I’ve turned Radio 2. No-one is as surprised as I am. One afternoon, I took my car to the carwash. The next day I decided that I would actually wash and wax it myself as it gives a better shine. So I’m out on the drive, polishing my car. It would have been a Sunday afternoon, but now that I have been practising being retired for six months, every day is a Sunday. One long weekend in fact.
On top of car cleaning, I baked bread the other day. I’d used Delia’s recipe for simple white bread, and made two loaf-shaped lumps which were vaguely edible. All of this was much to the amazement of my grandfather, who observed that two and a half grand spent on a marine conservation expedition had left me with some useful skills. While I was waiting for the bread to rise, I listened to a broadcast from the Royal British Radio Two. It talked about the cost of bread (some ten quid loaf they were talking about), the quality of flour, and the preparation time for a proper loaf. The fact that this was being broadcast while I was baking, left me thinking that life as a baking car washer was for me. I found the programme’s message resonated with my life, and my approach to breadmaking. All hope is lost for me.