Putting the clock back

I know winter is officially here but it is only in the last ten days that the trees around us and in the woods have seriously given a show of wonderful autumnal colours. Unlike many people I like putting the clocks back to GMT. I remember quite clearly the winters in the experimental years 1968 to 1971 when BST was retained all year, and going to work/college on public transport in the pitch dark mornings. Whilst I love the long evenings in summer when we can be outside, I don’t particularly dislike dark evenings in winter when we have a warm, cosy home and winter food.

I am not sleeping very well at the moment for obvious reasons and the sleep I do snatch tends to be in the early mornings from 6 a.m. to about 8.00 a.m. and it was good to wake at 7.30 a.m. and see it was still light. Ray had been up for some time. He’s not sleeping well either but his pattern of sleeplessness is different from mine. I used to love rising early, not only so that I could miss the traffic on my way to work, but because I could get a few jobs done which meant that when I came home in the evening I could relax more.

The course is going well and the participants are all very pleasant people. They come from all walks of life and various areas of the country and beyond. Often they keep in touch and it is good to hear of their success and to feel part of it. It is keeping Raymond busy and his thoughts away from what is central to our mind. We sometimes talk about it briefly, particularly at night, but everything is pent up at the moment until we have news from the hospital.

Jonathan has been camping in the New Forest this weekend; I had thought he was going to stay near the River Itchen which is why he had wanted to borrow the Jeep. He may have time to pop in on the way to London but although I would love to see him and although it was wonderful seeing Anna for a short visit, the times are bitter-sweet and so much has to be left unsaid at the moment.