I know I’ve posted this picture before, the first I took many years ago, on my dad’s box Brownie. I’m getting things ready for my course tomorrow and “an early photo” is on the list.

I love this because in it are my dear parents, my wonderful nana, three of my mum’s four sisters, my three sisters and a cousin, on a very happy day on the beach at Westcliffe-on- sea. Some of us had just walked to the end of the Southend pier at low tide and got only just got back in time. Ice creams all round!

It’s still very dark outside our home. The replacement lamp post didn’t materialise this morning. I suspect there are several different teams involved and it wasn’t today’s team’s job to put in the new one.