Freelance

One of the realities of being a hired hand, as a freelancer, is that you do not call the shots. I was asked about doing a piece of work for a London Borough. They liked me, checked me out, asked me for availability. I broke the news that I could not work through the summer [when Rowan is off] and that 3 days a week was the max I could commit to. Never mind they still wanted me and arranged for me to meet them today. Only they found someone who can do 5 days a week - now. So they cancelled their interest in me. So I have a nice day in London en route to some work tomorrow in Wales. It is a reality of working like I do. I have to hope that clients will fit in with my part-time imperatives. This is usually fine once they know me. C'est la vie.
I am staying with friends in Marylebone, so walked through Hyde Park for the first time in a while. It has changed a lot - there is obviously now a policy of leaving large swathes of it as wild meadow. It is a great improvement on the old days of acres of grass mown to within a millimetre of its life.

I then headed up Queensway to Westbourne Grave. This is an area that I will always associate with Mike & Derwood. Unbeknownst to me, Danielle was also living in the area long before she knew me. It hasn't changed much, still seedy, still vibrant. I get a coffee in a Prets [free wifi] and Sly and the Family Stone - Family Affair comes on the sound system - a song definitely associated in my mind with those times past.
The photo is far away from west London, on our bike ride on Tuesday on the cusp of the North York Moors - Danielle scorching up the hill.