Wednesday 6th January 2021 Day 288

7.45   I have just heard an interesting fact on the radio; John Logie Baird who we know as the inventor of television, for which I am sure we are all very grateful at the moment! also invented a moisture retaining undersock for soldiers in the first world war, to combat trench foot. This invention was so successful that he could have retired young.  What a great thing to have invented but it got me thinking about all the other moisture retaining products, disposable nappies for instance, I wish I had had them for my babies who however hard I tried, suffered red raw little bottoms from the ghastly stuff we had to soak the terry nappies in.  There are of course other personal moisture retaining, products particularly for women as are continually being advertised on Baird’s invented television.  I wonder if his studies in moisture retention featured in the products we use now?

9.30   Our little slimming group, affectionately known as ‘Fat Club’ meet up on what’s app.  Miraculously we have all managed to lose the Christmas weight and we feel very focussed….. so far. It’s nice to see friends and thank goodness for this ability to video.  During the first lockdown I think we all felt we had to justify ourselves and resorted to quizzes which eventually became a bit of a chore and a bore and we (speaking for myself and most of my friends) turned away from the videoing, now I think we just feel it’s a nice way of being in contact just to have a nice chat and a cup of coffee.

11.30   As we began our walk this morning in the muddy swamps that used to be woodland paths, we were barely through the gate when we were faced with a slightly built woman handling five dogs,  three of which were muzzled, and eager to get to us, so it was lead back on and Audrey pulling, not to get to the dogs but to get me to throw the ball, not a good idea when you are attached to your owner by a metre of lead, although if anyone ever invents a mud sliding sledge, I think we would have got along at a good old lick.  Fortunately I managed to stay upright and how the dog handling woman managed not to end up face down in the slurry, I’ll never know.  The watery sun peeped out briefly which was very welcome.  The dam that Bill and I unblocked a couple of months ago, is now blocked up with debris again but water was managing to seep through, shame we can’t go and play dam busters again for a while.

Home now and there are blue skies over Blackboys (doesn’t have quite the same ring as ‘over the white cliffs of Dover) with fluffy whites clouds for the first time since we have been confined to barracks on Boxing Day.