It's been a while. Well about a week actually...

Where to start? What to type? I'll begin by announcing that I received a postcard from Finland (cheers Marika) in the post (where else?) this morning. With a Father Christmas on it. It's June! But I don't mind, a postcard always makes me smile... you can can read an earlier blog about it. If you like...

Sun's here today so I am letting some wet clothes from the laundry sunbathe outside. They are loving it. It'll be a nice change for them, as I regularly forget that I have washed them and they stay in the machine for a couple of days... resulting in bad smells and them having to be washed again. So to take advantage of 'global warming'; by only washing them once this time, I have done my bit for the environment as well. I'll be out there in a while but just having a little cool off at the minute while watching the Royal Ascot coverage from the BBC. Usually go (on the Saturday) but haven't bothered to get a ticket this year as I went to Cheltenham for the jumps festival instead. Brilliant... if a little cold. It was in March.

Luckily for me I went to an airshow last Saturday. Genuinely interested even though I don't like the flying bit. But it was too busy, too hot, too exposed and too damn noisy. Adequate burgers though...

The following day I went to Reading to watch some rowing. I'll be honest with you... I used to row and I miss it. I really do! Not just the racing but also the training, the early mornings and the sessions in the cafe after the outings. Never did a sausage sandwich taste so good...

Some rowing (at Reading)...

So Reading it was to get a rowing 'fix'. And it was lovely; I went on my own and it has really put me in the mood for a trip to the Royal Regatta at Henley at the end of the month. Hadn't arranged to meet anyone there and had a lovely day lazing by the river. But later... I went into Reading itself. Not so good...

J.K.J. got it so 'right' in his famous book. Read chapter 16... 'We came in sight of Reading about eleven. The river is dirty and dismal here. One does not linger in the neighbourhood of Reading...'

Not strictly 'right' in the truest sense of the word. The river is gorgeous. Clear, rubbish-free, overhanging willows in the margins etc... (see the picture below).

But the outskirts of the town? Truly grim, or at least the bit I found myself in; which wasn't all that far from the Reading central. And this was a shame because I'd been there before, (a stop-off from a very expensive trip to London on one occasion... but that's another blog for another day), and it is just not how I remember it. Maybe it is. Maybe it was always going to be a disappointment going back because I had always had so much of a giggle when I'd been there before. There was always a bar/beer involved at some point.

There was no bar or beer involved on this occasion and perhaps that is why I saw the place in a different light. I'm sure I'll go back again at some point... probably to watch some rowing races, but I don't think I'll look forward to it quite as much.

One thing I can say about my visit was that the burgers at the rowing club were more than adequate...

Apart from the football World Cup, the rowing version continues tomorrow from Munich. Watch here...

http://www.worldrowing.com/index.php?pageid=116