Author: Seb Palmer

Came up to my bed at 5.30 pm, with Chester, today. A new record! Exhausted. Depressed. I’d just rather be asleep, than awake…

I’ve passed this place numerous times, whilst out delivering. Today I had the opportunity to stop and snap the various bits of military hardware dotted about the site.

Pretty unusual – and impressive – to find so much large scale gear just sat there, on view. I’m intrigued, and want to know more! How does it all come to reside there, outside a roadside café/eatery?

Well, I sacked off an afternoon shift, choosing instead to take Teresa and I into Oxfordshire (I think!?), to watch The Sealed Knot re-enact the Battle of Cropredy Bridge.

It was two hours drive each way. And only three hours at the show. But it was, I think, worth it. Partly just to claim some life and leisure time for oneself, and one’s own interests.

Blah…

Rather intriguingly, the versions of events depicted, narrated over the intercom, and described on the Wiki page for the battle, all differ!

The re-enactment was more or less a draw. But the commentators said it was actually, historically, a Royalist victory. The Wiki description of things is less clear cut. The fog of war? History is a lie agreed upon!?

Makes me want to read more on the subject. And edumacate myself, on the topic. If poss’.

Blah…

I decided, today, that we must go and watch the Battle of Cropredy. It’ll be the 380th anniversary, and this weekend it’s being re-enacted, by The Sealed Knot; today, and tomorrow. So I bought two tickets for tomorrow.

We visited mum’s today. We also went for a short walk, in the village (above). En-route, I had a quick peep inside St Mary’s, Wyton (see pics below).

Amy was there. We had tea and cakes and amiable conversation, back at mum’s. It was all very pleasant. Malcolm told us about a barge holiday he went on with friends, a long time ago, circumnavigating the ‘Warwickshire Ring’. He still has a nice map of the route:

When we got home, mum sent us this pic:

She’s meant us to take away the wee mousey doorstop. Maybe next time?

Whilst Teresa made a delicious cheese on toast lunch, I put up another panel on the green room frame. With some help from Sofi. This is one of two panels for the east-facing ‘wall’. And the last of my recent scavenger freebies.

I spotted that the new panel wasn’t square to the frame, on the horizontal plane. Leaving it would just irritate me. So with Sofi’s helpI got it sorted. Thanks, Sofi!

I had a major wobble yesterday. I’m having them almost daily at present. The weather in my head presents a real internal battleground! I persuaded Teresa to accompany me on my two short shifts. Both out of Wisbech.

It seems my anxieties re that location are possibly unfounded? I do hope so!

Anyway, in Holbeach we found a nice community bookshop. And as a thanks to Teresa, I bought her – for the princely sum of £1.50 – a book she liked:

The text is all in Italian. But it’s the imagery we got it for.

All of the WWI model planes pictured above were – like most of my models, rather tragically – unfinished. And then they got damaged. Falling off whatever precarious surface I temporarily put them on.

So I binned ‘em. Casualties of war!

Just had a mini-meltdown, at March Tesco. I was sat in the car. Having read a bit. And even dozed a bit. A wave of panic and anxiety suddenly hit me. It was truly horrible.

I thought I was getting over it. Teresa called, and asked me to come inside the store and help her pack. I did so. Alas, I was in a zombie state. And then the tears started flowing. So I went back to the car, pronto.

We’re back home now. And I’m in the garden. I’m in recovery mode. Tired, and not wanting to do anything. Laying back in one of our new recliner chairs. It’s a gorgeous day. And, whereas earlier the pleasant weather wasn’t getting through to me, now I’m started to feel the benefits of the sunshine.

Teresa’s making our lunch. Bless her. Poor thing, married to a depressive muppet like me. She’s even made me a (fresh!) mint tea!

Part of my current anxiety stems from my most recent shift. I got it at the last minute. And, in my hurry, parked in a ‘parent & kids’ spot at Wisbech Mozzer’s. For which I received a very sour dressing down.

The last thing I need is any trouble at another Morrisons. After the fiasco of Cambourne. I’ve got two more shifts at Wisbech soon: one later today. Another tomorrow.

I hope my anxieties prove to be chimeras?

Later the same day…

Well, no hassles at work. But a co-worker did quip, as we passed in the lobby ‘So, you’ve not been banned from here yet?’ In my current state that maketh me to feel pretty damn paranoid!

Work went fine. Passed a little derelict church or chapel I’d wanted to stop and snap before. Took a few pics this time:

Being at work and not being persecuted I gradually calmed down. Now we’re back home. And, for the time being, I’m feeling passable.

I’m lucky. During in the garden relaxing. Teresa’s doing dinner. All I have to do is prep a fire.

And now we’re eating pizza, with sweetcorn and kale on the side. Our traditional summer evening fire crackling away, in the potbelly stove.

Ok, let’s not mince words. This film ain’t great. Indeed, it’s borderline awful. But there’s just enough about it that’s good enough to have kept me watching.

The two main characters, Pahoo (Dennis Fimple) and Rives (John Carson) – supposedly Chicago University students, searching for ‘Sasquatch’ – are up to the job.

And then there’s Jack Elam, as crazy ol’ Joe Canton, a boozy hillbilly trapper, and the lone survivor of an attack that sets up the film, and Bill Thurman, as ornery Sheriff Billy Carter.

Mostly the film is just silly mid-‘70s fun. But it does get better, and even a bit scary, at points. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Creature from Black Lake. But I did, I must confess, enjoy it.

One intriguing thing about it is that it ends in such a way as to suggest the film-makers might’ve been angling for a sequel.

We went to The Hippodrome, for their cheap and cheerful curry night. Beef Madras, as usual. Each with two poppadoms and a garlic naan.

Earlier in the day I’d done an afternoon delivery shift for Amazon. I did the three hour shift in about one and hour thirty (or poss’ forty?) minutes.

Back home, and I’m straight to bed, at 7.30 pm! And I don’t care. I feel like I ought be bothered about this continuous extreme exhaustion. But I’m too tired to be arsed with anything other than capitulating to it.