Illegible

We’re up early, unloading my car into Megan’s flat. Then, she lets me out into the car park and heads off to get her bike to cycle into with. It’s then that I discover that I need her key fob to open the barrier to get out of the car park.

I go knock on the door of a neighbour who lets me out of the car park. I head to Teach Extra to charge the car and sit drinking a peppermint tea. Meanwhile, I win the auction for a Parry condensing hood. I head off to collect it from Maidenhead, but soon start worrying that it won’t fit in my car.

At Memsbury services I borrow a tape measure from an AA man. The hood will not fit in through the back door - or the side door. I drive to Josie’s via Bedwyn.

We trade veg stories and plans. I’ll borrow her van tomorrow to collect the hood and - in a wonderful synchronicity - Jol and Josie will drop it off in Scotland next weekend. I might even get them to help us juice apples.

I collect Amélie and Ian at Swindon station and drive out to Alexandra House. Mark and Amy give us a tour and Polly us with cakes, fresh fruit and Prosecco. We wander the grounds. We drink an aperitif in the bar. We order mainly vegetarian dishes from the menu that lists carbon footprint alongside calories.

After the savoury courses (starter onion bhaji, main potato terrine) we head to the sauna, leaving the message that “we shall return”. It’s hot in there sauna (as it should be), and we are not evicted at the appointed witching hour of 9:00pm. And we do return - to order dessert (cheese board for me) and a glass of port.