Tuesday 24^th September, 2019 1200

My early morning commute started off quite literally with a flying start.

I left home at 0700 to take the 66 bus. To get there I have to walk past the huge early morning queues for the 15 bus at the stop which is in the square and not on the main road, unlike the 66.

Not far past that queue and with no logical reason, my left ankle gave out. I never trod on a stone and the road was no more uneven than most. The ankle just decided it wasn't playing any more.

Twenty years ago I would probably simply have stumbled and recovered. No longer.

SPLAT!

Straight on my face on the tarmac. In full view of the 15 bus queue. And whilst getting down is a piece of cake, at my weight and age, getting back up is a hilarious spectacle (to others) whereby I imitate a tortoise on its back wearing a Mr Blobby costume. Worse, a middle aged man and an elderly woman came to help me up! They should probably have called Fire & Rescue.

Injuries sustained: cut thumb, badly grazed knee (through my trousers) and a near-terminal blow to my pride. And just to make my morning complete, the detested pee problem returned with a vengeance, meaning I spent half of my class absenting myself. The only good to come out of it was that in my haste I discovered that two bathrooms which were both labelled “women” were in fact a boys' and a girls' – unless suddenly girls have started using urinals! I may buy a permanent marker to obliterate the “wo” on the sign and turn it into a gents.

And yes, I showed the final part of a film to the class! The monitor came out during the break and asked me my opinion of them. I told her they weren't active enough and got the usual excuses – they're shy, they don't want to make a mistake etc – and I explained why that was nonsense. She obviously said something to them because Part 2 was better, I hope the next time I see them (in two weeks) they will be livelier.

For now, all I can say is come on Russia!