Louis' Olympic Legacy Sports Day

Norman and I lie in until a quarter to eight and then eat a leisurely breakfast, outside it is a bright morning, with low clouds occasionally obscuring and then revealing the sun. Shadows and breezes chase each other across the meadow beyond my garden, which is almost obscured as the hawthorn hedge has grown a foot in the last six weeks and will need cutting before I go on holiday next week. Around half past eight, Sarah sends me a text to ask if I can go to Louis' sports day this morning, I text back to say that I will, but won't be able to get there until eleven, after I have taken Normy for his walk. I shower and dress, pack my swimming gear and then tidy up, before meeting my neighbour, Betty, to walk with her dog Nellie. Normy is getting used to them, aided by the fact that Betty always carries dog treats in her pocket and Norman loves anyone who caters to his belly. We walk down Carr Lane, over the little bridge and make our way through "almost straight wood", before doubling back along the side of the dyke. Betty has another kayaking lesson tonight at Albert Avenue baths, in Hull. This is in preparation for her National Geographic cruise to Antarctica, next January, I offer to reciprocate and look after Nellie for her, but she already has arrangements in place. When we get back, I give Norman a few biscuits and some fresh water, before driving to Manor Road and Louis' sports day. When I arrive, it is not at all what I expect. The children have been grouped into teams comprised of pupils from each year and given the national flag of an Olympic national team. Louis' team is Kenya. The teams then progress around more than twenty "sports taster", stations, where they spend five minutes trying a new activity and are given points for how well they try to learn. A loud klaxon sounds to indicate when it is time to move to the next activity. I find Louis and we share a hug, before he runs off to his next station and then the final klaxon sounds, just after half past eleven. The head teacher tells the children that the points will be added up and the results declared later in the week, then after thanking the teaching staff, who manned the stations and the parents for their support, the children are lead back to class for their lunch by their respective teachers. Louis waves me goodbye as he goes. I am reliably informed by a departing parent that this has been an "Olympic Legacy Sports Day". Afterwards, I make my way to the leisure centre for my swim. The pool is very busy, so no chance of swimming medleys today and I settle down in a double lane with four other swimmers and warm up on 400m freestyle, which I follow by 400m freestyle. Two swimmers leave the lane, so I turn on to my back to swim 400m backstroke and by the time I have finished this, the adjacent lane becomes free and I fit in 4 x 100m Individual Medleys, before more swimmers arrive, so warm down on 400m split between backstroke and freestyle. The guys in the kitchen tell me that they haven't yet had their delivery of flour today, so there are no scones, and I have to make do with a toasted teacake instead. After watching Laura Robson break her blonde opponents service and then lose her own service and eventually the first set at Wimbledon, I drive to Morrisons, where I buy some more fruit, salad and bread, before driving to Saint Mary's to collect Louis at a quarter past three. It has started to rain as I park up down Manor Road, but fortunately I have my cagoule-in-a-bag with me, which I pull over my head and my little black umbrella. The rain stops as suddenly as it started and I start to cook inside the plastic coat, so as soon as I have settled Louis into his car seat, I take it off again. After driving home and unpacking the shopping, Louis and I walk through the snicket to the playing fields by the Village Hall, leaving Norman in the garden sleeping in the sun, which has started to shine brightly. Fortunately there are lots of children at the park and they are starting to get to know Louis, the girls especially seem to like him, so I am able to sit on a bench and observe proceedings with the minimum expenditure of effort. After an hour, Louis challenges me to a balancing competition on the snake, we have to walk its complete length and return, without falling off. He wins easily, but I manage it eventually, on the third attempt. When we return home, I make pizza for us both, using half the dough that I mixed with Laura and saved in the fridge, we also make a tossed salad with fine slices of Gran Padano, to accompany this. The pizza turns out OK,  now that I have allowed more time for the yeast to work. After dinner, we walk Normy, down as far as the little bridge and Louis climbs into the hollow willow tree, with holes in the trunk that look like gun ports, and that he has christened his "Pirate Ship". We play the "praise and pat", game with Normy on the way back, it is a lovely warm summer's evening and my neighbours wave to us from their gardens, as we make our way home. It is almost half past seven, when I drop Louis off with Alice, Sarah is due home imminently, she had two private patients to see to after work. Alice gives me the four piece set of Viner's stainless steel cutlery, that her mum bought as a thank you present for looking after Louis for the weekend. I thank her and then drive home, where I read a few more chapters of "The Facts of Life", before turning in.