Tuesday 18th June

Today is my final invigilation session of the exam season. I have to say, as a break from house husbandry it does make a pleasant change. As with all things it helps that my colleagues are nice people. As the old saying goes. “If you want nice people to work for you, employ nice people.” Too many people have to work with people they don’t like, and life really is too short for that.

After the morning session I have to go to the doctors so they can remove some blood to test. Who knows what they are looking for, but at least the nurse is very good at her job and I don’t feel anything. The waiting room is very busy with the average age over 60. It shows where the real demand on your GP comes from.

I stop at the folk’s house for a cuppa and a chat on the way home. The ailing one is looking much better and certainly on the road to recovery. It appears that following my latest intervention at the weekend Olympic Holidays have finally provided the refund due, and a Cancellation Invoice, though it may be too late to restore their reputation in the folk’s house.

Mrs P has left me instructions for making a salad for tea. You really wouldn’t imagine it would be that complicated, but with boiling potatoes and eggs, and chopping a huge variety of vegetables up it takes me an hour to prepare. Unbelievable really, but it just goes to show. In case you were wondering, it was a tuna salad, and yes it did taste good.

Late afternoon I pick up the youngest from school, and then his granddad and we go to watch the end of a county cricket 2^nd XI T20 game. A beautiful sunny afternoon by the coast, and the sound of leather on willow. Quintessentially English and very enjoyable, especially as the ball was sent flying out of the ground on a number of occasions. People really should be careful where they park the car near cricket grounds.

It’s our wedding anniversary today and to celebrate 19 years of wedded bliss, Mrs P and I take ourselves off to the pub to ruminate over our time together. Me over a pint, her over a coke. Funny how things change over time, and never turn out quite how you expect, but I think that’s a good thing, I’d hate to be predictable. The teenagers as ever these days cope well without us, and help each other out. Either we’re doing a good job of raising them, or we’ve just been very lucky so far. I don’t think there’s any magic formula to it; just give them your time.

Yours looking back in time.

Jay