Saturday, 2nd January

A slow start to the day but became quite busy what with chopping wood, housework, and the laundry. Decided to try running the washing machine again and assessing if the leak in the back cupboard worsens. It didn’t so next we are going to try the bath, first by running the cold water then the hot. Leaks on boats are a bit like solving a detective story and Alex, the broker, has asked us to try and solve this one. The boat needed a good hoover and the bed mattress had to be turned as we found the sheet wet from the cabin wall. We’ve taken the foam mattress topper, rolled it up and covered it in black plastic sacks. Its going to act as a barrier between the mattress and the outside wall. Wish us luck! What we are learning is how to improvise and solve problems any way we can.

We went for a walk this afternoon with M, friend of a friend in Farnham , who is a teacher at one of the schools in the town. He took us on a guided tour because many of the buildings have quite a history attached to them, such as the oldest part of the school which was built in the time of Henry VIII. The school also has some Eton Fives courts (similar to a squash court but with a buttress on the side wall and played with padded gloves and a golf ball sized ball). The writer Graeme Greene’s father, was also one of the headmasters, so fans come to see the house he grew up in. M wanted to know if he would make it into my blog and by the end of the afternoon I said he would definitely get a mention for taking us on the muddiest of walks – even more mud than along the towpath! He also recommended the best Indian takeaway in town, the Fat Buddha, and I must say, now replete with their delicious food, I would second that! We were pleased to see that even though the town is rather shut down, a new Shell garage has been opened that was just under construction when we were last here. Also there was a cafe that was in the process of being done up and I wondered then if the place would ever open so I was heartened to see today it was a going concern. Small shoots of economic growth feel rather encouraging amongst all the depressing news.

News from home came in the form of a video shot by a driver doing a second turn around the one way system as he couldn’t believe his eyes. A car had misjudged the left hand turning at the top of Downing St and turned three shops two early, landing right in the middle of a shop that used to be a successful cafe. Many a flatwhite and mushrooms on sourdough I have enjoyed there in a previous life, putting the world to rights with the girls I now do a Friday Zoom with. We hadn’t even heard the term Zoom back then!