Thursday 20th August 2026

Woke around 0500. The sound of rain on the window kept me awake for a bit, and I went through the Rhidian Brook poem a few times, and got a bit of roof fret! It was 0845 when I woke again. Got up and had tea and cereal in the dining area with mum, dad, and Aki. Grey morning. Kath turned up around 1000 to say farewell...she's off to Sweden tomorrow. Sorted dad out with signing on to his Virgin Money online account...took ages! But got there in the end...I typed out step by step instructions for him to follow, and told him to practice every day! Soup for lunch...though couldn't find half of it...I'd bought some chicken soup in Waitrose in Hexham to mix with the root vegetable soup, but it was nowhere to be seen...very odd, though mum has a tendency to move stuff about without her knowledge! Mixed the root vegetable soup with a pack of chicken stock we found in the fridge...worked very well. Aki and I took our constitutional, and walked down to the Co-op on The Broadway to buy some odds and ends...notably, chocolate biscuits! The rain stayed away. Aki made a chicken curry for dinner, with rice and vegetables. A large brown rat was spotted cavorting about in the back garden! Watched a bit of telly...enjoyed watching Gene Hackman's 'Popeye Doyle' in "The French Connection"...ma and pa managed to nod off on the sofa!