the old town, past your old school, I felt that something bad was just about to happen. Hmmmmm.

Throwing in everything including the kitchen sink, the next to last track is "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", lasts just over a minute and ends with the hope that you enjoyed the show. I did.

The ends with "A Day in the Life", with various verses taken from stories in newspapers during its writing. John on vocals, with minimal backing until the orchestra joins in with a wall of sound, then Paul starts with what could be a different song, and sounds upbeat compared to John. It ends with more orchestra, then a long piano chord before some gibberish, which if played backwards, demands you buy more cheese.

It is an incredible piece of work, one that holds together through its 13 tracks and forty minute running time. A band at the height of its, and any other's, powers. Along with its pop art sleeve by Peter Blake, links popular music with popular and modern art. England really did swing, and this was the swingiest. Mama Cass played a test pressing of this loud one morning, giving her neighbours the first play of, well, an amazing record, one that I would have to listen to again and again to hear all it's layers, twists.

Sunday 23rd August 2026

We have had some rain in the last week. And contacts on Blue Sky mentioned that where they were, that where a week back there had been no spikes, there were now at least some after rain.

Which is how I had decided to climb Temple Ewell down again Sunday morning, just seven days after drawing a blank. Or was it fourteen?

Time goes so quickly.

Jools had slept badly, so decided not to come to the gym at seven, nor climb the down straight after. So I grabbed my gym bag, the camera, and car keys and was off in the car.

The gym is always empty Sunday mornings, even during school holidays, so the car park was mostly full, and just two others in the gym once I had climbed the stairs.

I thought it was cool outside, but was soon hot enough to want to bail early. Twenty minutes slipped to thirty, then it was do 300 calories and that would do it, doubly so as I would be walking up the down in a few minutes.

I drove over to Temple Ewell, parked behind the old pub, got out the walking pole and camera, then set off.

A year ago this was climbing an Alpine peak, something to be avoided except when there was no other way. After a year of phys, its not that bad,, so I pressed in through the lower wood, around the edge of the large meadow, up through the second wood, and out onto the open downland highlands.

Along the track, through the gate, and once passed the fence, down the slope, looking all round for signs of a spike.

I told myself I was stupid for thinking anything would have grown since I was last here, but then there were hundreds of new Devil's bit scabious now waving in the air, where they weren't last time I was here.

I walked down, and was running out of short grazed grass, when I saw the first spike. That green twist with white and green flowers meant there was no mistake.

And it had grown some four inches since I was last there, and in fact the lower flowers were already going brown having been pollenated.

I walked back up, and found a second, only partially open spike, but that was it: two plants.

But it counts.

And counts as my 66th and final wild European orchid species of 2026.

I went into the lower paddock to look for Autumn gentians, but found no trace, not even after the rain, so after an hour's searching, I walked back down the down to the car park and hence home.

Back home for half nine, time for a fresh brew and breakfast. Jools was feeling better and busy in the garden.

I went for a shower, changed and felt better. I instead prepared hash for lunch, chopping potatoes to have soak, then the vegetables and chorizo.

Potatoes boiled, let cool down, before frying the onions and peppers, then the chorizo, before finally cooking the potatoes until golden and crispy.

Then there was football, of course. Brighton (an Hove) swept to a 4-0 half time lead over then-man Villa, and from that there was no coming back. That was followed by Newcastle v Liverpool, where they remembered Kevin Keegan before kick off, then played attack v defence for 90 minutes in his honour.

Its what he would have wanted.

Supper was cheese and wine, with the wine being one of the bottles bought from Burgundy last month, and which cooked in the car as we headed south towards Spain. So, I thought it best to get it drunk.

No obvious drop in quality, 2022 was a very good Burgundian vintage.

Saturday 22nd August 20206

It am the weekend.

It is the end of summer. Or near the end, it has cooled down some, and even rained.

And after the wind down before the holiday, and then the wind back up upon our return, it was about time I did a full session again.

So up at six, sort the cats out, drink coffee and all ready to go.

In order not to overheat, I kept my RPM down to about 57, and that seemed to work, and with The Sound of Football podcast to listen to, the forty minutes flew by.

It was then off to Tesco to play hunt the essentials as the remodelling is still ongoing, but mostly done.

And then back home to put the shopping away, boil the kettle for brews, before breakfast.

We were all done by ten, and Jools had pointed out that we had three other unpainted windowsills. I had done two, so now it was time to do the three upstairs.

Without falling out the window!

I had washed with fungicide the day before, all I had to do was get the tin of paint upstairs without spilling any or tripping up, then paint two layers on each sill without falling out the windows, or letting any paint drop to the windows below.

Jools went out to avoid worrying about me having an accident.

In the end, each sill took about ten minutes, then an hour to allow to dry, before putting on a second coat. And the deed was done.

I pack away the paint, clean the brush and all is done. I have a pint of squash, then realise I was ready for the football at half twelve.

Norwich on the tellybox again, away at Millwall, and should have been a good game.

Sadly, Norwich played like strangers. Tired strangers, and never got going, 2-0 down at half time, they ship a third after half time, and were second best in every department. The worst performance in nearly a year!

In the Prem, Man Utd get our fought by Hull and go down 2-0, and after the main batch of games, Spurs lose 3-0 at Brentford is a typical Spursy performance.

So it goes.

Friday 21st August 2026

We woke to a little more rain. After all, every little helps!

I say we woke, I should say Jools was up at five, fed the cats, while I slept on, only waking when Jools drove out of the drive to her yoga class, I had somehow slumbered for ten hours.

I made coffee, put out the last of the bins, and looked at the state of the world on the interwebs.

Hmmmm.

The rain cleared, just as well as Andy was coming down from Faversham, as I was going to show him the remains of the Dover Mineral Railway, later the Dover Military Railway, which began at Martin Mill, then ran beside the main line towards Guston, but climbed instead of falling towards the tunnel, then sweeping round to cross the Deal road at Swingate before crossing to Langdon Hole, before descending down to the cliff face, where a large ledge was carved to allow the line to drop to near where Jubilee Way is now. This was to bring material for the new Harbour Arm, rather than bring it by sea.

There is little to see to the untrained eye, but on Google maps, the route is marked by hedges and embankments, and where is crossed the roads to Guston village and East Langdon, there is the abutments of two overbrdges that carried the line.

The cutting and bridge that took it under the Deal road have been mostly filled in, but we would investigate.

Jools brought the car back at eight, so we had a brew and breakfast. All ready for her to walk to the library at half nine for another knit and natter.

I went to Priory station to meet Andy, then take us to Martin Mill to show him the tiny signal box, and where the line branched off a little way up the line to Dover.

Then to see the remains of the two overbridges, and Andy explored what was left of the trackbed at the second bridge.

Next was to look at the remains of the underbridge on the Deal road. A friend took shots about a decade ago, and the bridge was intact. But now its all hidden behind vegetation, and too dense to risk exploring on foot in case you couldn't get back up.

We managed to park at Langdon Hole, at the dogwalkers layby, and were rewards with fine views down the trackbed to the Cliff Road, and the port, then to the Channel beyond, and France on the horizon.

Back to Chez Jelltex for a brew and a meet up with Jools, before we retired to the Chance Inn in Guston for a pint of Harvey's best and a chat with the barmaid.

Somehow, five hours had passed, and Andy had to get back hoe, so I dropped him back at Priory, then made my way back home to relax, then cook dinner.

Being a Friday there was the quiz. I came seventh, then settle down on the sofa with Scully to watch the first Premier League game: Arsenal v Coventry, which ended up an easy win for the Gunners.

Thursday 20th August 2026

It's nearing the end of another week, and being Thursday, it was a phys day.

I was first up for a change, so got up, tested and jabbed Scully, fed her and the rest of the cats, before making drinks.

Phew.

Outside, the fire smouldered on, not as bad, but still going strong some 36 hours after it started.

Or was started.

Jools was up too, dressed, so after drinking our brews, we were out.

Although it felt fresher out, inside the gym it was still humid, and the workout reached thirty five minutes before calling it a day.

On the way home we filled the car up, the first time since we got back from France, then home for breakfast and another brew.

There is more than enough time for a shower and shave in the morning, then think about doing the other three windowsills upstairs.

I handbag that until the afternoon, and when Jools was out get the fungicide out and brush it one, then wipe off, all ready for some painting action either Friday or Saturday.

There's not much else to say about the afternoon, just lollygagging about until it was time for dinner: half a pizza each and a slice of poor cheesecake.

I even end up going to bed at eight, and while Jools watched a film, I fell asleep and heard nothing for ten hours.

Wednesday 19th August 2026

I thought we slept well, all things considered.

But I woke at some point during the night with an ocular migraine, and had a second within an hour of waking, then a third at lunchtime, despite not doing much stuff on the computer as Flickr didn't work.

I would end up having a two hour lay down in bed with Cleo until it was time to go out.

They day began with us checking on the fire out back.

Small flames could still be seen, and much smoke still rose into the air, though not as thick. At least one engine stayed all day, and into Wednesday night, damping down.

The row of mature trees along the track leading to the farm had all either been burnt or cut down, but the barn and farm were still there. And the cows still mooed.

Wednesday also brought rain. Steady, unspectacular rain, but the kind that would soak into the soil and lawnmeadow. We just need another two or three months of such rain to see the county right.

We did little, other than Jools going to another or her classes down at the Riverside centre, then come back via M&S laden with sausage rolls. Which we ate with fresh brews, obvs.

I got up at two, and got ready to go out. We were to meet Pete and Elaine in Canterbury for drinks and dinner, though Elaine's broken foot meant she couldn't walk far or fast.

Thankfully there's a few pubs around Canterbury West station, as well as a few places to eat, so all was set.

We drove to Canterbury, parked again near to St Augustine's, then walked over the inner ring road and through the city centre, past the Christchurch Gate and the "new" Marlow, before finally past the Westgate and to the station, arriving two whole minutes before their train arrived.

Once they emerged, we walked away from the city centre, over the level crossing to The Unicorn Inn, where there were no other customers, so would could take a corner booth, order drinks and get down to catching up.

A couple of hours later we walked down to the Mexican place on the corner, not yet busy and doing half-price cocktails!

We order good Mexican food and drinks, then people watch as more and more people come in.

The food was excellent, and not too spicy: Jools and Elaine shared a paella, which might have been the best decision of the day.

Having had several beers, Jools had to drive us back, after walking back through the empty city centre streets, then drive into the sunset back to the A2 and home.

Where the feline welcoming committee was waiting, so they were dealt with before making one last brew of the day.

Outside, the smouldering hay had been turned over, so had reignited and flashlights flashed as more hotspots were dealt with.

Tuesday 18th August 2026

It was a normal Tuesday, until about half six in the evening.

Before then, we had gone to the gym, did just half an hour as it was so hot.

It is cooler in the mornings, a little, and laying in bed seems so attractive. In fact Jools slept through the alarm until twenty past five, by which time I was dressed, fed the cats, tested and jabbed Scully, and made drinks.

Jools didn't go to the gym, as she wasn't awake enough, so I went and dis 75% of a session

Jools had her normal busy Tuesday: keep fit first, but then a breakfast with that class instead of knit and natter, then into town to the dentist.

Once she was gone, I had breakfast and a brew, then got down to the much delayed task of painting the windowsills on the living room windows.

They were green with lichen, and needed attention. We'd had the fungicide and paint for two years or more, but this time it was action.

I scrubbed the sills, let them dry after wiping down, then put two coats of pain on the two long faces.

Not perfect, but looked better.

I had a shower to celebrate.

Not much else happened through the afternoon. Jools came back home, we had a snack of cheese and crackers (no wine), then had Caprese once we had fed the cats again at five.

Jools had left to visit Jen to finalise details of their trip next year, so I stayed home, washed up and called a friend to talk about orchids.

At about half six, I saw smoke rising from the farm, and was angry at them lighting a bonfire with the ground so dry.

But it was worse than tat.

Much worse.

Three teenage boys, it seems had set light to the haystack, and it went up.

Soon flames were reaching fifty metres into the sky, thick smoke drifted into the still air.

The fire spread quickly, and having heard no sirens, I called 999. It took ten minutes for the call to be answered, but once they did, it was confirmed engines were on their way.

Smoke was rising beside their barn, which was full of cows, and next to that was the farmhouse.

The first engine arrived, followed by at least five more, and the battle started.

As darkness fell, it was contained, the barn and cows were saved, but the hedge with mature trees was cut down as it was in danger of being consumed.

As darkness fell, it was like a volcano, with the bales reduced to what looked like lava, smoked lit by the fire rose into the inky black sky.

I guess the fire was about 50m from the end of the garden, and we would have been in trouble had the wind changed direction, but it didn't.

We went to bed to the sound of the pumps on the engines, trying to cool the flames, but the farm was safe, as so were we.

It's Arsenal's to lose now

Sorry to have to report that the new Premier League season is due to begin tomorrow evening, when Arsenal take on Coventy live on the tellybox.

Asenal have strengthened sensibly through the summer, and so have a deeper, better squad than last season.

They will be formidable to say the least.

So, will anyone be able to keep up with the Gunners?

As most of their main rivals, Aston Villa excepted, have if not new managers, or managers/coaches going into their first full season in charge. And some will have to improve by a significant amount if their season is to be judged a success.

Andoni Iraola left Bournemouth to take over at Liverpool. Slott being sacked soon after the end of the season after a disappointing second season in charge. And winning the title twelve months earlier at a canter counted for nothing. To complicate matters, Liverpool are the subject of a minor-shareholding buy-out, with the bald bloke who owns Amazon as one of the consortium. They will own close to 40% of the club, and might buy more of the club next year to take their stake to over 50%.

Watch this space.

Pep lookalike, Enzo Maresca, took over from Pep at Citeh, as a result of Pep standing down after a decade of trophy-strewn years in charge. Mentioning charges, those 115 charges are yet to be decided upon, and winning games might be the least of their problems. In addtion, the midfield due of Silva and Rodri both left. Last week's Community Sheild capitulation has set the alarm bells ringing, and things might not be going well at Citeh this season.

Michael Carrick continues in the Manchester United hotseat, hopes are high at very Old Trafford, but then they are every year. They seem to have bought well, but then do every year, but it is how much slack he is given if and when the going gets tough. Being in the CL as well as the league will be very different to last season's lowest ever number of first team games of 40 (forty)

Chelsea pulled off the coup of the summer in appointing Xabi Alonso as manager, not coach, but this was before the Liverpool hot seat was known to be available. Alonso could have gone to almost any top European club, but decided on one of last season's basket cases, Chelsea. Chelsea have been busy buying up experienced players, and trying to sell of some of their failed younger stars from the last four years. But even still, Chelsea have more than 50 senior players and just 12 days before the transfer window shuts, so they can pretend to balance the books.

Newcastle are still in crisis, as two weeks ago manager, Eddie Howe resigned halfway through pre-season, and appointed Matthias Jaissle (me neither), after selling three of their best players, if not their three best players: Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £69.3 millions, Sandro Tonali to Spurs for £100 million, and Bruno Guimarães to Arsenal for £75 million. They have spent well in brining in replacements, but none of them are stars or household names, so this could go very badly indeed.

Tottenham Hotspur appointed Roberto De Zerbi on the last day of March this year, and he just did enough to keep Spurs in the Premier League. Coming after the previous season when Spurs finished 17th, the belief was that things could only get better in 25/26. They got 50% more points, but finished 17th again, just above West Ham. Spurs have something like 500 midfielders, and just two forwards: Dominic Solanke and Richarlison, neither of which are prolific and are injury-prone.

And Aston Villa have had their squad raided by their rivals, so have the rest of the window to correct that, but do have a quality manager still in post, so anything could happen.

More interesting than who will be runners up, is how each of the above react to a run of bad results. Heads could roll, and quickly.

Monday 17th August 2026

I have looked through my blogs, and I am pretty certain that the last time it rained was on the 11th June.

I mention this as the colour of Kent, England and most of western Europe is burnt brown.

And on Sunday night, actual rain was forecast.

I got up at two to use the bathroom, and as I climbed back into bed, I could hear the large raindrops banging down on the carport roof.

It only last ten minutes, but I am pretty sure that it rained again before dawn. So when we got up, the ground was still damp, but drying out quickly, so I thought I had better take shots to record the fact.

Obviously, its not enough. We need weeks and months of rain, even then it will be too late for many plant species and insects that rely on them.

A long delayed task was to paint the outside sills of the living room and front and side bedrooms.

So, me being a man of action now, I would get all DIYy.

I had to get the fungicide solution, then the masonry paint. But I was getting ahead of myself.

First, the lichen.

Its not that we don't like it, we do. But the dirty sills spoil the house, so I would fix that.

I got a brush, a container for the solution, then got scrubbing, and managed to get as much over me as on the sills.

But after an hours or so, it looked better. So I did the two lower ones again, then got some clean water to get the excess off.

I would paint on the morrow.

Having done some actual work, it turned out that we both didn't feel inclined to do much more. The sun dried out the ground, and you wouldn't have know there'd ever been rain.

There might be more wet stuff later in the week. Maybe thunder too. We shall see.

Jools went to Canterbury, so leaving me behind to do the DIY, then sit in the garden with Mulder and Scully, as the day warmed up, until it warmed up too much to sit outside.

Jools returned at lunchtime, so we had chicken salad and a beer.

Which wasn't very clever. So we had to try to stay awake through the afternoon and into the early evening.

Jools and Jen's plans to go to Oz next year are well advanced, and Jools' good planning getting alternative quotes has already saved them £1500.

My plans for my trip to Perth are at an early stage, but I am dazzled on a daily basis by shots in the West Australia orchid group on Faceache.

For the evening there was football. Welsh football. Cardiff v Wrexham, which ended an entertaining 1-1 draw.

There's lovely.

A bolt out of the blue

So, a brief update as to our future plans for travel.

I say this as when we saw Jen last week, she asked if Jools could do her a favour? Go to Australia with her for six weeks in a motorhome.

This was the literal bolt out of the blue, but then it opened up another possibility for me, as I would stay behind to cat sit, thus save close to two grand in cattery fees, then I could go to the orchid capital of the world: Perth.

I would be going later, at the end of July, and have been planning, roughly some things to do. I have friends who will show me some of the orchid sites, and others I can find out myself, perhaps.

News as I get it.

Before then we are off to Sardinia on another orchid trip with our friends, that's in "April" sometime.

And in February we are also off to Tenerife for a few days where we hope to see their four endemic orchid species.

In a break from the orchids, in October I will be joining a church tour of Northamptonshie with a friend and church expert, John.

Our long planned trips to Mexica and New Zealand get pushed back to 2028.

Sunday 16th August 2026

Every day we get a little bit closer to normal.

We had to scrap phys on Saturday, so there was no doubt we would be going to the gym on Sunday.

As I am still delicious, some bitey thing feasted on me Friday night or on Saturday, so my legs itched again to buggary. As my dear old Dad would say.

We were at the sports centre a minute after seven, and the car park had only a handful of other cars, despite the pool being open.

We went upstairs and did another thirty five minutes, more than enough time to get hot and sweaty.

After the session we came back via the Co-Op in Whitfield as we needed fresh corn.

I had thought I got out two large lamb steaks for lunch, but turns out they were steaks! Ribeyes, and of quite a size. But had also got two punnets of tagine out too, and there was mushrooms as well as the corn.

I seasoned the steak, then went for a shower and shave, so that by one, it was time to start cooking.

Corn boiled first then kept on a simmer on one of the back burners, same with the tagine, before cooking the mushrooms with some garlic and the steak having two and a half minutes each side.

A pleasant change not to have chips or any other potato carbs, and we roadtested the new pink fizz, which was pretty good too.

We really didn't feel like washing up, but did before the afternoon snooze hit. I was watching for Championship football: Watford beat the dirty cheating Saints 2-1, then Burnley and West Ham shared four goals. And both were pretty good games.

The day was also notable for a two hour power cut in the morning, meaning no internet, no calls, and our local 5G transmitter was taken out too.

We had to talk to each other.....

We watch a film in the evening. Normal which looked good on the trailer, and was OK. Lots of bizare deaths and very dark humour.

Saturday 15th August 2026

Sometimes, there is just too much to do.

So, with phys, shopping. a shower, and having to be out before nine. Something had to give, and as we need to eat, it was phys.

We were going to meet a friend in Canterbury, so the rest had to be done, so we could get to the city and nab a parking space.

I went to Tesco after the first coffee of the day. The only coffee of the day.

It was already cooler, though sleep was tough overnight, but a breeze had risen, so took the edge off the day.

The upgrading of Tesco is nearly complete, with many aisles moved, so shopping is a kind of hide and seek. But I get round in half an hour and managed to spend over £100 again.

Back home where I had a shower whilst Jools puts the shopping away, then we can have breakfast before leaving at nine. Or just gone.

Traffic was very light, both along the A2 and on New Dover Road into the city, but doubtless the city itself would be rammed.

It was.

We parked near St Augustine's, then walked into the city, where I spied a barber's with an empty chair. I needed a severe trim, and had an hour to kill, so went in and was shorn.

I felt like a woolly hat had been taken off.

I walked past Christchurch Gate, past the new Marlow and Westgate to Canterbury West, where I had ten minutes before Graham's train arrived.

He said the train, a 12 car Javelin, from St Pancras was like the Tube at rush hour, rammed with folks heading for Margate and Ramsgate mostly, but plenty got off at Canterbury with Graham.

We walked away from the city to St Dunstan's, so Graham could see and record the church in which Henry II changed into his hair shirt for his penitent visit to the Cathedral after Thomas Becket's murder, and is also the place where Thomas More's head was buried after his daughter obtained it from a spike on Old London Bridge.

It was buried in the vault of her husband, the Ropers.

From there we sought a drink, and settled on a place beside Westgate where I had a lemonade whilst Graham had tea. We chatted whilst the world went past. The air con in the restaurant was excellent, and I could have stayed all day.

But we were going to the cathedral, walking along lesser used lanes and alleyways until we came to he Buttercross and the Gate. I had tickets from a previous visit, so we could escape the queue for a ticket and get in quick.

Though in the Nave, the Altar was being set up as a DJ's booth or something. All chair removed, but the building had hundreds of visitors.

Graham took shots, while I showed him some nooks and crannies that he might have escaped on previous visits.

We also went down to the crypt, and to the Chapter House.

He got shots while I people watched, and even found some things and places I had yet to record in nearly 1,000 images taken over many visits.

That done, we left through the two gift shops, as is the way, then doubled back to our old friend, the Thomas Becket, for drinks and lunch.

Meddlesome Priest was back on the pumps, and very good it was too, as we had three pints each before lunch of burgers and fries arrived.

Graham had to get back to that London, we we walked with him back to the High Street, pointed him in the direction of Westgate, then we turned and walked the other way through the crowds back across the ring road to the car.

Wisely, Jools drove us home, arriving back at twenty past three. Time enough to catch most of the Norwich game on the tellybox, though I needn't have bothered.

Despite playing well, creating many chances, it just didn't click, and were caught with two sucker punches, literally for the first as the forward used his hand to score. A late goal was too little too late, and so lost 2-1.