Friday 27th October 2023

Relatively undisturbed night's sleep. Got up and abluted before descending for breakfast. Had given up calorie counting by this point, so went for the full English! Packed my few things and checked out. Ventured into Rochester for inspections around the city centre. Had a little wander up the High Street and bought a coffee. A couple of buildings there with plaques attesting to the fact that they appear in various Dickens novels. Drove out to the suburbs, popping in on Joy on the Maidstone Road, who had donated my copy of "Pickwick Papers"...she thanked me for coming by, but said she'd prefer I pass it on to someone else rather than take it back. I offered her the Ackroyd biography, but she said she'd read it. Found myself in Strood once more at lunchtime. Traffic was dreadful. Ended the working day in Hempstead, popping in to the shopping centre there to use the facilities and have a wander round. Turned the car for home...the M2 westbound was dreadful...took three-quarters of an hour to get across the Medway Bridge section. Four lanes down to one for roadworks...hence the heavy traffic in Rochester this morning, trying vainly to avoid the traffic jams! Very slow to the Blackwall Tunnel too, due to the Silvertown Tunnel works. It was gone 1900 by the time I got home. Aki had cooked a tasty lamb moussaka for dinner. Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed...