Ooooh, had a real blast of nostalgia yesterday. A bunch of maps from a potential cartography supplier including a town plan of Derby. So I spent a good 20 minutes or so looking at that plotting where people lived during the college days, shops and so forth. I definitely feel the need to pop up there for a day or so of mooching about old haunts some time. And if that could be combined with a ride on the new Nottingham tram system then so much the better.

Definitely feeling like I don't know what I'm doing these last couple of days too. OK, so there is still enough of the old job to have kept me busy, but with Charles and Chris off there has been no one to turn to for a bit of guidance. Still, the books are finished and signed off now so that should be my last set of those. Hopefully I will be replaced by the time the next edition is due. And today I got out for three and a bit hours to another meeting at Ipswich Borough about the concerts this summer. A bit of a waste of time as it was mostly waffle about the stage construction and food concession licencing etc with a teensy section devoted to transport. But I needed to go to the bank anyway...

Because Grandma has been feeling her age and looking in to inheritance tax issues should the inevitable happen sooner than she wants. So she has decided to offload a bit of cash on to all us grandchildren while she can see what we do with it. So that was very generous and makes our holiday plans a bit more exciting this year. Now all we need to do is decide on something and book it.

And now for the weekend...

Well, Ipswich Town failed at the second-to-last hurdle last night and lost their division one play-off semi-final. Which means they won't be going to Cardiff in a couple of weeks for the final and thus won't be able to win that to gain promotion to the premiership. As a non-fan who's job is affected by football traffic I am generally not bothered by this. OK, so it would have been a good boost for the town as a whole, but it would have made the club even harder to deal with than they are at present, created greater traffic problems on match dyas and generally made more work. But there are plenty of people wandering about here with long faces and a general air of doom and gloom today. I'd be happier if they flattened the stadium and put in an ice rink - Ice Hockey I'm sure I could get in to as a spectator sport on a regular basis.

Anyway, since last I wrote it has been hot and sunny and we spent all weekend out in the garden. The sunburn is slowly fading away from lobster pink now. Of course there is still loads and loads and a bit more work to do out there, but then there always will be. Things will insist on growing and needing looking after or dying and needing replacement. Very inconsiderate if you ask me. Not that I did as much as Joan either - while shifting unwanted P&R for Elton John concert leaflets around town on Thursday I pulled a muscle in my back which is still giving me pain and stiffness. Nearly better it must be said, but could still use a bit more flexibility.

I think I am a bit better acquainted with what I am supposed to be doing now, but still largely in the dark over how to go about actually doing it. Part of me keeps thinking it will all click in to place one day, while another part says I'm going to be caught out as a fraud and got rid of. Now logically I know the second option isn't going to happen, but born worrier that I am... Still, Chris seems to be giving me the right knowledge in dribs and drabs so hopefully I'll see the light soon.

Today we have been out to meet one of our operators - Galloways. Quite a tidy little operation looking to gradually expand. They do a lot of coach holidays and stuff as well as bus contracts so there is plenty of scope for them to take on some of the more different stuff we are planning for the future. They have a good variety of vehicle sizes available and seem willing to innovate. OK, so they also have Ron who used to do this job (I am the fourth person to do this job in the last 6 years. Hope that doesn't mean I'll be moving on too soon) which may be a disadvantage but one I think we can work around.