Country showtime

I took the bus to Brimscombe today, as it was too hot to walk, and visited the canal bookshop. Nothing there took my fancy, so I went to the community cafe next door, where I suddenly felt peculiar and had to lean against a pillar. The floor was tilting under me. After a few minutes I was able to walk to a bench, where I sat for a while until I recovered. Either this was an earthquake witnessed only by me, or heat exhaustion, I decided. Had some vegan chocolate ice cream and made tracks back to the bus stop.

Got off in town, as I remembered I wanted to buy tickets for Black Uhuru next month. In King Street a busker was playing Irish tunes on the fiddle. I got out some money from the bank, then saw that WHSmith had a Liane Moriarty book half price. Bought that, and a newspaper, paid the busker, then overheard a weird conversation where some visitors were being directed to a tourist information office that didn't exist, along the Slad Road. Offered to take the visitors to what now passes for a tourist info office (the actual one closed down, even before CoVid). Discovered that the visitors were Israeli. Couldn't think of anything non-political to say, so I asked about the vaccine. They said that their rollout had been a great success, and only four out of ten million people in their country had had CoVid. At least I think that's what they said. Only four million????

I left them at the Farmers' market, armed with a town map, and then walked all the way to Stratford Park for the Country show. It's back after an absence of two years. True, there were no bulls with big bollocks, nor judges in white coats, but two glossy heavy horses were standing in the shade by their trailer, and a falconry display was taking place. There were two dozen stalls or more, and food, and a queue of twenty or more people waiting to get into the Lido by the leisure centre. Perfect day for an ice-cold swim! I snapped the sweet peas in the horticultural show tent, and then tried to catch a bus back to town. No bus came, I'd obviously just missed one, so I walked back to the Merrywalks and caught a bus home. Walked up the hill. Had lunch.

CleanSteve and I walked up to our nearest small play park, Daisybank, where a community play day was being held. Very busy. We walked around the stalls, and then sat in the shade until the small boys around us started shredding the straw bales that had been used for seating, and getting ready for a major straw fight. We beat a retreat. We both remarked that community play days hadn't been a Thing when we were growing up. Agricultural shows, yes, as the Stroud show used to be (although with pipe bands, in my case). The Lorn Show was a massive event for me, almost up there with the Highland games. Steve didn't mention shows.

GG came round with a DVD of an ancient episode of Midsomer Murders. Part of it had been filmed in her childhood home. I was interested to watch it, though surprised to notice that I'd bought another DVD player earlier this year, because the original one was apparently broken! Why hadn't I taken away the old one?

Broke an HDMI lead that Steve had lent me. Found another one. Did not break it. Got the Things connected, and we watched the episode. I couldn't decide when it had been filmed. Couldn't tell anything from the fashions. John Nettles was still alive, and smoking was permitted in pubs. This latter fact makes it pre-July 2007. The story was average. Only four people got murdered.

Then GG and I walked in the cemetery. She thought this a rather peculiar offer at first, but it is in fact a nature reserve, and has some shaded woodland areas, and a fabulous view over the Severn Vale. Got home and made supper for myself. Then I lquidised the rest of the somewhat squidgy strawberries that GG had brought, and poured them over ice cream. I'm not sure what the top temperature was in Stroud today, but I've managed to walk almost 12,900 steps despite the heat. Will I do the same tomorrow? Probably not.