The usual apologies for absence for yesterday, but nothing exciting was happening so I took a day off to recharge my batteries at home and basically fester. OK, that’s not entirely true, but it’s not far off! The weather’s hardly been conducive to outward-bound adventures as (here in the Pennines at least) the elements seem to be doing their best as making up for dry January. No, not that one (I wasn’t very good at that) but the one that’s far more important and involves rainfall.

Today’s been even worse. The heavens have never stopped opening so neither of us have been up to much other than pottering around at home then popping out for food shopping – which has cost us an arm and a leg. Add all the influences that are driving inflation right now and it still doesn’t account for how prices have risen. OK, we’re told inflations running at 5%. Seriously? Look at the cost of some basic foodstuffs nowadays and you’ll soon see 5% is a massive understatement. Oh, and that’s before we start to look at what our utility (and other bills) are going to look like shortly. And don’t even get me started on the Chancellor’s smoke and mirrors ply with a ‘grant’ towards fuel bills. You’ll be paying it back even if you don’t claim it – as Money-saving expert Martyn Lewis pointed out.

Despite this confluence of crap there was a couple of rays today. I did something I’ve not done for decades and joined a group of friends in a pub – to play pool! It’s a skill I once had when I lived in London back in the 80s/90s but that’s atrophied ever since. In those days there was a certain pub in the East End near where I lived called the Beehive which was run by an ex-copper that meant we could still be playing in the early hours of the morning – and for money too. Those days are long gone but tonight my muscles and eye remembered a few of the old skills – and it was great fun!

There was no danger of it turning into a late-nighter of old as Dee’s not well and I’m on cooking duty, so it was a case of a few quick games before I’m home chopping shallots to use in an Indian curry. Not that I mind, I find cooking therapeutic. Now all the chores are done and it’s time to relax, so I’ll leave you with the picture of the day. I’ve a new batch of old slides ready to scan but this is one of the first from the new selection.

Back in 1995 a group of us all met up in Goa, India at a place I’d known since a decade earlier. The happy band included friends from London, plus my brother. Apart from Lynn and one other old traveller none of them had been to India before. Some were unprepared. So much so that one friend (I’ll spare their blushes) hadn’t even carried any money as they assumed they’d just be able to go to the nearest ATM…

We arrived on Xmas Eve 1995 and this was how you crossed the rivers in those days..

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