And before you know it, it’s mid October! I have no idea where September went. Well I do – along with polishing my CV and applying for more jobs, I started a thorough decluttering session, which means the living room is still slightly chaotic with files and folders and bags and boxes while I decide what can be sold or donated to charity. I made almost £30 selling some books and CD’s I know I’ll never use. I made a further £36 selling clothes I rarely wear, and there’s another pile poised to pose for a promotional photo session.

On a day I was feeling particularly brave, I cleaned the outer panes of the attic Velux windows. I had put the task off for years, mainly from fear of falling off the top step of the ladder as well as dread that the algae wouldn’t come off, but I did it and it did.

It was quite scary but I took my time. I only have the insides to do now. Having 5 big Velux seems like an indulgence, especially when it comes to cleaning them, but the light they bring to what was a dark gloomy room is worth it, especially during the winter months.

I waved goodbye to my Welsh friend who has relocated to the USA. We met at Aquafit and we walked together a lot. I’ll miss her along with the Welsh connection.

To balance this, another Welsh friend who now lives in California came to visit and we enjoyed a cheeky walk up West Nab before dinner at a local pub. It was great to catch up with her.

The most exciting event of the past few weeks though has to be a day trip to London. Yes, you read that correctly. I braved the motorway and the train and whisked myself off to the capital to see the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Hayward Gallery.

I arrived safely at Kings Cross after some considerable catastrophic thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong. None of them did.

I couldn’t face the underground so I happily strolled through the streets between the station and the Southbank. Fortunately it was a dry sunny day. It astounded me that, mere minutes from the manic hustle and bustle of Kings Cross, I found myself in quiet side streets punctuated with pretty squares and green spaces.

I had researched a good coffee spot

and it was excellent.

I took a wrong turn. All of a sudden I was bombarded by banners promoting smash hit shows and surrounded by throngs of people. I kept going.

I found myself outside Somerset House right beside the Thames. The name was familiar and it looked interesting so I walked towards the courtyard.

For such a monumental edifice, it was surprisingly peaceful. I enjoyed watching the water spurting jubilantly from the ground.

I crossed the bridges a couple of times to absorb different perspectives, and I stared in awe and amazement at the city around me.

I looked up a lot on the footbridge

and I saw some interesting sights.

I had my picnic sat outside the National Theatre.

It was close to the Hayward where I was meeting my friend who was accompanying me to the exhibition. It was a relief to see a familiar face and engage in some stimulating conversation.

The first room was bursting with part of a giant cartoonish balloon. It was squashed into the brutalist concrete space like a rampant tomato. It looked jolly and gaudy with a mildly menacing flavour.

The next room was mostly a study of black. In the world of art and sculpture, Kapoor has claimed the rights to the blackest version of black – Vantablack. There was quite some controversy about this so now he isn’t allowed to use a certain shade of pink owned by another artist. I doubt if it matters to Kapoor, considering the palette of the other spaces which featured his works.

There’s something undeniably playful about Kapoor’s work. I picked up on some bouncy castle vibes from the giant balloon

and the sprawl of the pigment chateau with octopus tentacles drew me in.

The last room was by far the most sinister with scenes from a recent carnage. It seemed as though the blood, viscera and entrails were about to start oozing from the openings of their container.

Light relief was to be found on the gallery rooftop where large mesmerising metallic mirrored works merged effortlessly with the city skyline. Our reflections were twisted and inverted. We moved and the perspective changed.

It was a brilliant exhibition and I’m so glad I caught it just in time.

We walked through the city. My friend is well aware of my aversion to crowds so I appreciated the route we took, zigzagging through backstreets and across quiet courtyards, tranquil havens a stone’s throw from the hectic heartbeat of city.

We ate at La Fromagerie. It wouldn’t have been my first choice given the name and my dislike of cheese, but there were plenty of cheese free choices accompanied by the most amazing sourdough, and the service was exceptionally warm and friendly.

Sated, we sauntered to the station in plenty of time for my train.

London in a day – who’d have thought?