Sunday 16th July 2023

Woke at 0700...thought I could hear the doorbell, but it was the bell for the church next door, which we could hear because they had opened the windows of the hall at the rear. Thought for a moment that Lynne had locked herself out again! Read a bit of "Trust" in bed...got up and porridged. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. I did a bit of DIY, and finished removing the linoleum near the bathroom, with hammer and cold chisel. Prepared lunch....chicken legs and a mushroom sauce, with sauteed potatoes, broccoli, mange tout, and carrots. Aki got back just as I was about to serve. Watched the tennis. Had intended to head off for Cardiff after the first set, but got hooked into the game, wanting to see if Alcaraz could reverse his first set loss (1-6). In the event, the game went on to five sets. It was gone 1800 by the time the final set began, but I really had to strike out for the M4, and resigned myself to listening to the finale on R5Live. The young Spaniard bested the grizzled Serb to become the youngest Wimbledon Champion since Boris Becker! Astonishing stuff. I stopped for 'dinner' at Reading services...had a salad box from M&S. Ate in the food hall...it was rammed...where was everyone going!? Got to Cardiff at 2215 and parked up beneath John Lewis's, and wheeled my overnight bag over to the Radisson on Bute Terrace. Disappointed to find I'd been allocated a twin rather than a double...too weary to argue about it.