Two-twenty in the morning and sleep won’t come… just when I need it, too. We’ll be off bright and early in a few hours, up to Brighton to see Jim and Jaimy (our son and daughter-in-law); and the next day I’ll be up, up and away to Australia. As always, before such an adventure, I have mixed feelings about leaving (and some dread about the long journey ahead), which is probably why sleep eludes me. Or it could be due to over-tiredness – suddenly there’s so much to do in the week, then days before leaving; and there’s the nagging worry that something vital will be overlooked…

I’d better go back to bed now and try to catch at least a little sleep. My next blog post will come to you from warmer climes, probably in a few days time when, still adjusting to the ten hours ahead, I’ll probably be writing yet again at two-thirty in the morning!

In the meantime, here is a photograph of my most recent painting. It’s hot of the easel (only just signed) and will shortly be with the subject of the painting – my beautiful daughter-in-law Jaimy.