No effort required

I was in Newcastle for two lectures - one was an introduction to an American poet I felt I ought to have heard of - but hadn't - John Ashbury. I wasn't alone - the other 11 of the group hadn't heard of him either. Great to listen to the tutor, who is an enthusiastic fan of his work, alongside so many others willing to take a chance on this. We were none of us disappointed.

I met up with Gordon and we went to buy a fountain pen for our granddaughter and then decided, perhaps not very wisely, to head for the sea on the way home. It was fine and bright, but that north easterly wind was bitter. The birds didn't have to do a thing, they were pushed along on the wind. We had soon had enough and just had to go and get fish and chips.