The day before yesterday turned out to be a particularly hot one and not the kind of day one one would normally think of eating a curry. Nonetheless, it was the day designated for the latest venture of the U3A Curry Club and so about 18 of turned up to a curry house (inside a hotel) in a venue I Droitwich which none of us had visited before. We had a very enjoyable meal although we had to wait for the best part of an hour whilst our food was being prepared for us but, in the event, the food was well worth the wait and my butter chicken was in a delicious sauce. The long table was split into two groups and I was fortunate enough to be in the lively and story telling part of the table so it made for a very enjoyable evening all round. I knew some of the participants from the Classical Music group as well as my local church so all of tis helps to make the event feel a little less ‘cliquey’ than is sometimes possible. When I returned home, I watched the second half of the France vs. Morocco football match which France won quite convincingly with two stunning goals from the French strikers, one of whom was Mbappe. The match this evening is to be Belgium vs. Spain the result of which is a lot less predictable- Spain may prevail but they have had a slow start to this tournament. Soon the whole of the World Cup will be over and a more normal life can resume. Last night was so hot in my bedroom despite a fan so I spent the first half of the night sleeping downstairs on the sofa in the cooler lounge before retreating to bed in the middle of the night. One of the things that brightens up this part of the summer is the Bromsgrove festival in which several concerts and other events take place. As you might expect, I tend to gravitate towards the ones that are provided in our local church and only a contribution towards expenses solicited. As the weather has been so warm, I have noticed that there is a marked diminution in the footfall I the local High Street and the local shops are bound to suffer. But in the Autumn, a whole new development is taking place which is a mixture of high grade office accommodation and some communal space. The building has been constructed before our very eyes so it will be interesting to see if it does provide an asset for the town. Local opinion is quite divided as to the merits of the semi-circular building arising before our eyes, not enhanced by a colour of cladding which bears a strong resemblance to rust. After it opens, no doubt to a great fanfare and flurry, it will be interesting to see if a coffee-cum-meeting place is established and how successful (or over-priced!) it is likely to be. The most prominent growth industry along our local High Street has been the opening of charity shops supplemented by a few vape outlets but I dare say this can be replicated across many of the High Streets in the UK. In a month or so’s time, we may be able to assess whether this hot spell has actually enhanced or diminished our GDP but I would not be surprised if the overall effect were not to be negative for the British economy.
The morning turned out very hot but I needed to make my along the High Street in order to secure an optician’s appointment with the optician who has testing me for about the past 15 years or so, if not longer and we always end up having a long chat with each other. Having made the appointment, I made my way to my favourite horse-sanctuary charity that I try and visit each week. They missed me last week but I explained to them the fact that my friend and I were making our way to Worcester Royal Infirmary for some scans and was then caught in the horrendous 5-hour traffic jam on the way home. Then as I was walking back along the High Street, I bumped into one of the members of my Tai Chi class who, as it happened, occupied a very senior position at the University of Birmingham so we had quite a lot in common with each other given our experience of the higher education sector. We discussed at length the ways in which we were attempting to look after ourselves, health-wise, and also discussed an issue common to many of us where my fellow class member was facing the problem of the most appropriate health and care needs for her elderly parents who were still both alive. When I returned to my own house, I was confronted with a scene of pure mayhem. My neighbours were evidently having a big party celebration and there were cars parked everywhere, including on the green area in front of our house which is strictly forbidden to motor vehicles as there are drainage pipes below the surface that could be damaged by vehicles. To compound matters, my access road was completely blocked by a large delivery vehicle which had probably lost its way and come down our drive. I had to reverse all of the way out onto the main road whereupon a huge delivery lorry bound for the building site down the road confronted me as I was reversing. Once these obstacles had been negotiated, I needed to go and explain to my neighbour that her relative needed to move the car off the communal green area so that she did not occasion any damage and this having been done, I could then get into my own house, somewhat delayed. then I needed to think about some lunch conscious of the fact that I need to keep my protein levels high so I settled on a prawn omelette with a few salad items of garnish. I often play ClassicFM in odd moments and as I type they are playing J S Bach’s ‘Jesu, Joy of Mans desiring’ which was played at our wedding in 1967 as well as Meg’s funeral. In fact hardly a day passes when a piece of music intimately associated with Meg’s life is not played on this channel so this piece of music evoked some bitter-sweet memories. Naturally, after a day like today I am looking forward to my evening walk in the park followed by the exciting football match of Spain vs. Belgium.