1st October 2022

It’s time to return to some sense of normality. Queen Elizabeth II once described a difficult year as an “Annus Horribilis”, and without doubt, 2022 has been just that. The ongoing pandemic, the mounting effects of global warming, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the resulting sanctions and Putin’s retaliations,  and, of course, the death of our Queen,  have all contributed to a deeply unsettling year.

The future of this planet feels increasingly precarious, and it remains, for now, the only one we have. It is high time that world leaders, politicians, and the ultra-wealthy recognise this. Only then can all of us who inhabit this spinning rock begin to hope for an “Annus Mirabilis.”

There is no alternative.

On Friday the 16th, I spent a pleasant hour harvesting this year’s crop of red grapes. Usually, the task passes without incident, but on this occasion, I appeared to upset a blackbird. As I picked the satisfyingly plump bunches, he alighted on the vine just a few centimetres away, voicing his indignation loudly and persistently as I made my way along the rows. He seemed to be labouring under the misapprehension that the juicy fruit was his, and his alone.

I could clearly see where he’d already helped himself to a few of the grapes,  and I can’t say I blame him; they are rather delicious. But he is, after all, an interloper, and the crop is mine. That said, I do have a heart, and I left him a few bunches to feast on at his leisure. I hope he appreciates the gesture. After all, we do share this same lump of rock.

Six days later, I crushed the grapes and began the fermentation process. That particular produce, however, I shan’t be sharing with Mr Blackbird.

As the month drew to a close, life settled into its usual rhythm:  walking, cycling, watching rugby, and attending to the inevitable garden and household chores. The only ‘highlight’ of these domestic duties came when Sue rang me on my mobile as I was picking the white grapes. She asked me to return home immediately, as one of the taps in a bedroom was ‘pouring’ out hot water and she couldn’t turn it off.

The issue was swiftly resolved with the fitting of a new washer, though it did require draining the system and refilling it again to ensure my DIY efforts had been successful. Unfortunately, it brought my grape-picking to an abrupt end for the day,  and I must say, fitting a rubber washer is far less relaxing and rewarding than filling tubs with lush, green, flavoursome fruit.

On the evening of the last day of the month, Sue and I went to the Harborough Theatre to watch Benediction, an excellent portrayal of the 20th-century war poet Siegfried Sassoon. The film charted his lifelong quest for personal salvation through family, war, writing, and a series of turbulent relationships. Beautifully scripted and rich in symbolism, it was a sensitive and thoroughly enjoyable production.

On the first of October, Sue and I had our Covid booster and flu jabs. Just before we set off for our local surgery, Ruth arrived with Rocky and Nala.  We were looking after the two hounds overnight while she and Jamie went to see the musical Bugsy Malone in Sheffield. On their way home the next day, they also stopped off at the Magna Science Adventure Centre before collecting the little mutts.

Later, that afternoon, I settled down with three rugby chums, and the two dogs, naturally,  to watch Tigers take on Saracens, with the match shown on the big screen in the garden room. Sadly, it was a one-sided affair, with the Tigers soundly beaten 51–18. A thoroughly deserved win for Saracens, and plenty for the Tigers to reflect on after such a drubbing!