I’ve been away for a couple of days somewhere near Macclesfield and visited a National Trust stately home whilst I was there. I’ve also been pottering in the garden. The seeds we planted have started to push through the earth into the sunlight. Also the new shed arrived. Apparently its a summerhouse not a shed. Because it has glazed double doors. We found an old length of carpet in the attic and that is relaxing in the summerhouse with a view to making it seem less… shed like.

As the whole country is caught up in a panic over energy bills and fuel shortages we are building a retreat in our own garden. Yes, I know its not everyone who has a garden. I’m also investigating a ham radio license. I can remember listening to the police bands on an old transistor radio hanging off the gate of my grandads farm yard. (No, there was not ‘lashings of ginger beer’.) … ( non British readers or those not of a certain age this is an oblique reference to a once popular but now discredited UK children’s writer called Enid Blyton and her books about feral children roaming the English countryside). It was always best if you could work out whether the police car was going to drive past where we were standing. Anyhow, ham radio. No real clue but that is the current project. Perhaps someone can advise me?

A cold weekend with warmer water meant dive rescue training on the surface waist deep. Not the warmest of occupations and I escaped after 40 minutes to warm my aching bones. How is it possible to ache from little finger tip to elbow on either hand? Club night Monday was a Hungarian themed quiz with Hungarian themed snacks. I’d never thought of putting cottage cheese with chocolate before.

Thus evening promises cold. Hail showers even. We may need to frost wrap the outdoor plants again.