It’s “Father’s Day” in the UK today - a tradition that seems to have been adopted from the US at some point in the distant past - quite obviously a commercial tactic to sell stationery and chocolates, because what says “I love you Dad” more than a rectangle of cardboard with your handwriting on it? (actually - scratch that thought - the likes of Moonpig will now print the handwriting for you).
I can’t really complain - my daughters took me out for breakfast today. We were originally planning to go out for lunch, but after getting up and realising my daughters were already up and about I wondered out-loud if it might be a better idea to go out for a late breakfast. They agreed, and a few minutes later we set off into town together.
It just so happened the entire rest of the town had the same idea. The huge pub where my daughter works - our breakfast destination - was filled to capacity - about 450 people. There was an hour wait for food. We shrugged and put up with it. They serve bottomless coffee, so we each grabbed a mug and started drinking enough caffeine to give us the shakes before the food arrived.
After eating we wandered back out into the sunshine and picked our way along the high-street - visiting the bookshop, and various shops filled with incredibly expensive diffusers. I might have caved and bought a “Sea salt and sage” diffuser for the study - to help stop it smelling quite so dusty in here. I also caved and picked up a couple of books. Even more books to add to the top of the “to be read” mountain.
The funfair is in town this weekend - and after meeting up with my other half, we set off through the various rides and stalls with the children. I will admit to being ever-so-slightly creeped out by funfairs these days - I think it’s too many years watching sinister movies and TV shows featuring all manner of evil emanating from the shadows of carnival stalls and rides.
I read a book years ago about a travelling carnival - “Something Wicked This Way Comes” - by Ray Bradbury. It might be the only one of his books I’ve read.
I still haven’t gotten around to reading “A Moveable Feast” by Ernest Hemingway. I picked up a copy in a second-hand bookshop in Hay-on-Wye when we visited the other week.
After wandering around the funfair, and the town carnival stalls, we wandered home again, and met up with some neighbours on the green between our houses. We haven’t done it for a while, and it was nice to see them. It’s funny - after writing about being “out of the loop” just recently, being back in the loop felt strange - like a performance of sorts.
Anyway.
I can’t believe it’s already 10pm. I have to go and help clear up the kitchen. The rest of the house had “party food” for dinner (read: ready-cooked food from packets). It’s almost certainly still strewn across the kitchen counters.
Coffee. I’ll go make a coffee too.