OK. Right now I hate it here, it is far too HOT. Yesterday my garden was 98°F in the shade! You don’t want to know what the house was like. It has been like this for a week now and the forecast is for more of the same. It is like living in Canada, only 70 years ago, with no air and no pool. The only way to cool off is to take a cold shower. Honestly I am really fed up as I can get nothing done. I hate the humidity and the heat, it makes you feel worn out. Cannot even work in the garden as it is too hot. I want to be back in Canada.

Dave left last night for 10 days in Toronto (TO) with Christina, he is missing her and this seemed like a good idea. I am going up home (Mum and Dad’s) next Fri for the w/e and will bring young David back with me for a visit.

We went to John and Kath’s last w/e. They live in Greet near Winchcombe in the Cotswolds, a beautiful area. Steven, their son, was over on a visit from Montreal with Daniella, his girlfriend. We had a lovely BBQ, and on the Sunday we brought S&D back with us to Reading so they could have a couple of days site-seeing in London. It is only 35 min. on the train from here. They had a great time and loved London, such a lovely couple.

The trains are another story – with the heat the tracks are buckling, so the trains are delayed. They have to put buses on, which take twice as long!!!! Why do the trains manage to run in Canada and the States? Because they are used to the heat – prepared for it!!!! Get with it Britain, this is the reality – it will be hot in the summer.

Also managed to visit my old school friend Celia. I met her first in Knott End at our local church, even before she was school age. I used to visit her when she moved, which was quite often and we kept in touch by letters. I recently found a bundle of Celia’s old letters to me, quite a treasure. Celia now lives in Shilton, a village near Burford, also in the Cotswolds and only an hour drive from me. I spent a pleasant day with her and her family, actually meeting them all despite all of them working in various places. We even got to see Katia at the local garden centre where she works. Celia and Tim have 4 kids: Joseph, Katia, John and Camilla. Lovely family. They run a farm.

None of the shops, or very few, have air conditioning here, so I keep out of them. Only the super markets are cool. Also, lots of people smell – not many have discovered showers yet!!! So you can see why I don’t like it here, I would honestly rather have rain, at least I could do things then.