The return of the bike

Today’s flower is a nasturtium

At last the call had come. My bike was ready. I got into the car and went off to Palace Cycles to collect it. When I got there, Joe, the mechanic, assured me that at last it was running well. In recognition of the wait I had had and the number of different things they had tried, he very kindly did not charge me for his labour. This was lucky as the new parts were dear enough. However, it did give me the opportunity to purchase a modest voucher for Dropscone as a thank you for the extended loan of his bike.

While I was in Carlisle, I took the opportunity to do some shopping. I was able to acquire two bags of coffee beans, four sorts of cheese, three bottles of French wine, two bottles of olive oil, some bread flour and a tub of double cream. I think you could safely say that nothing more could possibly be added to the list to make it better. Oh, I forgot. I got some mince as well. Retail heaven.

On my return, I immediately took the bike out for a test round the morning run and Joe had spoken the truth, it was running like a Rolls Royce in silent splendour. I did a very good time because the wind was friendly too.

In the afternoon I had a couple of meetings which went well and also took into the greenhouse for drying the last of the onions. These were a particularly good lot which Mrs Tootlepedal had left out to dry over night.

I noticed that the clematis, which used to adorn the garage but which was completely clobbered by the frost in the winter, has made a good recovery and by next spring, weather permitting, it should be back to its former glory.

There was no recorder group in the evening because of too many of the players having other avocations.