Sorry it has been a while since I last added to this. I have been quite busy on several fronts and hugely grateful for it being rather cooler and even occasionally raining.

I had an enjoyable and informative trip to Newark Park before heading home after the excitement of all things HYC 50^th anniversary. It was an intriguing building (originally a hunting lodge) and no doubt at some point I will explore the park but on a cooler day. I was also deeply thankful that the M25 behaved itself on the way back (after a very lengthy drive on the way there).

At home I have cracked on with various jobs and the garage (which has been a bit of a dumping ground for the last 2 years) is now looking very much better! Still some things to dispose of. I have sorted out some necessary administration and done some more work on my pastoral supervision course. It was good to catch up with friends from my curacy days, and I made a very tasty vegetable tagine (using Queen chickpeas which I had been introduced to at the weekend).  

On Saturday (24/8) evening, I went to see Showaddywaddy live in Crawley. It turned out to be only 1 of the original line up (the drummer Romeo) but lots of excellent musicians. I had always liked their stuff back in the seventies. I was initially convinced the lead singer was the original (as he looked very like him), but eventually realised he was much too energetic to be the age the original would be!. In fact the original lead singer, manages the current line up.  So it was really more tribute band but they sounded great, the music was very enjoyable. It is very rare to do Saturday night entertainment but it was very uplifting.

After a relatively late night, I went to church locally just over the border of the next deanery.

Monday dawned a reasonable temperature so I embarked on a previously postponed elephant hunt around Windsor and Eton. Lots of lovely painted elephants large and small in some very interesting settings. The ‘trunks across the Thames’ app was a bit unclear where things actually were, but there was only 1 complete fail because the shop the elephant was in was shut on a Monday.

In all I saw 20 – loving a purple and gold one the best!. The ones in the brewery were on a high shelf, and the most patriotic one was positioned outside Windsor castle walls but the only way to get both things in the shot was viewing the elephant from behind. There was also a giant bear on route too, a relative of Hunslet perhaps?

Healthwise, a repeat blood test was all good but the news from the skin clinic was not, so there will be more to come on that front in the weeks ahead. Having said that –  I am giving thanks for the care and attention I am getting from the NHS on this journey.  2026 has had and is having its challenges!

Post skin procedure, I have now got over the line where proper exercising was allowed (3 weeks on) (and more of the Wales Coast path is looming on the horizon very soon). So the week ahead will contain more local walking 😊.   I did a lovely walk on Saturday from Woldingham Station (a whole 2 miles from home). I have tried several routes from this point, this one was a new one on me and turned out to be quite energetic especially in the second half – but I was rewarded with some super views, some deer, and a soaring buzzard,  plus the skyline of Croydon and even the central London skyline as the Shard came into view. It was in places rather overgrown and ended with 2 white alpacas!! (My next base camp for Wales does NOT have alpacas in the back garden!).

As well as sorting, clearing and tidying (and getting on top of my woeful personal admin). I have been having a go at the mammoth laurel hedge in the front garden to tidy up all the extraneous growth. This hedge is now a more manageable height (after a hedge person gave it a severe trim back in March) but is still much too wide!

Finally, I have been thinking a lot about living in the present and making the most of what each day brings. Thankfulness helps us keep things in perspective!