Radio resumed

On return from my Ewell Village anti-clockwise, I was tempted to take tea in the café next to Costcutter, which I have been meaning to visit since it was taken over by a new team last year. But in the event, I decided that proper tea at home was what I really wanted, to which end I would get our camping stove down from the roof of the garage, perhaps not touched since our days of camping in France, perhaps twenty five years ago now. I was slightly surprised to find that the gas bottle had not completely run down in that time and that I was able to boil up some water for my tea. All very satisfactory.

Then, about 1300, the light we had left on as a signal came on. No, no, no sezzaye. They are just playing about. Not the real thing yet. Perhaps I better take a walk around to the sub-station and ask them. Not necessary, as shortly afterwards I noticed a text message from the power people - UK Power Networks rather than the EDF mentioned in the last post - telling me that this was indeed the power coming back on.

The soup in the thermos was not as hot as it might have been. Thermos - we believe a FIL jumble sale purchase many years ago - now retired. The balance will no be lifted to its usual high standard tomorrow by heating it on the hob.

The roast pork - rolled leg - was perhaps a little over cooked. It weighed in at something over 4lbs and after 2 hours at 160C it ran a little red on skewering. But a further 40 minutes, after which it did not run at all, was perhaps a little too much. Nevertheless, cold pork, potato salad (with both onion and garlic) and green salad (with neither) made a very pleasant change. And the crackling, into which I had rubbed salt before cooking, turned out very well - although I do not take the stuff myself, fearing for what is left of my back teeth.

Turned gas boiler back on. It was still showing the right time and it fired up OK. So that was OK.

Returned camping stove to the roof of the garage. When will it come down again?

So a satisfactory end to the power cut saga. And it will teach us to be a bit more sympathetic when we next read about hundreds of people cut off for days and weeks from electricity or gas as a result of some freak weather, or whatever.

PS: in the margins, I learned that one of Corbyn's many virtues was the help he afforded, also perhaps twenty five years ago now, to students from Sri Lanka having permission to stay problems with the Home Office. I agreed with my informant, that while evidence of Corbyn's decency, decency was a necessary but not sufficient condition for being fit to be our Prime Minister. Although we will never know whether he would have been any better at it than the one we do have.