Mark called in at the builders’ merchant this morning and was apologetically told that he was not allowed in without a face covering on.
I am pleased to be able to tell you that when Mark went back to the car and returned wearing his upside down bucket face covering, they laughed so much that they gave him a free T-shirt as a present for cheering their day up.
Oliver told me this story on the telephone later, with a mixture of embarrassed horror and awe.
They went off to work together again this morning, for the last day this week of building Number One Son-In-Law’s house in Barrow. Oliver is very relieved that it is Friday, and is beginning to think longingly of going back to school. He remarked last night that he could hardly believe he ever thought that being educated was hard work. Compared to mixing render and sawing wood and painting PVA on to walls, going to school is practically a holiday. He is growing muscles all over the place, and had to have his dinner twice last night.
I had to go out to work before they got home, and hence left their dinner in the kitchen. I had made a new loaf of bread, and a pan of tomato and celery soup, fresh from the conservatory, because we have an abundance of both at the moment. Oliver asked lots of serious questions about what I would leave for dinner, because eating is an important and absorbing business for him at the moment. As well as the bread and soup I have left pasta and melon and yoghurt, and a dish of chocolate buttons for emergencies. He should be all right at that, but if not there are always Pringles under the sideboard.
They stopped by the taxi rank on their way back, full of a story of visiting Asda, where Mark has become the most photographed Bucket Head Person in the North of England. Oliver put Mark’s new T-shirt on his head, and Mark had his bucket. They ambled round the shop, waving at frightened children and making the assistants laugh.
I expect eventually we will see him on everybody’s Facebook pages.
They had such a good time and laughed so much that Oliver has stopped being embarrassed, and they have bought him a bucket of his own, along with a toilet brush for hair. I will put photographs on these pages when they have finished it.
I have not yet worn my mask. This is not because I have not been shopping. I went to the Co-op this morning. I realised when I got there that after all my fuss and worry I had completely forgotten that it was Mask Day.
The shop was entirely deserted, and I only wanted a melon, so I just went in anyway and bought one, and nobody called the police, so that was all right. I was mildly disappointed, because I have been quite looking forward to frightening children on my own account, but I am quite sure that there will be lots more opportunities.
I had a small surprise when I got home. I left the door open when I went out, because of not being sure where might have left the key, and came back in to discover a parcel lying on the doormat behind the open door, and on opening it, it turned out to be a pair of pretty leather sandals.
They were purple and gold with a blue plastic jewel and some stick-on diamonds.
You will not be surprised to hear that I liked them very much.
They turned out to have been a birthday present from my parents, ordered in March and delayed ever since by the Bat Flu. I was very pleased to have them, although am not wearing them at the moment. This is because my feet are still cold enough on the taxi rank for thick sheepskin boots to be necessary. That is very rubbish since it is almost August.
Have a picture of the soup.
