One summer: Nottingham 2015

According to various maps, apps, and my satnav, it should take me about three hours to get to Nottingham, allowing for a coffee-stop on the way. The last couple of times I've driven down, though, it's taken four. Consequently, I left at eight o'clock, this morning, in order to arrive in time for a midday meeting.

As it turned out, though, the motorway was nice and clear, the weather was perfect for driving, and, having picked up a gratis coffee at Booths, I didn't stop at all on the way down. And all of that conspired to deliver me into Ruddington for eleven o'clock, so I found a place to pull over and read my book: 'One Summer: America 1927' by Bill Bryson. 

Izzy gave me the book for my birthday and, to be honest, I was a bit dubious about it; I've only read one of his books before, about twenty years ago, and I wasn't bowled over by it. This book I love, though. It's central conceit seems to be just what an interesting summer that was and, chapter by chapter, he introduces the history of the different events that take place. It's a marvellously researched piece of work and very well written. 

I pulled over to read it just by the gate into a field. (I've photographed this field before but I can't remember when.) I love the colour of all of the stubbly stalks, so I wound down the windows and sat there reading with the field as my backdrop. The biggest challenge was getting myself back into work mode, so at about twenty to, I packed my book away and made a couple of 'phone calls to get myself back up to speed for what turned out to be a very enjoyable meeting.