It was a fairly manic weekend; the cinema Friday night; a gig on Saturday night, including songs to which I’d only written the harmonies during the week and instrumental pieces I heard for the first time on Thursday night. But it went surprisingly well, with people dancing in the narrow gaps between the rows of tables in the little bar in Riscle. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Then Kieran, Alice, Adrian and Julie came for lunch on Sunday. Nick would normally have been cycling on Sunday morning and I’d have gone out with the walking group, but we were both very relieved to hear it pouring with rain at 7.30 on Sunday morning, giving us the perfect excuse to catch up on some more sleep, having only got home at 2am.

Kieran’s not around much these days, so when he’s here we make sure there are “big” jobs for him to do; the jobs that need two strong men. So they’ve finished plasterboarding my workshop, fitted the doors and door frame at the end of the hall and removed part of the outer wall where the new front doors will go. At the moment, the doors are taller than the space for them, but I’m sure Nick will find a solution!

When not teaching, I’m filling joints in the plasterboards and trying to convince the postman that I don’t have a secret admirer! A parcel arrived for me yesterday; it rattled just like a box of chocolates. Sadly it was only some stock cubes that Alex had sent, but Didier, who always stops for a chat to improve his English, thought Valentine’s Day had arrived early. Me?! Secret admirer?! In my dreams!!