Moving things from a to b

Friday the 13th. Up early a glance at Kansas before making breakfast and Lorraine and I moved things from a to b now that the carpets have been laid. The house smells of weird new carpets.  

I called Mum, and she was unwell. A bit later Wynford phoned me saying he'd seen her and I resolved to go up tomorrow. We went on  quick trip to the Long Man brewery and bought Steve the sensible present of some beer, and a beer glass, for his belated birthday. Then I walked by the sea listening to more of the Three Body Problem. Home and Lorraine and I did a bit more of the a to b business.  

To the Boot this evening and met assorted cheery rebooters there. Andy, just returned from cycling in Vietnam for ten days, Adele and Patrick, Steve happy to be back from Leicester and enjoying having done some invigilation work: a cookery exam, with the children doing all kinds of exotic nosh. Also Chris and Julie. Not seen Chris since Christmas Eve when we were in the Boot with Mum. Tonight Lorraine and I ordered 'booty burgers' which were unexpectedly sizeable. A cheery night, but as I have to go to see Mum tomorrow I was very sensible.

Below Gladstone swimming baths, that I went to a couple of times while living in Neasden, and once or twice with Braintcroft Junior school. The photo taken before I was there, and the pool no longer exists. I spent a lot of time in Gladstone Park as a kid, and remember it being full of rough boys. I was the wussy youngest member of a gang led by a boy called John Bell who had two deaf parents. I remember him calling the fire brigade from a phonebox outside the park on Dollis Hill Lane, claiming to be trapped in a building. I was mortified by this and ran home, and think I heard fire engines afterwards but this just might be an embellishment of memory.