Spring cycling, bridge, and rugby

1 There's much to tell. Spring has arrived: the trees, including the one here in the front and the one at the top of the Close, carry their blossom. What a joy. And the first of the spring rides was to Westerham. Five assembled in the Square; Gordon and I waited at the top of the hill. (My overtaking Gordon on the A22 was fortunate as he told me about the later assembly in Ashurstwood.) A companionable ride towards the North Downs; a swoop down to the A25 and to the town. Refreshments in the familiar café. An equally amiable ride in the sun back to EG. A few miles short of 40. All good stuff. I was out again on my road-bike. A nice piece of kit.

1.1 Marian2 awaits you. She has changed her dress; otherwise, she is identical to her sister.

2 Liam and I played bridge last Thursday. There were four and a half tables, compared with seven the previous week. There were two joint N/S tops and two joint thirds, including Liam and me. I did display the 3NT bidding card on one occasion when I intended to display the 3S one. Alas, my bid (of 3NT) was passed. Alas, the opening lead was a club; alas, Liam had just two low ones; alas, alas, I had none at all.

2.1 Weak 2s. I remember we were keen to adopt the convention some years ago. We adopted it for a short while, did we? In any case, if we did, we returned to the familiar, strong version. However, let's talk about weakness. We can always give the new way an outing, in Forest Row perhaps.

3 After the bridge we scored; we also chatted. I gave news of you, and then I introduced the concept of the enclave, the bubble. That topic was the primary one. Liam took the concept (though he didn't draw upon the NI demographics to illustrate the concept). The familiar concept of the enclave. As a rule, we join those with whom we will be familiar. I had the concept, the practice, in mind as I cycled today: as I passed the houses in the country I told myself that, given a choice, I would choose a house in the town, with neighbours, rather than a single one in the country. Our discussion would have been an easy one to join; what struck me was Liam's easy adoption of the concept. We continued to chat to (just on) midnight.

4 An item on this morning's Sunday programme also deserves to be transmitted. The issue was the treatment of blind people in church. Blind people. I can't recall an obviously blind person at Worth (or, for that matter, in St Peter's or in any church). A blind contributor observed that the distinction is drawn between light (good) and darkness (bad). 'Let there be light.' The switching-on of the lights at the Easter Mass. Amazing Grace. 'I once was blind but now I see.' So I am taken with the issue of blind people and wheelchaired people at Mass. Where are they?

5 I went to 1830 Mass at St Peter's yesterday; as a result, I had to leave the Wales v Ireland game when neither side had scored. When I returned the score was 12-14. Then it became 15-14, with just minutes to go. A dropped goal by O'Gara: 15-17. A penalty to Wales right in the last minute. A mighty attempt at goal from just inside the Irish half. The ball dropped short. Ireland had won the Grand Slam for the first time since 1948.

5.1 Earlier on I had watched a recording of an interview with Jack Kyle, who had been the Irish fly-half in the 1948 side. I remembered him. The recording ran for 18 minutes. A pleasure to watch. Amongst all else, he recalled the journey to Paris: train from Belfast to Dublin, the boat to Holyhead, train to London, overnight stay, train to Dover, ferry to Calais, train to Paris. He attended the game yesterday.

6 Summer begins her week at Hindleap Warren tomorrow. I've sent her an encouraging e-mail. The family, remember, will be in Holland from 5 to 10 April.

7 Evenley. Ah. I'll wait to hear your thoughts. I'd also wait to hear your thoughts about the Golden Triangle.

8 Tomorrow also, the meeting with the lawyer about Brian Wright's will. Still plenty of SSAFA. A first meeting about Crawley RAFA on Wednesday. I hope that I can contain my connection. I'm ready to take the cases, but I don't want to be drawn into other matters.

9 The sun is setting behind the trees. The light is going. It's cooler than it was, here in the conservatory.

10 It's time to come back to East Grinstead.

Stayathome.