Day 360: A Cold Morning, Kind Neighbours, and a Sunday Full of Laughter

Best bits: laughter and surprise present

Worst bits: still cold

Distance: rest day

Days to to finish: 5

I lingered in bed this morning, reluctant to climb out into what felt like an icebox of a house. It was so cold I ended up wearing my hat and a jacket indoors — a sure sign that the heating situation still isn’t sorted!

Eventually, I forced myself up and out to get some fuel for the fire. It felt strange being back behind the wheel of my car after so long driving Priscilla. First, I tried to set off without releasing the handbrake — forgetting that Priscilla has an automatic one. Then I realised how low down I was to the road, compared to sitting high up in her cab. Even the mirrors seemed tiny in comparison. After a few clunky gear changes, I managed to make it to the supermarket without too much drama.

On the way back, I stopped in at Bridget and Dave’s for a cuppa. Molly was over the moon to see me — tail wagging furiously and full of excitement. While I was there, Pat, one of Bridget’s neighbours, popped round with a gift she’d made for me. I was genuinely blown away. It’s a stunning picture made entirely of tiny, hand-fixed diamonds — an image from my very first day, featuring me, Poppy, and Priscilla in the background. The map of Britain is beautifully detailed, and I couldn’t believe the amount of time and patience it must have taken her. Such a thoughtful gift, and I absolutely love it.

Pat mentioned that I was in today’s Sunday Post, so on the way home I stopped to pick up a copy. To my surprise, it turned out to be a huge feature — a full page and a half! I was especially pleased to see that several lovely photographs of Angela were included too.

Back home, I got the fire going and was very thankful that my electric shower still works — there’s nothing quite like hot water when the rest of the house feels like a fridge. Later in the afternoon, I headed back to Bridget and Dave’s for a late Sunday lunch with Danny and Sara too.

It turned out to be quite an eventful afternoon. It was Bridget and Dave’s wedding anniversary, and Bridget had been celebrating with Prosecco for most of the day. When it came time to carve the roast chicken, there was a loud clatter in the kitchen — the chicken had made a dramatic dive onto the floor! Thankfully, all was rescued, and the meal went ahead as planned. Molly was delighted to help with the clean-up operation, of course.

As the evening wound down, we somehow found ourselves caught up in a medical drama. Bridget announced she’d found a tick on her ankle the day before and thought there might still be something attached. What followed was pure chaos — everyone grabbed tweezers and torches, offering advice and competing for a closer look. Poor Bridget ended up pinned down by Daniel, shrieking into a cushion while everyone else laughed helplessly. Eventually, the commotion died down, Bridget had had enough of everyone’s “help”, and it was clearly time to head home and leave her in peace.