The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

If you have a fragile ego, don’t ever go into an M&S changing room. The wall of mirrors in one gives you a 360° image of your body and all the bits you would rather not know existed. I went into one this morning and was absolutely horrified. So that, I saw, is how I appear to the man in the street. No wonder shop assistants call me ‘dear’ and I’m allowed to sit in the aged seats at the front of the bus (the incontinence seats, as some wag described them). I aged 20years in the 5 minutes I spent trying on a jacket. The full length mirror in my hall in the Dower House with its full frontal view  was obviously bought for the sole purpose of gilding the lily somewhat- it lies!

Before the true view unveiling, I had a convivial coffee with a neighbour back from a 3 day mini cruise to Amsterdam where he spent a day visiting its famous art galleries. I believed him when he said that was all he visited.

After the unveiling and lunch I went out for a walk to the other side of the Meadows where I could see someone flying a kite and thought it would make a good blip. Just as I got within striking distance, the child sat down for a picnic- Sod’s Law.

It’s been a mainly grey day although as I type at 4ish the sun is out but it is bitterly cold. The NE wind is straight off the Arctic. At 11am it was 6° feeling like 1°. Now it’s 9° feeling like 5°.
 London on the other hand is 18°, feeling like 16°- what’s not to like?