Month: May 2021

Just a note here to record the memory that I first set foot in England in the summer of 1972, on my way to study in France for a month with my colleagues from Taylor Allderdice High School (led and chaperoned by Mrs Tamara Jackson) under the ægis of AIFS. For our stopover in London, we stayed at the Mardis Court Hotel in Hogarth Road, in Earls Court. That same year, John Williamson and his classmates from Fraserburgh Academy also visited London, in February, and they also stayed at the Mardis Court:

He reports that the Mardis Court was doing business as The Green Court Hotel when he posted, in 2007; the Green Court is now the Jade, but my own research suggests that the Mardis Court, on the opposite side of the street from the Jade, is now the Ibis Styles the Heeton Concepts Kensington (honestly, though, these hotels change identity so frequently, after 54 years (!), who can tell?)…

Our college has been operating in person this term, after doing [almost] everything online last term. (Last term we kept the round of daily Masses in person for residents of the college — that is, the staff and one or two students.) My teaching for Oriel has been online this term as well.
Still running every day, up to two miles twice a week, mile and a half other days, just one mile in unfavourable weather; and that, along with more cautious eating (fruit breakfast four days a week, very limited after-dinner pudding or snacks) has my weight down to 13 stone and some change (85 kg, 187 lb), the lowest it’s been for ages. I’d like it to drift down to 80 kg, but in a slow, gentle descent.