Oscar was perfectly behaved. He always is, I guess, but I was impressed that he let me sleep until the alarm went off at ten. I needed the rest. I was up until two this morning filling in forms that need posting, and sorting out the washing from holiday. All the time, he was miowing, demanding that I go to bed so he could get some rest.

Anyhow, ten this morning he heard the radio click on then came snuffling at the bottom of the duvet to get me up and out of bed. He knew I had a busy schedule.

Or perhaps he was just hungry.

Whatever, I was in Asda half an hour later, then back home in time for heading out to Halsted for an early lunch for Paul’s grandfather’s birthday. It was a long way to go to eat a meal, but the food was excellent, and the surroundings pleasant, which made it all worthwhile.

While the rest of them headed off in various random directions to look at castles, the nuclear bunker or a concert, depending on preference, I drove on to Colchester for Mark’s ’summer gatherette’ in his parents’ back garden.

I hadn’t known his mum was going to be cooking so much food. I should have guessed - she is a great cook and always caters for the CD recording sessions - but had to sit by the sidelines and apologise for feeling so stuffed.

The weather was perfect. We sat around on benches, swings and garden furniture chatting about all manner of things. The three Marks and two Nicks discussed TV while at the other end of the garden a paramedic was explaining what happens to a body when it goes under a train. He knows: he’s had to pick up the pieces several times.

‘How many bits are there?’ I asked him.

‘Lots,’ he replied. ‘But we only pick up the big bits. We leave the rest of it for the foxes.’

Ugh.

It’s not a job I could do.

I came home as it started to turn chilly. A wind picked up so I said my goodbyes and gave one of the Marks a lift to the station, then drove home along an A12 clogged by roadwords (or more accurately clogged by cones and speed limits but no sign of any actual roadworkers doing any work).

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