Spaghetti Junction

I’m still ill on Monday so I cancel cycling and even leave the Sainsbury’s shop until Tuesday. I do manage to walk the Lad and do a day’s work but I’m again in bed early when L goes up. I’m only slightly better on Tuesday but I do at least manage to stay up until my usual time. By Wednesday I’m just about back to eating normally and I manage to take the Lad to dog training. 

L has Wollaton book club on Wednesday and also fits in a swim at Spring Lakes with Daughter then on Thursday after her usual day with her Mum in the UK’s award winning worst city she’s at a book event to see Laura Bates at Nottingham Waterstones with all her book pals. 

 

Sheffield’s Leadmill finally announces its closure after the management lost their final appeal against eviction by their landlords. The venue which opened in 1980 has been in dispute with its landlord since ownership changed in 2017. They have to quit the building within three months and will now host a series of farewell events. All its future gigs will transfer to other venues in Sheffield while the venue itself will be relaunched by the new owners. 

On Friday L and her family are at Markeaton Crematorium scattering both her Dad’s and her Brother’s ashes. 

Daughter meanwhile is now dog sitting for a friend for a week so we have the house to ourselves but I have to turn down L’s offer of a Friday night because I’m too ill to manage it. I have a few medicinal beers instead. 

I do manage to Parkrun on Saturday which we do at Long Eaton where sadly the Rugby club café is no longer open so we go to the café Spring Lakes instead for coffee and a breakfast roll. While there I get a call from the Fire Brigade who have been round to my Dad’s to do a safety check. They have condemned his plug collection which does look like it’s been styled on spaghetti junction. I get him a new ten plug extension lead to replace what he had before. 

L is over in Mickleover in the afternoon and when she heads back I meet her off the Red Arrow which is stopping at the back of QMC due to the roadworks on the island. From there we divert to the Johnson’s Arms for a few drinks which this time manages to stay open. 

We get home in time to catch the end of Eurovision where the general public again give the UK zero points. After a decent jury vote we were 10th but the public dump us down to 19th. Even more bizarrely second placed Switzerland are also given zero points by the public while Israel who were nowhere in 15th get all the public votes and end up 2nd but Austria win. 

On Sunday we are at Colwick again for the swim and walk where we fail to get any coffee or breakfast from Wired on Wheels due to their massive queues. We ponder doing Sunday lunch somewhere but, in the end, we go home for toast and then we do the gym together. It’s L’s first gym session of the week as she’s spent most of the week swimming. 

(Sunday 18^th May) 

Stay In With A Book

Monday is the May Day Bank Holiday so after a lie in and a later than usual dog walk we attempt to get into the café on Wollaton Park but as expected it is too busy, so we head home for breakfast. Then I see my Dad and take him to the New Inn for a late afternoon beer. 

L is back in the gym on Tuesday where she says she’s going to spur on her recovery from injury by starting Couch to 5k on the treadmill. That might help her physical recovery but what about the mental downside? In fact, she takes the training outside on Wednesday and does a short run with Daughter. 

At dog training, the Lad’s weaves are excellent. It’s not often I say that. In fact, I never say that. 

Thursday is L’s birthday which she isn’t happy about spending in Derby which incidentally has just been named by Which magazine as the worst place for a short break in the UK to the surprise of no one. 

I offer to take her out in the evening even though I think she’d much rather stay in with a book but she succumbs and we go to the Horse & Jockey at Stapleford for the first time in ages. We go on the bus with the Lad who takes it all in his stride as he’s becoming a bus expert. 

They have a two for one offer on pizzas, which really isn’t L’s thing for her birthday or for any time really but we give them a go although the Lad and I have most of it. Then we get the bus timings wrong, miss the bus we wanted and ended up walking for 20 minutes or so until the next bus catches us up. Perhaps we should have both stayed in with a book. 

On Saturday we Parkrun at Shipley and then have an excellent breakfast in their cafe which is under new management and now dog friendly. In the afternoon I cut my Dad’s grass and then take him for a beer in the Harrington at Thulston while L is over in Mickleover. In the evening, we go to Mem Saab for a curry with L’s friends. 

I have a dodgy stomach the next day. Either it was the curry or I’ve picked up a bug from somewhere. We go to Colwick for the swim but I don’t feel great so when L opts for a not unusual early bedtime at 9pm I shock her by joining her. I think she's worried I'm faking it and have an ulterior motive but she's safe.

(Sunday 11^th May) 

Ageing Wreck

A typical sort of week with L in the gym every single day apart from Sunday with me joining her to cramp her style on Thursday evening. She even has one day in work but just the one day and is out with her Mum, but definitely not in M&S for lunch, on Thursday. 

On Friday my new computer for home arrives. It’s a massive improvement on the ageing wreck it replaced. 

On Saturday we do Wollaton parkrun and L tail walks. Then I’m at the final match of the season against Stoke. My Dad and I are up on a raised platform for wheelchairs in the corner of the ground. He is well impressed with the view. I am less so. 

Both team are among the five sides slugging it out for the last relegation place. A draw is likely to be enough for both sides so naturally a draw it is. 0-0 of course. Luton go down. I celebrate later with Black Cherry Porter in the Plough. 

Sunday is swimming at Colwick where Daughter joins L in water while the Lad and I go for a stroll. 

(Sunday 4^th May)