An early start and onto the iMac to check WFA, post an item to Facebook and then begin to load images from France taken on my iPhone, iPad and Sony Alpha 7 camera.

Run up to Haywards Heath for swimming lessons with the club.

There is relief that I am there. The double lane of Grade 5s go first: 11 young swimmers, mostly age 9 or 10, one boy with them. Backstroke. I am clear about drills, press them to get them right and go to some length to demonstrate these with considerable care, even laying down across a large float poolside to demonstrate ‘hesitation drill’. It feels harsh to push this grade and age to do two lengths kicking in ‘streamline’ position, but they do it. These days, as the squads have done for two years, there is no use of floatations devises – or flippers, or pull-buoys. It has been shown to be better to teach ‘raw’ something we’re feeling obliged to do after some contre-temps between the club and the pool managers.

A migraine-like headache keeps me in front of the TV or asleep in bed.

I use the opportunity to watch several more episodes of the brilliantly written, portrayed and produced Netflix series ‘The Crown’.