Today I notice that the Queen eats ryvita. That would explain her trim shape then. I was in town today and peeped into a couple of clothes shops, as I had a spare half hour and am working as a teacher a bit more this term and don't have much of a work wardrobe for this time of year. The shops are a riot of color, pattern and I like that. However, what is going on with this smock/tunic shape thing that will not go away? The only people who benefit are the pregnant, who get to buy clothes designed for all, rather than the few offerings in the corner. I left totally bemused and feeling very old. So old, in fact, that I looked inside BHS, but found the same thing going on in there. As the Queen and I both eat ryvita, we do not want to hide our svelte figures inside tunics that cover all sins, lumps and bumps. I notice that HRH and I are in a minority.

I also remembered today why I do not go into town on a Saturday. I can not cope with the seething river of humanity that exists there. I entered town through the East Streeet shopping centre, which is never a place that can be accused of being busy. In fact, there were only 2 shops open, the mirror shop and the half price jeweller. A few years ago (4, precisely) we were in the same centre and it did have some life - I remember H went on a ride on car thing and there were other children running around. It is a sad shell of a shopping centre now, and reminded me of being in Bosnia. Someone has bravely posted a sign on the door which goes something like this:

No Eating
No Swearing
No Skateboarding
N0 Cycling
No Shouting
No Walking
No Breathing

and it seems to have been observed. Being in town reminded me a lot of being in Bosnia, I was down the poor end of town, where charity shops and those shops that sell everything you could imagine for the home fight for air with Cash converters and Pound land. Lots of people around me were speaking languages other than English. I was struck by how Southampton is a multi cultural city - when you live in Thornhill the most multi cultural you get is that someone's aunty lives in Lordswood.

Had a Bitternesque week this week - aerobics as usual on Tue, then a massive Bitterne rush on Friday. The girls have changed swimming lessons, so they are both on the same day, at BLC. One at 12 30, when I also go for a swim, and one at 4 00. That is a painful half hour to endure. All the mums (ok, occasionally a dad turns up on swimming duty but I don't blame them for staying away) and siblings of the swimmers (2 groups - about 20 of them) sit in a squashed and airless 'cafe' next to the pool trying to stay alive for 30 minutes. And on a Friday! What was I thinking? Am delighted to report that H is happy to get herself dressed after, so I don't have to go and stand in a hot and crowded changing room trying to get a damp and hungry child into their clothes. H is now in the deep end, and is one of the smallest in her group - there appear to be two boys who must be getting on for 17 in her group. Next week I might take A into the baby pool for the half hour, despite her having had her own lesson just a few hours previous, jut to escape the torturous Black Hole of Bitterne. Or maybe I should stick in there and keep going with the conversations, especially as one of them is a neighbour, who coincidentally - or perhaps not - I am on a team with for my latest voluntary enterprise. We are volunteers for the Credit Union, which is meeting at H's school. So once every 3 weeks I will sit and take money and write things down for exactly one hour. It hasn't started yet, we had our training this week, and I feel ready to take on allcomers. Please do turn up and invest. It is a very worthy cause, as it is all about helping people to save and to offer low interest loans, to stop the doorstep lenders with awful interest rates that so many people around here rely on.

The Queen should invest in a credit union shouldn't she?

My lettuces have been fabulous by the way. And one pumpkin coming along nicely, should be ready for Halloween. Which is what pumpkins are all about.