Fly by scandal

This pub was a favourite old haunt near our former office, serving up head-sized bacon butties and fries that I have blipped on more than one occasion. It was never the same after 2011 when the son of the owners made racist comments online and was scandalised. They sacked him and then a few years later the pub became more gastro, with fewer sticky counters and pots of macaroni and cheese at 9 quid a pop. A far cry from greasy pub grub heaven. Now we're in the city centre we have access to a whole range of eateries at lunchtime; mostly pretentious ones.

The floor in my living room is buckling due to heat and sunlight that is refracted so strongly that it bakes all day like a greenhouse. Added to this is the fact I live above the bin store, which utterly reeks in hot weather. The bins aren't being collected regularly enough because austerity has reduced the frequency and often people are dumping bikes that block the entrance. The refuse collectors aren't needing many excuses to glide on past. Or perhaps they're protesting that the bin store has regularly been used as a drug den.

Flies and the stench infest my flat as I have to have the windows open to dissipate heat. I feel like a donkey surrounded by buzzing insects in a tropical climate.

But it's still infinitely better than the normal British summer.