Substack Diary No.120: Thursday, 9th. April 2026

This is one of those unusual days where every hour of what would have been a normal working day before I retired is accounted for. I suppose you could say they are ‘meetings’ of a sort but actually they are far more than that and, unlike some of the meetings of my professional life, there will be a sense of enjoyment and achievement.

I am donating a worktop cooker, a microwave and a rather large pasta pan – sadly largely unused – to good causes, helping in a church kitchen and food bank. They will be collected this morning by a good friend of mine and no doubt we will find time for a chat before he heads back to Totnes.

Before lunch I am looking forward to seeing relatives I have never seen before; an exciting and all too brief encounter as they must head back to Kent, but it will hopefully be the first of many. After lunch I shall be meeting up with a friend at his Eco Weigh shop in town to learn what I can do to attract more customers. I am hoping that my graphics, web design and photography skills may come in handy. No doubt we will finish the day off with a pint or two in the pub.

I am not entirely sure what time I will be home, but after such a full day I really shan’t care! The joy of retirement!