Tired and Emotional
4 June
This weekend, it has all caught up with me.
In the last fortnight, I have
- finished work at UCL and bidden farewell to a lot of people whom I liked
- tried to make sure that I saw friends and family before I left
- packed up my home into boxes and watched Pickfords take it all away in a van
- spent some understated emotional time with Ross as we both braced ourselves for this next chapter in our story
- travelled up North to set up camp outside Wigan
- started a new job
It's no wonder I'm tired. 
The journey up, last Monday, was easy. Everything that I needed immediately fitted into the car and Colin made me most welcome when I arrived. I have a large bedroom at the front of the vicarage - a sort of 1920s villa style construction with a wonderful wood panelled vestibule.
Tuesday I did little apart from re-arrange the room and take Colin down to the
local superstore - Sainsbury's - there isn't a local Tesco's.
The micro component
music system I got as a leaving present from UCL has given me lots of pleasure - I've
nearly finished my trot through the BBC Radio history of the British Isles This
Sceptred Isle. As of today, Sunday, after over 40 hours of listening, I've
reached the mid 1980s and it's been a remarkable journey - one that I shall
make on numerous future occasions I'm sure.
Wednesday morning I fixed up the computer, jacked into the local cable network
and got back on line. Then I got the lawn mower out and cut the grass in the back
garden whilst my washing dried on the line. It was blissfully warm and sunny
and I enjoyed it. Good that I did because it has pissed down ever since.
In the afternoon, I took a quick ride into town to test out my journey to work. It's 21 miles each way. The first 13 miles or so are a blast along the M58 to Switch Island. That takes 15 minutes or so. I then thread my way through Aintree, into Walton Vale near to where I was born, under the flyover at Queens Drive and past the Black horse which my great, great granddad was landlord of in the late 19th century and on through Kirkdale, across Everton Brow with a fabulous view over to the Welsh hills down to the Great Orme at Llandudno on a clear day and then dropping down behind the new Royal Hospital to where I park close to the University precinct. That bit takes 30 minutes. But when you think of how long it would take to drive 8 miles in the middle of the day in the centre of London, I simply re-adjust and realise how lucky I am.
Thursday, I started work in earnest and continued the good work on Friday. I had
a meeting with my boss and we agreed on what I will be doing over the next few
weeks. I do have the feeling that I am going to be given a reasonably free
hand. Actually, I think that there's just a little bit of fear that I am so
good. I can use this.
I schlepped up to Ormskirk on Friday evening to see Phil and to have a look round an exhibition of students' work from the Communication and Media course he teaches on at Edge Hill. There was photography, web design, video and radio production work on offer - some good, most reasonable. I'd give you the web site address but I think I need to check that one with Phil first.
We chilled out over the evening together, which was good.
Saturday two things happened. It rained and I slept. Actually it got so unseasonably cold at one point that Colin put the central heating on. That was quite enough for me. 20 minutes later I was asleep.
Today, I've not done much either apart from travelling over to the Wirral to visit the ageing Ps. Work tomorrow and the first full week I've done at any workplace for quite some time. Getting there. Getting there.