TPR recommended taking a taxi from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Metropolitan University to ensure that I reached campus in time for my 4pm class. We took the one available taxi, even though we were unconvinced that the kindly driver was licensed to trade. It was strange that the back seat was taken up by child seats, and that we were taken to the driver’s house rather than the university.

I managed to reach my class eventually. When I arrived I found BD already in full flow so there wasn’t much for me to do. I stayed long enough to ensure that my participation had been noted, then set off to find SPC. She was catching the boat back to the Isle of Man that afternoon and we only had a short few minutes in which to share a hug.

Afterwards BD and I met my mother to join her in her evening recreation of canal boat rowing. We drifted along the water under a beautiful pink sunset. The sky to the west was the most remarkable. It was decorated with images of silvery salmon leaping between the clouds.