Freedom Delayed

Our famous ‘Freedom Day’ scheduled for next Monday has been delayed for a month to not great surprise after the red carpet treatment was afforded to the Indian variant.

I cycle this week wearing my brand new Oakley’s. Sadly it’s taken until I’m in my 50s to be able to afford some and now obviously I’m too old to look ‘cool’ in them but it was good to actually see where I was going for once.

In fact I manage three bike rides this week. Two on my best bike and one on old unfaithful as rain beckons but doesn’t arrive. May 2018 was the last time I did three in a week but over four days. Sept 2017 was the last time I did three in a row. I just hope no one notices me asleep under my desk.

Which has nothing to do with, thanks to our not-quite-freedom status, the long boozy lunch I have with an ex-colleague who I haven’t seen since before the pandemic. We meet at the Brunswick where we revisit the legendary steak and ale stew. His retirement, a few months before the first lockdown, has obviously been a little different to how he intended.

L’s boss has also been in the pub and has possibly overdone it, so he's gives L the rest of the day off to ‘go home, lie in the sun and read a book’. Dogs permitting.

I’m even more exhausted after Friday’s 6k in 39:17 which we manage before some very prolonged rain sets in and probably washes away Summer.

Friday is also England v Scotland at the Euros which is a rather uninspiring 0-0 draw.

The weekend’s Sunday run stretches out to 14k in about 1:41 which used to be a good time for 14 miles...

In the evening we make a disappointing visit to Broadway Cinema who no longer have real ale or a specials board. What with that and hardly any films coming out at the moment there doesn’t seem to be much incentive to visit at the moment. We have a better time next door in Brewdog.

 (Sunday 20^th June)