Stroud railway station, with Hill Paul behind

I awoke relatively refreshed after a better night's sleep, and went to the surgery to see the nurse. She was very kind, not a rottweiler at all, and had obviously spoken to the doctor about me. She listened to my chest and took a swab, and said, we'll see what happens when the results get back!

Because I was feeling so much improved and had already booked time off for my Dutch adventure, I decided to pack and board the train as originally planned. I am now at Gatwick airport, or rather, a hotel nearby, waiting for dessert in a restaurant that owes a lot of its decor to the 1970s.A man in a an Adidas-striped tracksuit and trainers is standing at the bar. The soundtrack is 'Zoom' by Fat Larry's band (1982).

Call me Queen Lucia, but I'd prefer a palm lounge and a pianist, or perhaps a string quartet, and a view over the sea. Like the Grand Hotel at Torquay, where an unknown woman once treated me and my companion to complimentary drinks. (Does she know that I've never forgotten that gesture?)

The great thing about today is that:
I'm well enough to travel, though not 100%
and:
having sampled Daim (formerly Dime) tart because it's G-F and on the menu, I now need never eat it again. What was I even thinking of?

This shot shows the platform of the 'down' line' and the Brunel footbridge, with the Hill Paul building behind in Cheapside. Hill Paul, which closed in 1989, was a factory specialising in Savile Row tailored suits. In 2O00 the building was saved from the wrecking ball by a bunch of Stroudies who called the bluff of the developers by forming a company. Eventually it was converted into flats, with two penthouse floors added. It is one of Stroud's landmark buildings.