Claire

It was good staying in a nice hotel, especially as it wasn't too expensive. An early start was required but I was only a few minutes away from the Underground and a simple trip to Herne Hill velodrome where I was working. Well, that's what I thought. One stop to Brompton, change there onto the overground to Denmark Hill via Brixton and then a short walk. But it went wrong. There were engineering works that hadn't been announced. No worries as I had plenty time to head into Victoria and out on an alternative line.

Sheesh.....we waited outside South Kensington for 10 mins and then there was an announcement saying that the line was blocked. We eventually alighted at S. Kensington but the platform guy could offer no suggestions apart from jumping on a bus to Victoria......F**k. It was now after 8am and I had no alternative but to jump in a taxi. I enjoyed the ride through some posh backstreets and then on to Herne Hill. Well....that was until the taxi driver got a bit lost. So much for "the knowledge".

It had taken 1hr 40min to go 10km (as the crow flies) and nearly £50! I had arrived just on time and am pleased that I had left so early. The day was cold but sunny and I had a fair old time assessing a bunch of mainly young coaches. My jacket didn't come off for the afternoon's theory stuff as the portacabin we were in was freezing.

Then I had a relatively easy journey to Gravesend, where I was tutoring the following morning. My friend Claire picked me up from the station and we headed off to a Premier Inn. Funnily enough, it was more expensive that the previous night's stay at the fancier one in Chelsea. Gravesend isn't full of posh eateries so we made do with the hotel place.....I will taste salt for the next week!

Claire will be submitting her Ph.D. thesis shortly, so conversation revolved round that, rather than our more usual potty mouthed profanities. I say conversation......but I did most of the talking. Poor lamb! Kirkland philosophising on the semantics of definitions within cognitive psychology, whilst challenging generally accepted constructs as a result, cannot be fun for anyone.

Eek.....it was midnight when my head eventually hit the pillow. It was great to see Claire but I was exhausted and needed sleep.