Saturday 9th May 2020

It was another hot day today, I like days like this as I don't do cold. The Government say they are going to promote cycling. What they need to do is sort out the rough roads and improve cycle paths that we already have.  There's been much debate on this on facebook, I hope they carry this one through as it would be much better for the environment.  Saying that, there's some idiots that shouldn't even be on a bicycle, let alone on the road! They speed along pavements, regardless of any pedestrians that are coming towards them. These people give cyclists a bad name, but then some pedestrians are unpredictable and walk out in front of bikes without no warning.

I delivered some newspapers up to my parents yesterday morning, I meant to have taken them up the day before, but stupid me forgot them, and left them behind; Yesterday was also VE Day. We should be out there celebrating really, but because of coronavirus all that has gone to pot. Today officially would have been bank holiday, but everything's gone wrong. instead everyone watched it on the TV, but people were encouraged to hang Union Jack flags, and bunting  outside their houses.

A glorious day, I cycled through the village of stratford-sub-castle. It's a lovely peaceful quiet area, I often thought that if I had to do a house swap I'd like to move to that area but it's a bit far away from town that's the only problem. I saw a family sat outside their house having a party, I wish we could have had a celebration in the guildhall Square.  I also saw the Welsh flag along the cycle path.

Walked through hudsons field, because the hill was a bit steep to cycle up to, I think grass has grown over much of the path.  The caravan site looked eerily quite, I bet Perren Sands in Cornwall is dead quiet. The sun was hot, the castle itself is closed (owned by English Heritage), but I only walked the battlements. I locked bike up and went for a wander, mum fell into the most once. It's understandable as there lots of tripping hazards from tree roots and stones.

There's some amazing views to be seen, like the road towards Amesbury now eerily quiet. The place is overrun with rabbits, sheep graze nearbye and mooing cattle.  I can imagine what the place was like hundreds of years ago, lovely and peaceful; then Henri Ford Invented the car... 

I found shade and sat on a tree trunk. I should be on the beach today, instead because of the lockdown I'm stuck in Salisbury. I saw some people trying to climb part of the moat, heard them more like screetching away.

I tried to see if I could see the hospital and it's carpark but I can't make it out without binoculars. I was going to bring that some but I brought my camera instead and anyway the saddlebag would have been too heavy with both.  You can see several Elizabethan houses down in the valley from the castle, I expect they've seen some historic events.  I could see light relecting off people's windows down in the valley, and the road which goes to Stonehenge.

I went to unlock my bike, but my stupid pedal got jammed tight underneath the gate where I locked it. I had to call a lady over to help me. If I had been on my own, I would have been totally stuffed. Bad luck seems to follow me everywhere.  Lot of dog walkers at the castle, one had an unsually orange small type, another wanted a man's sandwich (dog, not the walker!).

Queen gave another speech for VE Day, apparently she's withdrawing from public life for month's.  She and her husband are in their 90's and probably would welcome retirement before it's too late.  Borish Johnson is making an annoucement on Sunday, says he's going to open garden centre's.  It won't be noticble as the Range and B & M have their garden centre's open.  

When this is all over I'm going up to see my parents.  I was planning on doing a weekrnd in teignmouth but like other things that had to be cancelled.  I have a lot of fond memories in Teignmouth in Devon, it's not like it used to be, most of the cafe's I knew have gone; faded into the past where only I can remember them.  The world I'm looking for no longer exist's but I can still remember the scent of the rooms and the excitement.

I watched a movie called The Potato Peel book society which was very good, about Jersey during ww2, I might get it on DVD as parents would like that.  Wrapping this up now for today.  See you next time.