I filled up Virginia's car in the morning, hampered by the roadworks in Histon. An old dear pulled up at the Station Road garage after me, with music blaring louder than any teenage tearaway. She had it deafening everyone even as she filled up, and didn’t wear a mask when she went to pay.

Virginia drove down to Loughton, stopping at Eddington for 2 Chinese meals for two which we had this evening. We were held up in Loughton by roadworks near Virginia's Mum and Dad, then held up on the M25 by debris on the road, so later than intended to Alfie's Barn in Ambrosden near Bicester. Google Maps took us a scenic route rather than the M40. Alfie by the way is the owner's dog. Kind of him to let us use his barn.

Alfie’s Barn itself has a tiled floor for most of it making me regret not bringing slippers! The hob took some button mashing to work out how it worked, not so obvious. We hoped we didn't break it in some way, as when we first used it it was displaying 0s for each ring but after the button mashing it displayed Hs. Unlike previous cottages no literature or welcome pack but Covid has changed things.

On the minus Ginny’s Dad didn’t bring some medicine he needed. And spectacles. And I left my trainers behind! And Virginia and I didn't bring slippers!