Well, I’ve voted. It was a moving experience.

 

I got out of bed this morning feeling very weak. Nervous excitement? However am I going to get aboard that boat? That will be infinately more stressful. Archie came, and then our dear friend G. picked us up. I had hoped that we would have been able to walk home after voting, but there was no chance of that, strength-wise. G. heroically weathered the confusion and the workmen who now prevail up there (building the new St James’ Centre and generally messing up the road layout), and waited for us. Mercifully the long queues often photographed at American elections are not a feature here.

 

Anonymous (comment yesterday), you are right that photography was not allowed within the polling station. Here I am arriving at it, looking slightly sturdier than I have felt all day:

 

1774 steps. Being driven to and from a polling station doesn’t add up to much. I did manage 3000 yesterday.

 

I did a bit of knitting. It’s been a long time: I had forgotten the sheer pleasure of sock knitting. It took a while to get started – on top of yesterday’s untangling, there were a needle-ful of stitches to be picked up. But all is well. Next I must locate my sock yarn stash and decide on what comes next. Indeed, give some thought as to whom the present pair are destined for. Perhaps a picture tomorrow – you’ll see that it’s not at all an easy question.

 

Reading

 

I’ve finished “Lucky Jim”. Shandy, The Oldie sent me an email this week about their 400^th issue. It included a photograph of Monica Jones, taken by Larkin himself, perhaps attached to a review of the book.  She certainly didn’t look anything like Jim’s Margaret Peel.

 

 I am still floundering about (and haven’t touched Moravia). I decided to go on with Clare Chambers, since “Small Pleasures” was such a success. I’ve embarked on “A Dry Spell”. It starts very well. None of the characters is having a particularly nice time, but I’m not finding it depressing. Funny how it works.