Substack diary no.125: Wednesday, 15th. April 2026

My brain is too busy this morning with thoughts about meeting up with friends to think about anything else. I am also disturbed by dreams I have been having in the last week where my brain is recreating feelings of dread I sometimes felt at work, where deadlines are in danger of being missed and my job is at risk. It feels so real I keep telling myself – presumably in REM sleep – to stop, please stop! It is as if I am simultaneously asleep and awake, with one aware of the other but unable to stop it. I am not at work any more and I do not need to worry about such things, and it certainly doesn’t matter if I lose my job. But it carries on regardless.

It is dull and drizzly outside, but thankfully mild so I have managed to avoid putting the heating on for another day. I have neglected housework for a few days so must get down to some serious cleaning in a moment. A friend arrives from Yorkshire this afternoon so it seems likely that a visit to town is on the cards, and no doubt a few beers which, in truth, I would rather avoid.

Tomorrow is the start of the Maltings beer festival, organised by the brewers themselves. There are usually about 250 or so beers to choose from and about 80 ciders. I have always looked forward to it and, when I lived in London, always ventured home on the train around Easter time especially for the festival. These days I am limited by my budget to only two beer days a month, which is probably a good thing, but I suspect this week will see a month’s-worth of beer consumption!