A Neglected Childhood

L is in work on Monday so again misses the ecstasy of a trip to Sainsbury’s as she awaits her boss who is taking several hours to pump up his car tyres. Later I have cycling, the Exeter and a scotch egg to look forward to.

Having recovered from the illness I gave her, L is back at PT on Tuesday. As L leaves, Daughter pops home for a power nap, a shower and breakfast then heads out again. In the evening L is at ‘An Evening with Kate Summerscale’, which is a book event at Waterstones, while the Lad and I dog train.

Then she’s out again the next night, this time at Nottingham Playhouse with Harriet Walter and Friends. Something about Shakespeare’s women. I’m at the much less salubrious surroundings of the Viceroy Indian in Derby with my old school friend enjoying their £20 for 4 courses deal after a few pints in the Alexandra first. We pass on the dessert but I come home with plenty of Naan for the Lad.

It is good to see that the evening Red Arrow is now running every half an hour during the week as well as at weekends which is progress. 

On Thursday I’m out with my Dad and having another meal at the New Inn. Obviously, he’s on the fish and chips but I have a curry. We even have dessert. L meanwhile is on the healthy option of the gym and an evening swim.

On Friday we drive up to York for a weekend away and, yes, it includes Parkrun. We arrive early and find the centre of York all dug up and a congested nightmare. When we eventually park up we find the quirky Perky Peacock cafe for coffee and cake.

Then after we drive to our hotel, I find out that I’ve booked the wrong Holiday Inn. I had wanted the one adjacent to the Racecourse where parkrun is but the one I’ve actually booked is on the other side of York, miles away. It’s a bit isolated but we do have the Toby Carvery next door where we go for tea. They even let the Lad in to the bar.

There is actually a parkrun near where we are staying but we find out that it’s been called off. The next nearest one is mind numbing five laps. So we opt to drive back to the Racecourse where we splash round the waterlogged course and the lad finds plenty of puddles to rest up in. We then somehow manage to get all the way back to our hotel in time for breakfast which was being served until 10.30.

Then we get the bus into York, as it’s too far to walk. The Lad not only copes with that but with a bus tour around the sights as well although this consists of mostly getting stuck in the traffic again. After that we walk him along the city walls before slipping into the Slip Inn for a drink and then to a Black Sheep pub that serves the best curry I’ve had in a quite a while, better than last few restaurant ones I’ve had. We get a different bus back which goes a different route and we get off at the wrong stop but we manage to navigate our way down some country lanes back to the hotel.

On Sunday, after breakfast at the hotel, we then head back onto the previous night’s bus route because we had noticed that they’d been setting that up for the Yorkshire marathon which we go and watch. Storm Ashley has caused the Great South Run to be cancelled but up here in the north life goes on as normal. After we’ve watched all the runners, we head home but first L puts up with me going to York’s famous Railway Museum. A treat I was denied as a kid. She hides in the coffee shop with a book while I relive my neglected childhood. The Flying Scotsman is not there but at least the Mallard is. 

(Sunday 20^th October)