Temperatures are up a bit, but it’s turning windy and, after today, wet, we are told. Yesterday I went for a 3.5-mile walk round the outskirts of the city centre, as it were. Felt very cold and rather unwell at first, but things improved. Dot had just left for South London for her philosophical encounter with Dulwich College Prep School. She picked up Barbara on the way and then drove to the Hendersons’, where they stayed the night, before arising at some unearthly hour to drive to the prep school. Although this is only seven or eight miles, it took them an hour,  mainly along the South Circular. Rumour has it that the session went well, but they are not back yet. Afterwards they had something to eat and then spoke to the head of the junior section of Eltham College, with a view to philosophical activity there in the future.

Ironically, in view of her picture two posts back, Maryta is now in quite bad pain after a fall from a horse – so bad in fact that she is considering cancelling her horse-riding holiday. To anyone who knows Maryta, that means it must be very bad indeed, but not of course bad enough to stop her going into work. That requires death, or at least unconsciousness.

Things have been quiet here, especially after I tidied the house up. Earlier this afternoon I went to the supermarket in the MX5 and deposited some recyclable stuff that the council persistently declines to collect. This morning I went to the Post Office and submitted applications for our new passports. We both look miserable, of course. This is partly because you mustn’t smile in a passport photo, but also because we’re never quite sure the machine is working properly.