1st day of the 2nd month

<p>Day off today.<br>
We're going to see our lawyer in Chelmsford to discuss the a@/holes who chopped up the hedge at the bottom of our garden. We've won the case but our lawyer made a mistake and we've ended up with a lower settlement than we wanted. However, they have to pay our costs. And they are whining and wriggling and lying aggressive and obstreporous and displaying all the nasty traits people you don't like can display. We're concerned that we are being too reasonable and feel that we need our lawyer to be a bit more aggressive.
Head down to Chelmsford - lovely sunny day but a bit lost on us cos' its cold and we're both a bit subdued because of the nature of our visit - this subject is always depressing and it particularly affects Marian. I like to think that I'm more phlegmatic but her black mood always rubs off on me.

We meet the lawyer (lovely manners, tidy, cultured, calm, reassuring) and the law costs draughtsman (who assures us he is the best in the business! - well, we'll see). They take us through the procedures and their reasoning for following through in the way they have suggested. We're reassured and go along with their thinking. It doesn't look like this will be sorted out soon we just hope that it's done before the 4th anniversary of the decimation.

We meet Pascale and Alex in the Plough - it used to be the Original Plough but they've mucked about with it recently (and spolit it in my view) to improve the interior and to make it more of a gastro place. The menu looks interesting and the food is actually quite good. Alex gets shortchanged with the salsa sauce, cheese and bacon on his burger but a word with the woman behind the bar sorts it out. We chat and catch up with each other's news and they head off to try and find Alex's coat which disappeared in the Wheatsheaf on the previous evening.

Marian heads back home and I head into London to meet with my ex-BT friends. We are all ex-BT now that Kevin has died. Sad to say.

Its good sitting with them. Its only John N, Ram, Kathy and Les G tonight but as its a small group we can chat to each other more easily and all join in the conversation. I did see them a couple of weeks ago at John and my birthday do but couldn't really chat in the same way. The pub has been re-done and this is the first time in about 3 months we've come here. The place is packed. This used to be our local when we worked nearby and Jim the landlord was worried that he would have to close down when BT left the area as we were such good customers. He did take a dip in trade when we left but the area is an up and coming one and his business is booming. Good to see but it means we're fighting for space to sit when we come over.

I head back home early-ish as they're doing work on the railway line and have been closing the trains and running an alternative bus service. I don't fancy getting stuck in that situation so avoid it the best I can.