Tuesday 28th November 2023

Woke around 0730. Got up and made tea. Porridged. The roofers turned up to work on the church guttering, which necessitated them gaining access to our back yard. I left them to it, and headed for the village of Thundridge, near Ware. Got into one of the terraced houses there, the Xmas decorations to which had caught my attention. The tenant confessed she loved Xmas...there was a huge tree in the little living room, and the bath was partially surrounded by a shower curtain with Merry Christmas written all over it, and lots of Santa's...the tenant stated that she changed the shower curtain every Xmas, and had only just taken down a Guy Fawkes inspired one! There are some strange people about. Drove on to Hoddesdon. I was very disappointed to discover that my favourite fish 'n chip shop was shut, so ended up lunching in Starbucks, housed in the Sainsbury's superstore in the town centre. Got home around 1800, having had to stop off at a garage to check tyre pressures when I kept getting a dashboard warning that my front right tyre was losing pressure...what a pain! Looks like I've got a slow puncture!!! As I approached No.3 Sussex Way I could see there was an addict sat on our doorstep, smoking. I assumed I'd find her about to jack up, but she was actually eating her dinner...a box of something indiscernible, and a box of chocolates for dessert. I was fairly robust in urging her off the premises, and she said "Sorry" a couple of times. She sounded well-spoken, but she took her duvet and went back to the street. Warmed up two portions of the vegetable lasagne for dinner. Practised some guitar and listened to Clare M Singer's new album, recorded on the Victorian era organ at the Union Chapel in Islington. Bath and bed...