I’m going to be prodded about and told to “pop” various items of clothing off, on 10th June. Earliest I could get. I really want to get back exercising again.

(By the way, Furtheon and S – I’m ignorning you only in that way that when something impresses one it’s sometimes difficult to find anything to say about it).

Cor, you get offered a gallimaufry of gifts up there in that there Bristol. A box of knives, followed by a box of wine. I must be living on the wrong side of London. Mind you, I did enjoy a 2 way rant about the hell of a handbasket we’re heading towards with some random geezer while dog walking t’other day. He gave me huge handfuls of dog biscuits (I declined some for myself but the dog gobbled them up gratefully) unbidden. Can that count as friendly stranger freebies? We chatted together for over an hour as our pooches sniffed and trotted around us. I found out I am exactly 1 week older than him, which pleased me no end and allowed me to patronise his young(er) sensibilities.

Talking of sensibilities, what’s the Dr advised re your hernia?

RET is very like CBT I’ve done both. From the Ellis school if psychotherapy. Actually they don’t look to early trauma that’s Freud etc psychoanalysis stuff. It’ll look at how you behave and try to get you to be more aware of your feelings, emotions etc that lead to behaviour you want to change. Then try to get you to use techniques to change your behaviour based on that knowledge.

Personally for drinking my advice is always try AA. It was the only thing that worked for me after a 25 year drinking career and had kept me sober 15 years now.

I managed to get an appointment at my overstretched doctor’s next month.