Just a rather late mix of thoughts and some pictures.

Let us start with these photographs taken last Friday in London.

This is the memorial to Sir Richard Francis Burton, and his wife, Isabel in Mortlake in the cemetery attached to St. Mary Magdalene's RC church. It is in the shape of a Bedouin tent, one can climb up a wonky ladder at the back and look inside where it is furnished in the style of such a tent.

This memorial was one of the delights of our monthly Strollers walk from Barnes to Kew. Well of the eleven proud walkers, 4 of us opted to jump on the 65 bus to Richmond  after lunch, where as the others walked to Richmond along the tow path past Kew Gardens. It had been an interesting walk, by train to Barnes Bridge a chance to travel on the loop line through green suburbia. In Barnes we wandered past the pond and looked inside the parish church, it had been reconfigured when rebuilt after a fire in the 1970s. No pews, the altar faces north not east. Background to this is there is much discussion at our church of the need to make better use of the space, provide toilet and catering facilities and replace uncomfortable pews with chairs.

Problem is two ends of the same borough but Barnes is Hollywood on Thames and we are in Whitton.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any more pictures so cannot show the stretch of the Thames Path along which we walked to Kew Green. As I have said before, why do we ever need to go away with such beauty so near?

Today had a pulmonary appointment with a physiotherapist, blood pressure, lung function and oxygen levels checks. Glad to report all well, not changed from last year but have to have exercise that makes me puffed. Walking is the best, so last Friday was good from both a health, sociable and fun viewpoint.

This good news merited a wander around the shops of Teddington, browsed Oxfam for books, we purchased one on decorating woodwork just as an assistant bought a beautiful small pink leather Radley handbag out to put on display. It never got to the display, £20.00 and this perfect, unused bag was mine.

About 7" x 6", so neat, will take essentials like inhaler, purse, hanky, keys.

Oh, nearly forgot. There was a yarn and fabric shop in Barnes so I popped in and bought a grey plastic circular needles to carry around so I don't break even more bamboo ones. Cannot say I like knitting with them, they are slippery and cold but the hexipuffs and thus the Beekeepers Quilt  is devouring lots of bamboo needles. Anyway, I have made 60 hexipuffs so far, nowhere near one a day though.

Am knitting this hexipuff with moss stitch, have made a few this way, makes a more interesting texture although have needed to concentrate a little more. Picture shows also the plastic and grey needles.

Right, time to do mundane house chores, like loading the washing machine and thinking about supper. Will be casserole and apple pie as there is enough from yesterday. So Jill Archer.