It is cold and not very inviting outside, but I am happy to walk to the Post Office with another book order from Amazon. On their UK website it mostly shows as out of stock. I have posted 14 copies to them altogether. They can have as many as they want, I just wish they’d order them in time.

Outside spring is knocking on the door. Primroses are out, snowdrops emerging and the cyclamen, planted last year and a gift from my childhood home, are already flowering.

At lunchtime we walked our Christmas tree through the village to the local zoo, where the  lions are unable to resist them.

This afternoon there were loud road-drilling noises on the road in front of our house. On investigation we discovered two very cheerful men from the Council busy digging out and spot filling some of the gargantuan potholes in our road. It really needs (needed four years ago) a new surface, but anything is better than nothing. After some joking, we took them a cup of tea and biscuits.

When one of the men returned the tray, he asked if I would be interested in selling my Nissan, Sunny. Now this is a battered, venerable (L Reg, 1993-94) workhorse, that goes on passing its MOT year after year and does all the heavy mucky jobs as well as getting me to Lindy hopping and other delights. It is scratched and dented, held together with gaffer tape, and grows moss around the windows. This guy collects these cars! I had to turn him down as I plan to run it until it eventually dies (which might be after I go, at the present rate).

Tonight I have a book group meeting to discuss Dear Lupin: Letters to a Wayward Son by Roger and Charlie (the son) Mortimer.