This has been quite a varied week with some real crime busting (yes, really), a trip to London and a little camping trip. Things don’t always go to plan everyday….
Monday
Started with driving my Toyota around to a local garage to have the air conditioning fixed.
There is of course a real irony to this. When it went wrong, it was on the hottest day of the year (in June) and I’m regretting not doing anything about it until now. I suppose I had been living in a kind of financial-denial in knowing it was to involve more than a simple re-gassing. It cost £324 for the radiator thingy to be replaced and now I’m happy to report it works a treat, a freezing cold treat at that. Just wish I’d had it fixed sooner!
Tuesday
I had thought the highlight was going to be returning to the art group. While that was nice and pleasant, it reminded me that I hadn’t picked up a pencil in a couple of months. It shows! I am so out of practice and I feel like I’ve gone back to square one. Note to self…..
In the meantime the real highlight was a bit of crime fighting! You see, after art, we had lunch with Rachel and Hannah in The Way coffee house.
Unbeknown to us, Hannah’s mobile phone was lifted and she only realised once she was at home. She called Rachel (using our landline) and quickly Rachel called Hannah’s mobile, expecting to hear it ring in the coffee house. To her surprise it was answered by a man who said he had just bought the phone for £40. Rachel played the fool and said the phone was worth far more to her and indicated she would be prepared to buy it back.
So an arrangement was quickly made. Instead of the suggested arrangement of meeting in a dubious alleyway, we would meet in front of Asda, a nearby supermarket. We rushed around there but there was no sign of anyone so we tipped off the store’s security guards. They kindly made sure their CCTV would be focussed on us as we hung around.
A few minutes later a thin, gaunt looking black woman appeared. In conversation she tried to either lure Rachel to a nearby house or to strike a deal. I hung back and sneaked a photograph of her before she disappeared. A few minutes later I spotted a young man with a beard and a tattooed neck hanging around and I spotted the familiar looking phone sticking out of his back pocket.
We approached him and he was keen to strike a deal. I discreetly phoned Hannah’s number, sure enough the phone in his hand rang to his surprise. As he was looking at it Rachel took it off him, again playing the slightly loopy housewife and expressed a willingness to pay some money.
At that point I stepped in and played the bad guy, to deflect his attention away from Rachel. I said we wouldn’t be paying him any money, it was our phone not his, not open to any negotiation on this. I went on to thank him for doing the decent thing, to show some empathy rather than antagonise or provoke him.
I knew the Police were on their way and was wondering whether to reason with him or not, or perhaps to string it out. Instead he went off knowing he’d lost out. Shortly afterwards the Police arrived and once we’d explained everything we agreed no offence had taken place as we had recovered the phone. The Police Officer didn’t quite know what to make of us calling the offender’s bluff like that!
Wednesday
I had a day in London, courtesy of a charity I’m involved with. It was a kind of ‘meet the CEO and senior staff” in their swish offices. All good stuff. On one hand it felt a little bit like I was returning to work, it was also a reassuring time for me as I could still get my head around things.
While I was in London, Rachel and Hannah packed the camping gear and off we went in the evening to a campsite, only 10 miles away! It was just about dark by the time we arrived.
Thursday
One of the highlights of a camping trip is a fry-up for breakfast – always tastes so lovely in the fresh air! We were by the Grand Union canal and Rachel had the brilliant idea of taking an inflatable canoe which as been collecting dust at home. It worked, didn’t leak at all, we didn’t fall in or get swallowed up by one of the wide beam barges plodding on the canal. You can see the photo of Hannah, with Poppy the dog, at the top of the post.
Friday
We returned home from our camping trip and it seemed to take forever to get the cars unloaded and everything packed away again. Seemed as if we had been away for absolutely ages and I had that feeling of “oh it’s so good to be at home!”
We can tell Hannah is getting preoccupied about returning to college next week. I well remember those ‘butterflies’ when I was a schoolboy at the start of a new year or starting a new job. She is heading back to do the next level in outdoor pursuits, sailing in particular. You might be forgiven for thinking that is a bit tricky in land-locked Bedfordshire and you’d be right. Nevertheless, where there’s a will, there’s a way!
Saturday
Saturday was nice. I had a Parkrun on the Downs and saw a few friends there. Although I didn’t get a PB I do feel thankful I’m not in a bad place, all things considered.
I did enjoy a little dose of the Runner’s High afterwards which is an incredible feeling. I remembered the times when I would have a tough day in Stevenage Probation, and I mean really TOUGH. I would go for a run afterwards through some pretty grotty weather at times, in the dark, drizzle, rain or sleet before feeling totally alive and on top of things. I would drive home feeling so thankful and determined not to be beaten by things.
Later on Saturday, we did a little housework and it was hugely successful! Normally I tend to throw too much stuff away and Rachel rescues it from the wheelie bin when I’m not looking. It’s just the way it goes! But yesterday we agreed on everything that was to be thrown out – brilliant!
So we have tackled the under stairs cupboard which has gone from a dumping ground to becoming well ordered and neat. The garage has also had a bit of attention and it’s worked, though much more to do. We just seem to have so much STUFF!
And then in the evening we caught the tail end of Last Night of The Proms on the Beeb. I have never been and yet I imagine the atmosphere to be wonderful. As much as I love seeing The Proms, it does signify the rapidly fading summer, something I am always quite sad about but I am being positive as there are now all kinds of other things to look forward to.