Rude awakenings. Keeping the small boats away. Too many lords and ladies.

This morning my phone rang some fifteen minutes before my alarm was due to wake me. It’s very confusing when that happens. My brian has to adjust and work out what that particular noise is. And if anyone rings me at that time, well, it must be an emergency of some kind. It was my daughter. She had woken up to her washing machine, filled up with washing by her partner last night, showing an error message. It was full of wet, unwashed washing. Could she drop it off at my house? And would I wash it for her in my machine? Oh, and by the way she had just dropped the small boy at nursery, not far from our house, and so she was only minutes away. 

Well, that was an unexpected start to the day. 

I fought my way into my dressing gown and went to open the front door, by which time she was pulling up outside the house. 

I went back to bed and listened to the rain on the roof and only some time later got up and went for a run! The rain had stopped but it did come back later, rather cold, sleety stuff! 

So now, three loads of my washing machine later, my house is festooned with clothing from my daughter’s family. Goodness, bow does she keep up with it all? No wonder she has a larger-capacity washing machine than I do. No wonder she uses the tumble drier. 

Out in the wider world Rishi Sunak is working on preventing people who arrive in he UK on small boats from being able to claim asylum. 

And I don’t know what the solution is to this problem but simply passing a law won’t stop them from trying to get here. We need an international solution. Maybe that’s asking too much of politicians. 

Meanwhile, there are stories going around about Boris Johnson nominating his father for a knighthood. Quite what Stanley Johnson has done to deserve to become Sir Stanley remains a mystery to me. I am tempted to agree with the shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, who apparently commented: “Given Boris Johnson’s conduct, you might argue that Stanley Johnson has got a lot to answer for, actually.” Quite so! We might add that so does Eton!

There seem to be a lot of lords and ladies around! 

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!