Duck racing on Boxing Day

Another sunny wintry day. I didn't sleep well, despite the room being uncomfortably warm for for Clare it wasn't quite warm enough for me. I don't know if that's something to do with the effect of the meds on my metabolism or what I'm wearing in bed taking heat from me rather than keeping me warm enough. As ever I didn't sleep for long enough, but I felt clearer headed for most of the day. After breakfast we walked down to Kath and Anto's for a welcome cup of fresh coffee.

We walked together to Abbey Fields to watch the start of the annual Kenilworth Lions Duck Race, in which hundreds of charity sponsored plastic yellow ducks are released into Finham Brook to float downstream to a finishing point, in an unusual lottery event. Thousands of people turn out for this family event. We we went to watch as we received a ticket for a Christmas present. The footpath along Abbey Lake and the neighbouring brook were both crowded with people following the ducks' progress, and soon I lost sight of Anto, Kath and Rhiannon. We were reunited half an hour later and returned to Kath and Anto's for a lunch of salmon, a fry-up of yesterday's… surplus veggies, Christmas cake and chocolate log, plus a bottle of posh Rioja.

Later Kath and I went for an afternoon walk and long chat as the sun was setting. When we got back, Rhiannon parted company with us and set off on the return trip to Manchester. We then watched the King's speech together, in which he delivered a confident  religiously themed message of unity, good will, and service for the common good relating to the Gospel Christmas story. It's the faith he swore to defend at his coronation, and interprets as for the good of humanity, for all citizens. So carefully thought out in words and video imagery.

Then in contrast, 'How the Grinch stole Christmas' started. Clare and I were both getting tired and not interested in watching it so we decided to return to the hotel. Kath kindly made us a picnic supper and drove us with our picnic and bag of presents back to the hotel just before seven for a quiet evening recovering from the social stimuli of the past few days, getting to bed early in view of tomorrow's return journey home.