Betty

I got chatting to Betty here as she was sitting having a fag while waiting for a bus to Baildon. She was sharing the wall with someone I'd photographed before, which is always a good introduction. He was enjoying a fag too. "Have you smoked for a long time," I ask. "Over seventy years," she replies. Just a little astonished I have to ask her how old she was when she started. "Fifteen," she tells me. "I guess you have a pretty strong constitution then," I suggest. "Oh yes, " she confirms quite unequivocally. Not going to argue with that. I'd put money on her living to a hundred!

I started joking that everyone seems to know each other here on Market Square, and so many people are related to one another. She concurred with that. She turned to her friend and tried to work out how they themselves were related. "That's it. My daughter is married to his sister's brother-in-law." That's just how it is here. One really close-knit community.

Back on the bike today. I think I needed some downtime this weekend, away from cycling and away from the computer. The physical batteries felt recharged but the mental ones still feel rather flat. They are due for a proper recharge very soon now.