Weeknote 173

Bank Holiday Monday walked up to Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace) to take in the views across London A mostly quiet week at work with many people still off for the school holidays or just catching-up on messages Managed to win the draw for a couple of tickets for Joe Lycett’s new 1-hour live TV chat show, The Lycett Arms, on Friday and brought a friend along. We turned up four hours early since entry was free but not guaranteed. We did get in, but ended up among the unlucky few parked in the private function room rather than the fake pub’s main space — the bit that only flashes up briefly on camera with Joe and a special guest. A strange setup, but a fun one-off experience all the same. Went for a shorter cycle ride than planned on Saturday from Dorking to Reigate. It ended up being about an hour instead of three because my gear‑shifter battery was almost flat. I also learnt there are apparently a dozen or more types of flat circular batteries, and of course none of the local shops…