Reservoir

i had another decent night unless you count waking up around 04.30 as a disadvantage. A cup of coffee slipped down nicely and I resurfaced again around 06.00 I think.

I then contemplated at what time I should book my swimming slot. I decided on 08.30. I can work out how busy the pool will be from the listed number of places available. They never list more than 10; slots are booked every 10 minutes and last 50 minutes. So if there are booking slots with 8,9,10 spaces, close together, that is a good time to book. Which is why I chose 08.30.

And the pool was fairly empty throughout my swim which has increased in distance. Some very small people appeared having some sort of lesson. During time allotted to ‘swim for fitness?’ Where, if you are under 15 years old, you have to be able to swim to club standard? However they stayed out of the way on this occasion and the management might as well take advantage of limited custom.

I studied the untidy patchwork that is Halfpenny Lane. There are still gaps between the patches, rip-your-tyre edges to the road, and excitement provided by various craters and potholes.

I decided H and I would have a trip out to a recommended unmuddy walking place. But it was about a half hour drive away, and, reviewers had forgotten to mention that dog walking was only allowed along one route, and some of it was muddy. Never mind the fact there were only limited views of the reservoir.
It was a very very big reservoir where Osford Sailing Club is based. They do paddle boarding and all sorts. And there are lots of tracks to follow . If you don’t have a dog. The day was bleak with a raw wind and spits and spots of damp.

Dog walk route