Wednesday 26th June

The day dawns bright and the Perry family sit down to breakfast together; a good way to start the day. I drop the youngest at the station as he’s on his work experience week, then I’m back to finish tidying up before waving the eldest off to school It’s the papers today and they came with a large number of leaflets this week, so I’m weighed down as I go about my round. I get most of the way around before I realise I’m not going to get the whole lot delivered this morning, because of my other commitments today. So I leave the last block for later and get on with my errands which today cover the butchers, two different dry cleaners and a GP’s. The GP’s in question I have discussed before, it’s the one Mrs P and the kids use and is now attached to a hospital. One of the practical results of this now is that you can’t get parked. A hospital, at least two GP practices and a specialist centre for heart care, and they provide parking for a football team. Who plans these developments I wonder?  

I’m in a hurry because I’m umpiring a cricket match this afternoon over the other side of town. I grab a bit of early lunch and still manage to be slightly later than I’d have wished. It’s a representative U13’s game and the lads play in a good spirit, and it ends in a close finish. All this fresh air is helping me get a half decent tan.

I get home as the rest are finishing a late tea, and find Mrs P sent the teenagers out with each other’s lunches today. The upshot of this was the youngest on finding he had his sisters lunch went to the chippy instead! The rest of us are secretly jealous I think. The eldest just ate what she was given, and to be fair to Mrs P she does make their lunches every day, and so the odd mix up is only to be expected.

I pop out to finish my paper round, and then spend some time playing with the youngest in the garden. You need to grab these moments while you can, given the unforgiving nature of the British summer. I then do the ironing before trying to relax for the rest of the evening. The eldest is meant to be in school tomorrow, but they are not being taught much this week, due to trips and other things. Some of the teachers are on strike tomorrow, so the value of her going in is very limited, however it’s the right thing to do. She’d prefer to stay off but we’ll see what the morning brings.

Yours exposed to fresh air.

Jay