Salento Parkrun Number 6

Lecce, Puglia, Italy. Saturday 09-June-2018.

It seems like I’m collecting parkruns.

For those of you who don’t know there is a clue in the name. People gather in hundreds of parks up and down the UK, and in parks around the world, at 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning to do an organised 5K run.

Mostly I have done my parkruns in Tooting Common. But as we travelled about the UK for various weekends away I have picked up Parkruns in Scotland, Ireland and England (North and South).

I very nearly added an Italian Parkrun in Florence when Mary was planning to do a language course there. But in the end her trip was curtailed so that never happened.

Last time I looked there were no parkruns in Southern Italy. But then last month we had some visitors who said “there is a Salento Parkrun” and, lo and behold, someone had just started up a parkrun outside Lecce. It is run by Italian, Saverio, who had lived in Maidenhead for some time and discovered park run. On his return to Italy he decided to start up a local event. Inspired by our guests we decided to combine an early start for the park run followed by a visit to the beautiful city of Lecce.

This parkrun being in its infancy there were only eight runners and four of them were from our party. It is a very different experience running round the olive groves of a national park compared to running around Tooting Common where the first two runs in 2018 had over 800 runners!

It was only the sixth Salento Parkrun and our friend Sarah was able to set the female course record; unfortunately another UK visitor knocked her off the top spot a week later.

The 'A' is missing from my vest because I put the iron-on letter upside down and ironed it onto the sheet of paper.

One of the runners was visiting from Sicily and shot off like a greyhound and was round the course in 19:09. Me, I was happy to have managed it in under 30 minutes.

Garmin timings:

When I was back in the UK for a week I decided not to do my usual Tooting run but instead cycled up to Wimbledon Common so that I could add another unique Parkrun to the list. That is now nine different locations I’ve done park run.

Again under 30 minutes so again happy with that.

When I go back in September I think I’ll have to pop over the river to Fulham and bag Parkrun location number 10.

Nubya Garcia at Ronnie Scott's

London. Saturday 28-April-2018.

One of the (many) good things about Ronnie Scott’s is that we get to discover new musicians that we might otherwise not hear. With the larger venues you know already who you are going to see, that’s why you’ve booked. With Ronnie’s we look at the programme and think “they sound interesting, we’ll go see them”. For the weekend, early shows you get a double dose of discovery as there is a support act as well.

This time the support act was a classical string quartet called String Ting, part of Tomorrow’s Warriors initiative aiming to encourage diversity in jazz. It made for a very interesting and intriguing listen; "St James's Infirmary" given a new twist.

Nubya Garcia fell into the category of new-to-us musicians so we went with an open mind. Mind you, you can’t go far wrong with a quartet led by a saxophonist. Apparently she is winner of The JazzFM Award “Breakthrough Act of the Year”.

I can do no better than quote from Jazz in Europe’s review:

“With an incredible line up, the young saxophonist delivered a sound show.”

“Performing some pieces from her last album [...] Nubya Garcia demonstrated what a major talent she is. The chemistry between her and her fellow musicians was superb.”

“This thing we call jazz is definitely alive and well and Nubya Garcia is one musician we need to thank for this!” Full review... 

Another good thing about Ronnie Scott’s is that the artists usually come out from the green room to have a drink at the bar afterwards so you can mingle and thank them in person for an excellent set. Here we have three members of String Ting chatting to Nubya right next to our table; you don’t get that at the O2 Arena!

Yet another excellent evening.

Toyah Willcox at the 229 Club

229 Great Portland Street, London. Thursday 26-April-2018.

The "Acoustic, Up Close and Personal" tour.

This is the third time I have seen Toyah. The first was way back in 1983 when she appeared at the Young Vic in the play Trafford Tanzi. The second time was in 2003 in the musical Calamity Jane which got an indifferent review from The Guardian. This time we were here for her own music.

Alerted by SongKick to this gig, we ordered our tickets. When they arrived there were no seat numbers and we were a bit concerned that it was standing room only. As it turned out we needn’t have worried. There was seating it was just unnumbered, first come first served. We were able to get reasonable seats not too far back.

Toyah earlier posted a picture of the dress she was going to wear and indeed that is what she did wear. The static picture does not do her figure nor decolletage justice she is in great shape and looking lovely.

In the lights the outfit was a very sparkly rainbow affair.

The line up was:

• Toyah Willcox: vocals
• Chris Wong: acoustic guitar and backing vocals
• Colin Hinds: acoustic guitar and backing vocals
• Mike Nichols: double bass

One thing I like about live gigs is when the artist chats a bit about each song and gives you some background about how they came to write it or some context about the time when it was written. Toyah did this with every song which made it a much more interesting concert.

Unsurprisingly she did the well-known hit singles as well as a number of other tracks from her back catalogue which as usual you could just tell that many of the loyal audience members knew off by heart. She also did a couple of surprising covers. The first was “These boots were made for walking” by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood, one of my dad’s favourite songs. The other was “Echo Beach” better known in the version by Martha and the Muffins which was very pleasant listen.

One thing I noticed about some of audiences, maybe it is the older demographic, is it they are much more respectful of the artist and pay greater attention. There was no sea of iPhones, everybody was actually focused on the music and enjoying the live atmosphere. The one exception was when Toyah invited us to come up to the stage and take selfies with her she came up to the front of the stage and posed for pictures.

An excellent concert from an iconic artiste.

London Marathon 2018

London, England. Sunday 22-April-2018.

The story can now be told...

I entered this year's London Marathon under a cloak of invisibility! I had said to all my friends that the Brighton Marathon 2017 was a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to sponsor me. When I did not *run* the entire Brighton Marathon I was so disappointed (extreme British understatement). I *only* ran 22 miles, walked the rest and jogged across the finish line. How can I now go back to my friends and ask them for sponsorship for a second marathon?

This time I took the approach of "under-promise, over-deliver". The plan was that only after I ran over that finish line would I send out that begging email. And, heaven forfend, I failed to run the entire distance or fail to hit the money target I would make up the balance myself. Beforehand I had told no-one other than those who explicitly asked if I would do another marathon - I cannot tell a lie. Unfortunately I did not deliver.

I failed to complete the London Marathon basically because I made the beginners' mistake of starting off too fast. I went with the 5:00 pace runner to prevent this but she set off too fast. I made an error of judgement and kept up with her instead of dropping back and running my own pace. I burned too much energy too soon, went wobbly at the 18 mile mark and was steered to the nearest St John's Ambulance so I could collapse and throw up. Not fit to walk the remainder, I took the sensible option and retired.

I cannot ask for sponsorship for something I didn't do but if people would care to make a donation to Blue Cross that would be very much appreciated. Blue Cross animal hospitals and pet care clinics provide free veterinary treatment to sick and injured pets when their owners can’t afford private veterinary fees.

You can do so via my Virgin Money Giving page. http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/MarkMcLellan

Thank you to all my friends for their support and encouragement.

The full story:

Before last year’s Brighton marathon I did 35 training runs totalling 259 miles. This time I did 61 training runs totalling 454 miles! Practiced taking in isotonic gels every 5km. Practiced a slower, consistent pace. Best fit time prediction: 4:54:42.

Best fit graph of all 61 training runs

This year I went with the 5:00 pace runner instead of last year's 4:30 pace runner. Still not enough. Again caught out by the heat and the pace at the start (the latter an error of judgement on my part).

My last two experiences of pace runners was that they were metronomic and a great way to keep the right pace. The London Marathon pace runner set off too fast. She did the first 5 km at 6:41min/km, equivalent to a 4:42 marathon time. Eighteen minutes faster than the target. Same again for the second 5 km that included a couple of individual 6:16 minute kilometres which is a 4:25 marathon - way too fast for me and the heat of the day.

The third 5 km she did at 6:49 min/km, equivalent to 4:48 marathon. As I said before, my mistake was keeping up with her. After the first couple of km I should have said to myself, "Sod this for a game of soldiers. It's too fast. I'll drop back and plod at my own pace". Emotionally though, the pace runner was my lifeline, to drop back I felt I would be all on my own, no support.

This is me in the yellow baseball cap just behind the pace runner at 7 miles, near to the Cutty Sark.

People say how great the London Marathon is, what a wonderful day, how much they enjoy running it, a fantastic event. For me it was a horrible day. All I saw was the heels of the pace runner, all I felt was discomfort as I ran too fast. I was mostly oblivious to the crowds, I did a few high fives but mostly didn't have the energy to spare to acknowledge the shouts of encouragement from the crowds.

The organisation of the marathon is fantastic however not so good if you have to drop out. It took ages for Mary to find me and a nightmare to retrieve my bag of belongings.

At the end of the day my sentiment was "If today were a fish I would have thrown it back".

So what are the positives?

• Money is being raised for a worthy cause.
• I suppose I must be fitter (but I don't feel any different). 
• I now know the answer to the question I posed three years ago, "How hard can it be to run a marathon?".

Catfish and Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion at the Half Moon

Putney, London. Sunday 25-March-2018.

We have wanted to see Catfish again since since we saw them at the Great British Rock and Blues Festival 2017. But their tours dates and our peregrinations never seemed to coincide until now. Quick! Tickets booked and table reserved for pre-gig dining.

I was visiting Mum that afternoon and arriving just in time. The joys of modern technology: Mary texted me a photo of the menu so I could choose while I was still on the train and she could order so that my food was ready as I was walking in the door.

The format was an hour from each band. Catfish were as excellent as last time.

Then Zoe Schwarz and her band on for the second set.

Matt Long, lead guitarist with Catfish, joined Blue Commotion for a couple of songs before the venue's curfew kicked in.

As ever at this venue I am amazed that you can get two hours of excellent live music for a tenner. I tell you I don't get the economics of being a musician. The venue is small and I doubt there were 60 people in the room. Subtract the overheads, room hire, etc. then divided by the number of musicians it can scarcely be a living wage.

Maybe they get a percentage of the bar takings? Unlike New Orleans, not even a tip jar. However they do sell a fair few CD's so that must help. We bought Catfish's CD, we could have bought it online but we prefer to buy direct from up and coming bands like this.

NOLA '18

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Thursday 15 to Saturday 24-March-2018

New Orleans is without a doubt my favourite American city.

When our friends Tim and Sarah came to visit last year Tim revealed over breakfast that he was going to celebrate his 60th birthday with a trip to New Orleans, their first time. The trip was paid for with air miles and an AMEX two-for-one companion voucher.

Unbeknownst to me, Mary had her iPhone out under the table and was checking our air miles balance and reward flight availability. She held out the phone to me and I nodded. "Would you like us to join you?", we enquired. They were delighted. And so it came to pass. We booked into the same hotel where we stayed on our very first visit, Le Richelieu, and the first booker recommended the second so we got a few dollars off.

Fast forward six months...

As we had been to New Orleans three times previously we were able to make suggestions and recommendations, revisiting places that we knew and discovering some new ones.

Thursday 15-March-18.

After the journey and impending jet lag we kept lunch simple at the French Market Cafe, a beer at the Crescent City Brewhouse and a bit of a rest.

That evening we were off to the Palm Court Jazz Cafe for supper and music. We had booked way back and were expecting to see Tim Laughlin but unfortunately he had diary clash that evening and so was not appearing. Still we had a good time and rebooked for his next appearance which was while we were still in NOLA.

Friday 16-March-2018.

We did a wander around the French Quarter to get Tim and Sarah oriented.

Preservation Hall: music venue for trad jazz, possibly overrated.

Madame John’s Legacy: A claimant to being the oldest building in New Orleans.

A riverfront street car.

Local delicacy.

Being Paddy's Day on Saturday there was already a lot of green being worn and two Paddy's Day parades, one on this Friday and another on the Saturday. We watched the parade and acquired some green beads to wear tomorrow.

That evening we were off to Frenchman Street on the edge of the French Quarter for an excellent supper at a new discovery, Marigny Brasserie, and then to DBA's to listen to the Honey Island Swamp Band who play "bayou americana" style.

Saturday 17-March-2018.

We took the streetcar out to the Garden District and picked a self-guided walking tour leaflet from Commander's Palace. We then proceeded to walk our little legs off looking at all the lovely old buildings. Supper at the previously visited EAT New Orleans.

Sunday 18-March-2018.

Lots of street music on the Sunday include a surprise appearance by a visiting band. They mingled in with the crowd and even invited the bride from a hen party to join the band. I couldn't help noticing the cheerful disregard for the "Church Quiet Zone" notice.

We chanced upon the lovely Kingfish cocktail bar during happy hour and so had to stay for two. Then off to NOLA restaurant, one of New Orlean's finest.

Monday 19-March-2018.

A swamp tour in high on the list of things to do in NOLA.

Gator.

Racoon aka Trash Panda.

Cypress trees

Feral pigs

After all that eco tourism it was time for culinary tourism at another of NOLA's finest restaurants, K Paul's Louisiana Kitchen.

Tuesday 20-March-2018.

As I was in training fo the London Marathon I couldn't relax even on holiday. Up early thanks to the time difference and a quick half marathon before breakfast!

My route was out along the Saint Charles streetcar line, a circuit of Audubon Park and back to the hotel. The guy in the tourist office had suggested St Charles Avenue. What I had not realised was that joggers ran along the tracks, facing oncoming trolley cars of course, and would jump sideways when a car passed their way. So I did the same.

Then a relatively quiet day of tourism starting with coffee and beignets at Café Du Monde.

That evening happy hour at Kingfish cocktail bar again then back to Marigny Brasserie for a meal with live music.

Wednesday 21-March-2018.

New Orleans School of Cooking demonstration.

There were tastings but still room for more so we went for a late lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. - boiled shrimps, not sophisticated dining but filling.

Free blues concert in Lafayette Square.

Free classical concert in St Louis Cathedral.

Supper in Orleans Grapevine wine bar.

Thursday 22-March-2018.

Cycling madness as we hired bikes with no gears and no brakes and went for long cycle along the levee.

We were out for four and a half hours and cycled 32 miles. On the way back we passed through the Garden District for another look at the lovely architecture.

Friday 23-March-2018.

Tim and Sarah went off to visit the World War II museum while we had a quiet day by the hotel pool.

Back to the Palm Court Jazz Cafe to see Tim Laughlin and excellent seats as we had booked reasonably in advance.

Saturday 24-March-2018.

Then off to the airport and home. Boo!

North Italy Wine and Food at Philglas and Swiggot

Battersea, London. Wednesday 07-March-2018.

A more modest food and wine tasting after the previous night's tasting. The fourth Italian tasting in three weeks. In our rush to get the bus home I left my tasting notes and pen in the shop. When I realised literally a couple of minutes later and ran back the shop it was already shut up and by the next morning both notes and pen were gone! Fortunately Mary still had the list even if not with tasting notes; the stars indicate Mary's rankings.

Presented by Michelle Cherutti-Kowal, a Mistress of Wine, this was an excellent tasting that gave us a chance to try a number of new-to-us grape varieties and wines. Here is what I remember of the wines:

• The Fratelli Berlucchi was a very pleasant sparkling.
• Pieropan is an old favourite that we always enjoy, this was no exception.
• The two nebbiolo based wines showed well.
• The Tommasi Amarone was nectar in a glass, delicious.

The food was antipasti of salumi and cheeses followed by a pasta with rabbit ragu from Osteria - Antica Bologna next door. A good hearty winter meal.

Fontodi Chianti Classico Wine Dinner at Planet of the Grapes

Bow Lane, London. Tuesday 06-March-2018

Sometime you go to a wine tasting event and lose your notes. That happened twice to me this week; this is the first. So all I am left with is a hazy recollection of a splendid meal present by the suave Signore Manetti himself, all Italian charm and a fund of stories about the estate and his family. Much more interesting than what you read on the back label.

Update 25-April-2018: found my tasting notes. C=colour,  A=aroma, P=Palate. Not worth transcribing. They are really only memory joggers for me and this long after the event not of much use. I would only highlight the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione ‘Vigna del Sorbo’ 2014 as the wine of the evening for me. It also does show the prices these wines can command.

Below is the blurb provided by POTG and the menu.

2018 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the year that the Manetti family purchased the derelict estate in Panzano's Conca d'Oro (or golden shell); a natural amphitheater in the heart of Chianti's original 'Classico' zone. In that time Fontodi has risen to become one of the undisputed stars of the region, and Fontodi's wines are considered benchmarks for all of Tuscany.

Fontodi's owner; the legendary Giovanni Manetti, will be at Planet of the Grapes Bow Lane to talk us through the history and philosophy of his estate, and to guide us through a stunning line-up of his wines; including two vintages of his flagship Flaccianello.

MENU

On Arrival

Crispy Clams & Arancini with lemon & chilli

With

‘Meriggio’ Sauvignon Blanc 2016

1st Course

Pasta fresca, porcini & tartufo nero

with

Chianti Classico 2014

Chianti Classico ‘Filetta di Lamole’ 2014

2nd Course

Rabbit, fennel salami, lentils & caramelised carrot

with

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione ‘Vigna del Sorbo’ 2014

3rd Course

Char grilled sirloin ‘Fiorentina’, rosemary potatoes & greens

with

‘Flaccianello della Pieve’ 2013 (from magnum)

'Flaccianello della Pieve’ 2014

Dessert Course

Stef’s world famous Paris Brest

with

Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 2007

Now that is what I called a meal - fantastic food and matching wines. Hic!

Wine Wednesday at Unwined - Central Italy

Tooting Market, London. Wednesday 28-February-2018

Like buses. Nothing for ages then two wine tastings come along all at once. After last Wednesday's tasting here we are again back at Unwined in Tooting. This time all Italian wines from central Italy:

Falesco Vitiano : Grechetto : 2016 : Umbria : ITA £13.50
Cantina Orsogna : Pecorino : 2016 : Abruzzo : ITA £16.00
Villa Cialdini : Lambrusco Grasparossa : 2016 : Emilia Romagna : ITA £16.50
Vincola Carassanse : Montepulciano/Sangiovese : 2016 : Marche : ITA £11.50
Isole e Olena : Sangiovese/Canaiolo/Syrah : 2014 : Chianti Classico : ITA £26.00
Antonio Camillo Morellino di Scansano : Sangiovese : 2016 : Maremma : ITA £16.00

For a change Laura decided to play a 2, 1, 1, 2 formation, the inverse of last week:

• First an A-B comparison of two white grapes, Grechetto vs Pecorino
• Then a curve ball with the Lambrusco
• Next the first of three Sangiovese based reds
• Finally an A-B comparison of two Tuscan reds

The Grechetto very pale yellow with apple on the nose. On the palette it was like unripe cooking apples. Way too tart for me but Mary liked it. Or "crisp" as Laura euphemistically called it in marketing speak. Depends on one's personal taste. Me, I don't like sharp wines; Mary's Sauvignon Blancs are safe from my depredations.

The Pecorino is one of Mary's favourites. Also pale yellow and I got something a bit tropical on the nose. Tastewise an improvement on the Grechetto moving from cookers to Granny Smiths, Mary got white peaches, with a fuller, creamier texture than the first.

Poor old Lambrusco has had a bit of a bad rep. in the past but this is a proper example of the quality end of the style. Purple in colour, frizzante and raspberry, almost bubblegum on the nose. Red fruits on the palate, cherry and strawberry, and some tannins. It went very well with the parmigiano reggiano that Laura supplied to taste with this.

Then on to the reds...

The Vincola Carassanse was a very intense red, you couldn't see your fingers the other side of the glass; there was a hint of brick at the edge. I didn't get much in the nose but it was a bit nippy and the reds were possibly a little too cold to show as well as they could.

Tooting Market may be an indoor market but there are no doors and it was below freezing outside; the space heaters kept off the worst of the chill but we all kept our coats on.

The last pair were not dissimilar to each other. The Isole e Olena was ruby colour, showing some tertiary aromas, a hint of cedar, and some tannins. The Morellino was a murky ruby with tertiary notes of leather and sottobosco, and more pronounced tannins. Both lovely and a show of hands was fairly equally divided. They definitely need to go with food. Some Tuscan wild boar salami would be lovely.

There was some discussion about the Super Tuscans: an unofficial category of Tuscan wines, not recognised within the Italian wine classification system. It reminded me of when Mary and I went to San Gimignano and found some Ornellaia at an unmissable price. We snapped up six bottles and then had to buy a extra wheely case to bring them home. Ever since then it has been known as "The Italian Case"

The Dutty Moonshine Big Band at the O2 Academy Islington

London. Saturday 24-February-2018

My nephew Chris play drums with The Dutty Moonshine Big Band. They had their best attended gig in London so far at O2 Academy Islington so we had to go!

Pre-show meal with sister, Jane, and family friend, Ros, was at The Elk in the Woods in the picturesque Camden Passage. Good food and a glass of wine.

Then to the venue early enough to see most of the support act: Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer who Wikipedia describes, accurately, as "a British parodist who performs "chap hop" - hip-hop delivered in a Received Pronunciation accent." One in a long line of great British eccentric musicians to put alongside The Rutles, The Barron Knights and Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.

Then the main act. High energy stuff indeed although hard to categorise, it takes in a mish-mash of influences "from New Orleans Jazz bands, Noir movies and dirty warehouse raves. Imagine the kind of music Jay Gatsby would play at his parties if he grew up on the bass scenes of London".

Dutty is the guy in the middle with the baseball cap. Dress code was interesting, a female rapper in a cocktail dress and a harpist wearing an elegant evening gown playing hip-hop makes for a twinge of cognitive dissonance.

In the picture below, Chris is on drums at the back just behind the guy wearing the trilby.

An end of show picture from the stage; Chris with the beard to the right of the trilby.

We really enjoyed the show. Well done to the band!

Wine Wednesday at Unwined - Pinot Gris and Tempranillo

Tooting Market, London. Wednesday 21-February-2018

First time back for a while to this excellent little venue (Unwined in Tooting). A tasting of two grape varietals (Pinot Gris / Grigio and Tempranillo) presenting three of each, chosen to showcase the differences created by country, climate and cultivation.

Laura decided to play a 1, 2, 2, 1 formation:

• First the Specogna to introduce the pinot gris / grigio. 
• Then an A-B comparison of the Ovum and Ca di Alte, done blind for added fun. 
• For the reds an A-B comparison of Urbina vs Gran Cerdo.
• Followed by the Picaro for the grand finale.

An interesting and informative way to structure the tasting.

The Specogna was an interesting pale copper / pink gold colour courtesy of the grape's skin - unusually dark for a white grape. Melon, white peach and green apple on both the nose and the palate. This is classic, quality pinot grigio from Friuli, higher altitude and later harvest (cf the Ca di Alte)

The BK Ovum was light in colour with tropical fruits on the nose and unctuous on the palate. An Australian wine done in an Alsace style. Lovely. On the other hand the Ca di Alte was lighter, sharper and appley, very much the early harvested version from the plains of the Veneto produced for the mass market.

Specogna : Pinot Grigio Ramato : 2016 : Friuli Venezia Guila : ITA £21.00
BK 'Ovum' : Pinot Gris : 2016 : Adelaide Hills : AUS £27.00
Ca di Alte : Pinot Grigio : 2016 : Veneto : ITA £12.00

Next up the reds. I learned that it was because of phylloxera that the French vignerons went to Spain in search of grapes and there introduced the Spanish winemakers to the use of barrels for ageing thus changing the traditional style of Rioja to that we know today. Well, well!

The Urbina was a Crianza that had been given more ageing than legally required which gave it a hint of brick colour on the rim and much smoother tannins, strawberry on the palate. The Gran Cerdo was very similar but younger; ruby, slightly greener tannins and similar palate.

The Picaro was lovely. Ruby and purple in colour, some grip on the palate and tasted of morello cherry and (to my tongue) red velvet cake.

Bodegas Urbina Crianza : Tempranillo/Graciano/Mazuelo : 2008: Rioja : ESP £17.00
Gran Cerdo : Tempranillo : 2016 : Rioja : ESP £10.50
Dominio del Aguila 'Picaro' : Tempranillo/Garnacha/Bobal : 2016 : Ribera del Duero : ESP £29.00

Then we finished off with small plate of three cheeses which were delicious with the Picaro. Another excellent and instructive evening.

Cleaning the Wandle February 2018

Poulter Park, Sutton, Surrey. Sunday 11-February-2018.

Looking at the weather forecast the dress code was thermal long johns and two pairs of thick walking socks.

Looking back over the calendar, Poulter park seems to be an annual event. The last time I attended a clean-up here was in March 2015 when we pulled around 200 tyres out. So this stretch should be in pretty good shape by now.

In fact the first hour I spent using the litter picker to clean out hundreds of wet-wipes that had snagged on some pilings. Still that was better than those who were working upstream and were picking out sanitary pads and condoms. All this courtesy of the Beddington sewage treatment plant upstream of where we were working. A good day to work with your lips tightly clamped.

It was good to see my old wheelbarrow that we donated when we down-sized in action. The lady in red said it was a smooth little runner.

After the lunch break my fingers were going numb. I went back in the water for half an hour but then decided that loss of sensation was nature's way to telling me to take an early bath so I did.

As always, the first thing I do back home is strip off and put all my clothing straight into the washing machine. Then a nice warm shower and a cup of tea. Good deed done for this month.