Bank Holiday Saturday. End of the month - beginning of the end.

Is it really that hard to see that the problem in The Ukraine has been caused, in some degree, by Western attitudes to Russia for centuries? I am guessing it springs out of cultural, social and religious opposition which has always seen the Orient, the Russ, Orthodox, The Tatars, etc, as not as morally 'good', or righteous, as the West, with it's Papal, Romance/Anglo-Saxon, Protestant/Catholic dichotomy sees itself. Why is it impossible for humanity to see that we're not all the same and we can be different? Russia's history of itself is no different from England's history of itself: they are both incorrect. Seeing yourself as others see you is a very difficult skill. Perhaps no human can directly see his or her faults all that well?

***

I slept badly. The floor is not my friend! And the sofa downstairs is simply too short for me. I have to lay somewhat fetal on the settee which I find very uncomfortable and there is no give on the floor so my bones feel ill positioned. True, I could've headed back to Leeds and a large, supportive, freshly made double, but I was so bleeping tired after hacking the concrete like earth up at the allotment for an hour I couldn't motivate myself to pack my stuff and head for the long, slow hour back on the X98 to my flat.

The effect caused by Monday evening to Saturday morning without a good, unbroken, night's sleep is a pretty appalling man. Weary and frazzled. Coffee is there to rescue, but I must be clean, meat free, alcohol free, dog free, allotment free just today!

...

Mum has an Airbnb guest upstairs who I hear shifting as I consider getting on an early bus back to Leeds to be good to myself. The allotment isn't too dry, really, I banked up the spuds and watered the French beans and tried to prepare a couple of areas for tomatoes, but I am wary of putting tomatoes up there is I haven't enough water in the butt close to the shed - it's currently empty because April has been a drought. It's been cold and dry quite some time. The warm wet March is a distant memory, but May is a couple of days away and things will change. A warm wet May would be welcome - not a deluge, but something like April showers a month late?

When I return from The South I will put all the tomatoes in the ground, regardless, as it must get warm on a night shortly: ten degrees isn't too much to ask? And I promised to give mum's friend Janet two plants then too.

All being well I'll be back in The North on the 15th as Mike will be back in Germany. Although I am tempted to go there too, I know England is expensive to try any form of Pilgrimage.

The parish office in Dulwich had no response to the request they put out about us staying overnight with parishioners. But I think Dulwich isn't far enough away for the first day: the edge of Epsom Downs is where I would like us to stop for one night...

***

The pain on my toe may be a corn? Mum had a corn plaster which I have used to see if the bloody thing sods off?

On the bus. Started again with two trays of sweet corn as none were showing in the three I'd set... Perhaps the birds had them all. Will start again the blue corn when I return to mum's on Sunday...

***

Some Slovakian who hates Russia, because of 1968, obviously overlooks all the bastards to have raped and pillaged and ransacked and reduced to rubble their 'nation'. I know that a nation isn't the reality: it's conformity; usually forced. I had a lovely Gyros there watching Leeds's finest fall on the floor and showing everyone its bloomers. All day I've been on my way home. I left around 3 and I've been putting off bed for far too long.

Along North Street there are very few Leeds United mongrels. But I don't like Reliance with its Please wait here to be SEATED Thank You all I can smell is a bit fishy! I forgot which seafood this is which reminds me of The Linton Springs back in 1990! Probably Moules. I think I am very ready for bed.