Yesterday evening, after the central heating came on, we noticed that the stairs were unusually cold and with a draft of fresh air. We investigated and found that the south facing attic Velux window was wide open, with rain blowing in and one end of the bedroom carpet soaked through. The night before, the wind that buffeted the street could well have dislodged the catch of the window if it wasn't firmly closed as it should have been.
So, the rain could have been coming in for forty eight hours, although I doubt this was actually the case, as we'd have felt the cold draft of air two days running. In fact we'd noticed the wind changed when we were outdoors. In the new direction, rain was driven directly into the room. What a mess! We wonder if there was enough rain to soak through into the bedroom ceiling below. Time will tell.
Fortunately, we had a small electric radiator to help dry out the carpet, but now we have a blower heater as well, courtesy of Wales and West Utilities. We were given this to use last week when our gas supply was off all day and we didn't have to return it, as their covid safety protocols forbid this. Just imagine, if there are a dozen houses with gas supplies to change, that number of heaters is required to give away, adding how much? Another five hundred pounds to the cost of completing the job.
A good night's sleep, lie-in and pancake breakfast. Just after we'd finished, when Clare was in the garden hanging towels to dry, the doorbell unexpectedly rang. I was out of reach in the bathroom, and Clare had to run through the house to intercept the caller. It turned out to be a beautiful bright big bunch of flowers from the kids for 'Mothers Day' as they insist on calling it, despite having been raised to call tomorrow Mothering Sunday. How lovely of them to do this!
We went for a walk up to Llandaff weir and back in cold wind blowing clouds in, but bright sunshine nevertheless. Passing by the Cathedral, I think I got my first glimpse of the resident peregrine falcon taking off from the tower - not exactly a close view, hovering thirty metres overhead.
On my afternoon walk down to Blackweir, the playing fields were surprisingly empty and there weren't half as many people out walking as usual on a weekend. Then I remembered that Wales is playing Italy in the Six Nations Rugby Championship this afternoon. All normal activity is suspended when Wales is playing, whether they are in the Principality Stadium in the city centre or away. There may be few or no Welsh spectators present in Rome, so the digital pilgrimage has to make do instead. The score turned out to be 48-7 in favour of Wales.
I've observed groups of anything up to a dozen youngsters together kicking a ball around or exercising together, and on one occasion, two full teams of youngsters playing rugby. Was this a permitted school practice game I wonder?
Today, the Welsh lock-down restrictions start to ease. Now it's possible for two people from a household to meet with two from another in a garden as well as away from home. We don't have to stay home apart from food shopping, medical visits or daily exercise, we can now travel up to five miles from home. On Monday we'll be able to get a haircut as well. I sure do need a haircut!
More travel journal transcription this afternoon. I've reached Orthodox Easter 1998 now. Clare took long phone calls from her girls, while cooking hot cross buns (without crosses on) glazed with orsnge blossom honey. We lost track of time andwere an hour and a half later than usual eating supper, due to early hot bun testing! Nothing much on telly, but it doesn't much matter when you have lots of other things to do. I think even boredom could be an interesting change in such circumstances.
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