Tuesday, 5th May – Nowadays, I find myself defeated by even the simplest pieces of equipment. Today I bought a frying pan and couldn’t use it because I couldn’t remove the disc-shaped cover from the non-stick surface.

Thursday, 7th May – Spent a successful morning in the shops. Firstly, I went to the pharmacy in Gillinggate for an inoculation. Then I took my frying pan to Middletons, where they exchanged it for one of a different make but the same price. Then I took my new glasses back to Vision Express, where they tightened them up to stop them slipping down my nose. Finally, I consulted the Readers Edition of A Coast to Coast Walk in Waterstones and found that it was almost identical to the first edition, so I bought it for £16. After I got home, I received a copy of the Walkers Edition, which I had ordered from Amazon because I couldn’t find my copy. The binding of both books is terrible.

Saturday, 9th May – Learn from the radio that I suffer from face blindness and that it affects one in fifty people.

Monday, 11th May – Renewed one of my library books by telephone and noticed that they had placed the book that needed renewing at the start of the list, as I suggested. Found a message on the internet asking if anyone had photographs of the Grange in Swaythling, but I couldn’t reply. From 9 a.m. until 7.30 p.m. I spent all my time trying to receive emails. When I finally succeeded, I received a copy of my article on Kendal in the Nineteenth Century that had been vastly improved by the addition of illustrations from the book.

Tuesday, 19th May – For the first time in nearly four years, I received an email that I thought was interesting enough to be worth adding to my records. This was from George Dolling, who wrote that I had made the world a better place. I replied, saying that it had always been my ambition to do this and that I was delighted to read that I had finally done so.

Wednesday, 20th May – Received a cheque for £13.30 from Peter Lewis.

Thursday, 21st May – Paid the cheque into the bank and found that this was the first time I have paid money into my account since 2020.

Monday, 25th May – Went for a walk in Back Spring near Brigsteer early in the morning and saw a deer. When I got home, I found that I had lost my sticks and went back to look for them.

Tuesday, 26th May – Went for a walk with the Kendal Ramblers from Cinderdale Common to Rannerdale Knotts in beautiful weather. Despite the weather, there were only four of us. While we were waiting at the Leisure Centre, an oystercatcher flew overhead. The first part of the walk, along the valley of Squat Beck, was very easy, but the walk along the ridge and down to Hause Point was so difficult that if I had been on my own, I would have turned back.

Wednesday, 27th May – Saw rabbits on Bowling Fell on my way home from Booths. I haven’t seen them there before.

Thursday, 28th May – Phoned the Domestic Appliance Centre because I couldn’t get my washing machine to work yesterday or today. An hour after I phoned, I found that the machine had switched itself on, so I phoned them again to ask them not to call.

Friday, 29th May – Took photographs of the rabbits on Bowling Fell.

Saturday, 30th May – Left home at 4.30 a.m. and went for a walk in Serpentine Woods. Saw a rabbit in High Tenterfell.

Sunday, 31st May – Episodes of The Good Old Days are now broadcast every week. The latest includes songs that I like but have never heard before. The reason that this is the first time I have seen the series is that it was originally broadcast in the 1970s, when I didn’t have a television.