Still ridiculously hot. This was me after half and hour playing guitar in the music room.Started raining about 5 just as I was going out for a bike ride. The rain here didn't come tomuch but elsewhere it was quite heavyso very localised. Me and Andy cycled out to the Black Horse.Its been mentioned before. A pub in the woods just outside Checkendon. The best bogs.They let us eat our sarnies there as they're not big on food apart from pickled eggs. We bombed back to meet M and Kelvin in the Castle Tap. As you can see its mostly down hill.It was noticeably warmer as we headed into Reading. M had just arrived when we got there and Kelvin turned up a bit later with Doug. They had been for a curry to the Standard. There was also a group of people playing folky stuff who were quite good. They do the sea shanty evenings according to the landlady. Went for another swim on Thursday morning at 9 10. Came back and had breakfast and then set off on a Mansfield Rd walk I had organised to Shiplake with M, Roger, Kelvin and Paul Webb. We just took the straight forword route along the Kennet and the Thames via Sonning. It had rained and was dull to start with but then it brightened up. Thankfully a lot of the walk was in the shade. We had a couple of pints and a bite to eat at the Baskerville Arms. Sat out side. One way system, sanitisers, table service, contact details via a QR code. The station is just round the corner so got the 14 31. We all had our masks on.You need to change at Twyford as its just a branch line to Henley. This is where the excitement really started as the train we were due to catch was a TFL crossrail one and I'd never been on one before.Thought this was a very informative dispay.As you can see they're just like tube trains and Reading is now on the tube map. No bogs though.I reckon it was an 8 mile walk and another mile back from the station. Spotted this sign I'd never seen before.We both had a bath when we got back. I made a veggie pasta dish and we settled down to watch some telly. There was heavy rain in the night and thunder and lightning but quite localised as we didn't hear it. Anyway that was then end of the hot spell. Went over to Bren and Lynda's on Friday afternoon. We drove over and took Kelvin's gazebo. He cycled. Really good afternoon and evening. We started off with a game called corn hole. You though bean bags onto an angled board with a whole in. One point for getting a bag on the board 3 for getting down the hole. Good fun. It drizzled a bit so we did put up the gazebo which was remarkably easy. Stayed till about 11. Still warm enough to sit out in shorts and a T shirt. It was long sleeved though. Got an Uber back which seemed quite safe. All wearing masks. A double first, first taxi since lockdown and first Uber in Reading. I cycled over to pick up the car on Saturday and picked up some croissants we had with plum jam M had made. Yummy. Went to Ralph and Sue's in the evening for an indian takeaway. Ralph had been planning to cook but had to go into work fir some emergency picture framing. He's doing a lot of film posters for a client. We started off in the garden but moved inside. We ended doing some quizzes using their Google assist thingy. The music ones were quite good. We walked overbut got a cab back. This one had a screen between us and the driver. Paid by cash though. It had been quite a busy week socially so didn't do much on Sunday. I took down most of the buddleia bush and tidied up a bit behind the shed. M cooked really nice steaks for tea then we settled down to some telly.