Freddie's Funeral

Started work on yet another court report at seven knowing I would struggle to get it all done in the day as there was a meeting I needed to go to in Darlington later .... from inside, a lovely day , sunny and bright . By 8 45 took the bike down to the fish quay , the wind was not apparent through the windows , hard work pedalling along to the ferry landing . So much goes on down there .. cycling back along past the shops with their blackboards outside advertising their stuff , much of it home made or home cured or home whatever , the wind at my back I could have been on a Greek island . Wrapped up in a fleece with a gortex over that I was as warm as I would have been in a vest top in full sun , and the sun sparkling off the oily water and later the waves , I could have been anywhere enjoying two weeks of bliss.

Wherever we live now it seems we all live CityLives , seeing nothing except the inside of our homes , our offices , department stores and the occasional pub , hotel or restaurant .
Wonderful to be in a different life which plays out not ten minutes from my house and yet rarely seen by me anyway . On a bike you swish past the shops with wet fish in the doorways and patches of oil mingled with twists of fish guts , close enough to really see the fisherman standing in the alley ways talking and sometimes drinking from a can as they go off after the night shift .

After the quay the wind blows me along the river as it opens to the sea , the waves splash against the walls and I plan the rest of my report .

They buried Freddie on this day , in the afternoon .