Today the plans to have a family afternoon walking in York were scuppered by Fo feeling grotty with flu like symptoms this morning . The lads didn't want to go without Mum so I went on my own. Miles was still a bit wasted from skateboarding and walking yesterday and he felt grotty last night . Family is a bit of a worry sometimes . So, I went out on my own and had a nice 8 mile walk around York. When I got into the City Centre I'd just finished munching a sausage roll when I saw my friend Sybil Wood. She looked not very well and said she had come back from work because early because she was feeling grotty. I only spoke with her for a few minutes ! I got chatting to the young Irish lady who served me coffee later and she said that nearly every customer who'd been in the cafe over the last week had been ill , recovering or just going down with the lurgey . I haven't had anything at all. I'm beginning to feel left out !

York City was lovely in the low afternoon winter light and when I walked around the Foss River area there were what looked like long brush marks in the middle of the frozen river which were the landing marks from the feet of ducks and geese gliding down to feed . The university lake was all frozen and I noticed university groundsmen feeding the ducks. I suppose if they didn't do that a lot of them could die . Isn't that what is supposed to happen? Good for the fox population! What next feeding fish in the river! Coming out of the Uni grounds I ran into my friend Harry who I have known for over 25 years and I played music with him in the Irish sessions and I lived just 'round the corner from him for 2 years . He is a very nice man straight , constant and very intelligent . He has been doing research and lectures in the Environmental Unit in York Uni. I last ran into him about two years ago and I'm going to the Sunday night session soon so I can see him again and have a good night out . I managed to get to the City walls between 3 and 3.45 because I wanted to see the sun going down and that was really nice . Got home in time for Star Trek and tea with the family . It was a great afternoon out particularly running into Sybil and Harry but it would have been nicer with the rest of the family gang!