https://richardherring.com/warmingup/ en robs@notbbc.co.uk Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:30:06 +0100 https://richardherring.com/warmingup/4/9/2026/index.html Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:38:00 +0100 8674/21593A little skylight on our landing got cracked (we think) in the recent hail storm. At least it was during that storm that the window started to leak and we realised there was a big crack in it. I thought it would be a relatively easy task to call out someone to replace the glass, but so far all the Hitchin glaziers have turned me down, without saying why.You'd think glaziers would want to fix any window they could get their hands on. It's a job. They get paid for their time. https://richardherring.com/warmingup/3/9/2026/index.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0100 8673/21592First day of secondary school for Phoebe and she was picked up by a friend and they walked there without any grown-ups. What a delightful and horrifying moment. My heart swelled like a balloon that was somehow also brittle and cracked. How is it possible? I was driving her to reception yesterday. Literally. But they wouldn't let us in because the school wasn't open yet and Phoebe was clearly too old.Ernie goes back to school tomorrow, so we did some last minute errands for him.Two quite different retail experiences this morning. https://richardherring.com/warmingup/2/9/2026/index.html Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:44:00 +0100 8672/21591I am recording five RHLSTP Book Clubs in the next fortnight and have a lot of reading to do. I've been very much enjoying Reece Shearsmith's forthcoming "Things I Took From The Dark", his look back at his childhood and the monsters and stories that inspired his comedy. In all honesty if you were told this was a book about the inspirations of a future serial killer you would probably believe it. So all in all it's good that Reece chose to go into comedy, rather than murder. Unless he's secretly doing both. https://richardherring.com/warmingup/1/9/2026/index.html Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:08:00 +0100 8671/21590My legs were pretty shaky after yesterday's tennis marathon, but somehow we managed a set of singles this morning, before my defeated opponent could go no further. I then had to dash through town to get my annual GP blood test (because as I've noted, they can't use any of the 20 or so blood tests I've had this year already) and then picked up a couple of bags of groceries at the supermarket. https://richardherring.com/warmingup/31/8/2026/index.html Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:21:00 +0100 8670/21589I got my first taste of defeat on the tennis courts this lunchtime... well recently anyway. Don't worry, my useless tennis partner hasn't suddenly become good. Far from it. We had actually teamed up for doubles and found ourselves playing two people who actually knew how to play tennis. We almost went 3-2 up in the first set (after going 2-0 down) and I thought we'd got the hang of it. But it turned out we lost 6-2, 6-1. And to be fair my partner played a lot better than I did. https://richardherring.com/warmingup/30/8/2026/index.html Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:38:00 +0100 8669/21588Phoebe has been given homework for her new school, which seems a bit mean since she hasn't even got there yet. So after the kids had had a fair share of ipads and TV, I said it was time to get off screens and for her to have a crack at her summer holiday schoolwork.Phoebe put down her phone, but Ernie was still on his iPad. She went into adult mode and told him to get off his screen."Who put you in charge?" I asked. "Was it mum going upstairs?""Yes,"Phoebe agreed without laughing at my clever satire. https://richardherring.com/warmingup/29/8/2026/index.html Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:35:00 +0100 8668/21587Off to a wedding today and one that began at the unusually inconvenient time of 8am. Luckily it wasn't too far away from our house and also it was a Sri Lankan wedding, so the breakfast (and lunch) were made up of amazing food. Also you have to respect the traditions of other cultures, but still. Come on guys. You can have breakfast at midday on a Saturday.It wasn't just the kids who were reluctant for such an early start, but we somehow got everyone into their best clothes and the car by 7.15.