Saturday, May 22

The day started late, with a walk to the nearby park in summer heat.

I look around at the hard-edged shadows and, as I pass by, I find myself drawn to the playground gates.

The afternoon passes as I engage in aerial acrobatics. I succeed in getting some very long planks into the attic. This involves hanging off the ladder one handed while trying to tip the planks so that they fall forwards into the attic above me, rather than collapse bak over my shoulder into the garden.

The day will end very late, after three and a half hours of watching the Eurovision Song Contest. Italy will win with a “heavy rock” song by Måneskin that I have forgotten seconds after it ends. France will come second with a cabaret chanson called Voilà, and Switzerland will come third with something that Freddy Mercury would have thought over the top.

Iceland came fourth, having had to substitute a video of a rehearsal performance for an actual appearance, due to a member of th band testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week.

Finland came 6th, their second highest score ever. England came last with null points.