Is It St Swithun's Day?

I went back to my parents over the weekend, doing what I usually do by heading up on the Saturday morning and going straight to work on the Monday. This usually works out okay, but not today, as my initial train was cancelled due to a malfunctioning door opening arrangement and the next train, which left an hour later, crawled between York and Leeds meaning I was nearly two hours late to work. Thrown into the mix is Extinction Rebellion blockading part of Leeds in a climate change protest all week and suffice to say this morning was particularly fraught. I also wasn't feeling particularly good on account of the nine glasses of wine my mother gave me yesterday afternoon, at one stage even going round to one of their neighbours after he peered over the fence and invited us over with the offer of yet more wine. I had had seven glasses by this point and was already feeling it, so it was odd to be introduced to someone new in such a state, but he had a shared love of travel and so conversation wasn't too difficult.

Aside from a rather weird and heated argument with my stepfather about music, the third argument I've had with him in five visits, the rest of the day was pretty good. The arguments are starting to become an issue and I did have to stress this to my mother, who fortunately understood where I was coming from. I wasn't even being controversial, it was an innocuous enough comment and yet objectively my stepfather completely lost it. Anyway, I got to see the two spaniels and reacquaint myself with Wilma, with whom I have a strong connection, while the day was quite warm and sunny so we got to take them for a lengthy walk. Earlier in the day, I got to see my grandfather, who has become increasingly more relaxed and lucid since my grandmother was put into a home on account of her dementia. He seems happier now, but also more whistful, with real sadness in the knowledge that his life is coming to an end. I talked to him about my forthcoming business trip to Amsterdam, when he asked me whether he could go with me, yet knowing that he doesn't have the physical capability any more. He was also reminiscing about former friends there, who are probably dead, so it was quite a sorrowful experience. Still, he's doing remarkably well for ninety and I do enjoy catching up with him.

On the Saturday I spent time with my father, which was very much the usual too. We headed out to Saltburn after having a cheeseboard and some soup for lunch, walking along the cliff  top as it was a rather warm day. This is always a pleasant walk but it has become a little heavier now as someone has put some DIY signs urging people to stay away from the cliff edge, or quoting the number of the Samaritans in popular suicide spots. At the start of the walk there is a collection of flowers and commemorations of people who had lost their lives on the cliffs so despite the beauty, it was quite sad too. While up here, we also grabbed a geocache in an old mineshaft, which was used to ventilate the iron ore mines up here, while after our walk, we grabbed a fizzy beer in one of the local pubs. Interestingly, the Saltburn Conservative and Unionist Club were running an LGBTQ Pride event with a huge flag, while after our trip to the seaside, we went back to the pub that time forgot in our home village where we enjoyed a hearty portion of fish and chips and a pint of ale straight out of 1983. The meal made me feel quite bloated in the end so we curtailed our drinking afterwards, with me even having a small doze such was its effects, before staying up past 1am speaking to my father.

It was all in all a good weekend then, but quite a difficult one to navigate with a few heavy moments. Hopefully this isn't a portent of things to come but I guess we'll see again in the autumn.