Cutting it in Ashford

A better night's sleep, despite the happy cats bedding down with us. We woke up earlier, and I had a meeting with Keith in fairly cheerful and philosophical mood. Emails with Robin about plans for the podcast. Charlotte told me that she had been ill yesterday, and others had to cry off the launch of Frogmore Papers 100th issue and Clare Best's book due to Covid. Robin told me later that it was a good night.  

Lorraine drove us all off to The Outlet, which is oval of quality retail brands selling their goods from 'outlets' at bargain prices. I bought a new watch strap to replace my fraying one, and I bought Lorraine a nice Radley purse in sage green. There was a Le Creuset shop and we bought a bargain butter dish and some heavy but colourful mugs. We collected Pat and Maureen who had been shopping in the M&S outlet, and buying lipstick from another shop, and drove home.

Pat and Maureen tend to eat in the middle of the day, so Lorraine made a very tasty vegetable chilli for lunch, from which Maureen picked out all the kidney beans but claimed she absolutely loved the rest of it.

I had a bit more correspondence to catch up with, then after a ten minute doze (still blinking tired) I sauntered off to the local barbers. There was a bit of a wait there and I couldn't help noticing all the men were having the backs of their heads in a 'skin fade' -- with shaven till hairless backs of their heads gradually being blended into hair at the top of their heads. I watched one guy in his fifties have his done, and grew fixated by the bulginess of the back of his head. He looked an arse. When it came to my turn I explained that I simply wanted a #4 on the back and sides and the top tidied up. A lovely Kurdish barber, who talked about his homeland and told me about having missiles flying overhead and exploding when he was seven was very attentive, and explained how mortified he was that he at around 30 was balding. Even he was moaning about the Government. Truss and her chancellor seem hell bent of wrecking the economy in record time. Truss is toast unless she makes some u-turn rapidly. But if one thing has been confirmed in the last few days... She is a dreadful leader even for the Swivel Eyed simpletons who infest the tory party these days.

As I left the barbers: a horrid realisation. The chilliness at the back of my head indicating that I was now a recipient of the local haircut. The hairline at the back of my neck has been raised by an inch, so that it feels like my neck is harbouring ambitions to unite with the area of concern. Some amusement from Maureen at me getting an Ashford haircut. 

Joined Lorraine and Pat doing a fish-based jigsaw, which I quite enjoyed. Then we ate some cheese and biscuits and watched a couple of episodes of Mortimer and Whitehouse's Gone Fishing. Then an early night.