For once there had been no snow forecast overnight - but about an inch had fallen. I was finally forced to the doctors when they opened at 8am to seek anti-biotics to clear up a chest infection which has hung around since I got rid of the swine flu, this has hampered the dusty work involved in cutting brickwork in the living room. Luckily I got an instant appointment and was home by ten past eight, greeted by Euan with the news that Iona had locked herself out of her house while Jon was already at work. I drove to Stone with her spare keys, finding the roads not too bad. Iona was sitting in her car, but had not been able to leave for work as she had not settled the dog or put all her uniform on - just as well she had a late 9am start today.

I went in to see Isobel at five o'clock. There was still a great deal of snow and ice at the Centre, as it has an elevated position above the Darenth Valley, but it was thawing and everything was very wet. Isobel was awake and cheerful. Her speech was perhaps not as good as yesterday but the difference was very slight. I fed her tea consisting of ham and chips followed by pear flan. A little later she had three shortbread biscuits and a small packet of chocolate buttons. The room is still packed with boxes of biscuits and chocolates, Isobel is making slow progress through them as she has been enjoying more fruit recently. The nurses commented that they are very pleased with her eating and drinking, essentially she eats and drinks everything put in front of her. She still had some very slight phlegm on her chest. By half past six Isobel was a little tired, but still keen to watch yet another episode of Michael Portillo's train journeys across Britain. I left her watching this when I went home at twenty to seven.