Tuesday started warm and dry, but concluded at Gatwick with quite heavy rain. We finished packing and after checking in online and FaceTiming briefly with David – plus texted advice from Oliver – I filled up with petrol, and after lunch we left Norwich with Dot driving. Took the A140/A12 route. Went reasonably well: swapped drivers somewhere near Chelmsford and arrived at the hotel at around 4.20pm. Queue to book in, but ok. Had meal at 6.15pm – I had fish and chips and Dot chilli con carne. Sat next to really nice couple from South-West Wales who were going to Corfu really early next day. Returned to room. I was going to spy out the land, but it was too wet. Watched a bit of TV, including Queen’s coffin being flown from Edinburgh to London and being driven to Buckingham Palace. Big plane. 

It was still raining in the morning. Dreadful night – hardly any sleep. Drove to Purple Parking – attempted to follow directions but got completely lost, then happened on it almost by chance. Straightforward after that. Shuttle bus was waiting and dropped us at North Terminal in good time. Bit of search for Air Transat baggage drop, but when we found it, all went very smoothly. Security almost did, but one of my trays failed to scan; so it had to go through again. Almost forgot it. Lost belt loop, temporarily.

Dot bought some perfume, and we had croissants at Starbucks. Then after a wait, down to Gate 50, and eventually priority boarding (Option Plus). Had a spare seat next to us! Free wine and Pringles. Watched Dune. Tireder and tireder as journey went on – all in masks. Some confusion at Toronto when using machines etc but got through easily in the end. Bit of a wait for baggage, then through to be met by Chrissy and David. Sunny and warm, but loads of traffic on the road; so took a bit of time to get to Waterloo. Then had nice buffet and wine, were shown bedroom in basement and went to bed at 21.30 – which would have been 02.30 in England. Unsurprisingly I was totally shagged out.

Thursday was chilly to start with, becoming pleasantly warm. Woke very early of course,  got Dot tea, then after breakfast (fruit, pancakes and maple syrup, then sausages) went for walk with David and Chrissy round Anndale Park and into a neighbouring road (Sugarbush) that reminded me a bit of Palmer Circle, but more compact. After a snack Dot and I did another walk round neighbouring roads and through park again. Lunch was soup, and in evening we had sole, chips and salad. Took it easy during the afternoon. Dot took lots of pictures of inside of house. After supper we saw some pictures of Oliver and Amy’s visit, plus the beginning of Licorice Pizza film. Dot let cat out by mistake but she came back. Oliver FaceTimed very late (for him).

Friday was sunny and quite warm. Very good sleep. Wrote piece for George Kelly, and took picture of us drinking wine (apparently) in driveway to send to Des. Quite cold and wet in Aspland Road, it seems. Later went for walk with D&C on a slightly longer route, followed by lunch, followed by sleep. Then to Antiques Market – fascinating stuff. Bought wine and salad. Jackson came home feeling a bit down. Watched baseball in the evening – Blue Jays 6 Baltimore Orioles 3. Accompanying hot dogs. 

Saturday was warm again. Got up early to visit the Farmers Market. Had a croissant there for breakfast and a jam doughnut that I ate later. David had French toast with maple syrup and bought me a Roger Zelazny book. Dot had muffin. Huge place, indoor and out. Some good stuff. Bumped into M’wanda, who used to work with David and Chrissy. Lovely woman.  Bought some plums.

Later went to beautiful new library and then Farm Boy for food, but not before we’d watched Spurs beat Leicester 6-3, with a hat-trick from Son, who only came on for the last half an hour. After returning home and unloading groceries, walked down to Fromagerie and bought some cheese (surprise!) and one or two other things, including too much gelato. Then had a rest while D & C went to Zehrs for a couple of things. Lovely meal with cheese board to follow! Jackson explained what a mechanical engineer does, as opposed to a metallurgist.

Today saw the first rain of our visit, but most of the day was warm and dry. Sophie arrived before we got up and seemed well recovered from her cold. Happily we got up before Barb and Roger arrived. Had a delicious breakfast with them centring on fruit, pancakes and turkey bacon, with maple syrup. Afterwards we all (except Jackson) went for a walk in the park. I felt very tired, and my stomach was a bit queasy, but it was very pleasant. The rain – quite heavy – came after we returned. Had a long chat with Barb and Roger while David and Chrissy went for another walk. The Murrays left after they returned. We did some reading while D&C had a rest.

Thursday Sep 8 – The Queen is dead. She died at Balmoral in the afternoon. We shall be out of the country for the funeral, which is sad. In local news, the weather has been showery but fairly warm. In the morning Dot was washing and ironing, and I was writing a piece for my website. In the afternoon we picked up our pills and then went to Go Outdoors, where I bought a new raincoat at a ludicrously low price after Dot noticed my old one was a bit ropey. Very pleased.

Bridget came round to clean, and it was not until she left that we heard that the Queen had died. All normal TV stopped after that, of course, and an increasingly tired-looking Huw Williams soldiered on, saying much the same thing, quite professionally, over and over again. We veered off to watch some cycling and an episode of Shetland, during which David FaceTimed us to commiserate.

Friday was cooler, with quite a bit of rain. Sorted out a lot of stuff, partly in preparation for tomorrow. In the morning I took my aunt Thelma out for a drive: we went to Bramerton Woods End, or whatever it’s called nowadays. Rained on and off, but not while I picked her up and dropped her off. She seemed to enjoy it, but not a huge reaction. Drove past both her old homes, but she seemed not to remember them, which is odd. Mostly she has a good memory. Her older house on Shotesham Road seems to have burned down in a field fire – just a shell left.

Drank to the Queen on our usual 5.30 meeting – mainly the four of us and Matt, with Ciara popping in near the end and Mary momentarily earlier. Watched some more bits and pieces on the Queen and new King as he was driven from Northwood to the Palace, where there were hugs and crowds of “ordinary people”. Also watched first episode of new Doc Martin. 

Saturday was warm and mainly sunny. Up early to greet Robin and Colin, who were here to fix the garage fascia, the cistern in the toilet and the shelves in my study, which Robin moved down from Dot’s room. As a result I had to reshuffle just about everything in the study, moving my computer on to the far desk, which entailed resetting the Wi-Fi and moving a couple of other plugs. Looks good, though. Also involved moving the gateleg table upstairs, which was quite a challenge.

In the midst of all this I walked up to church and back to receive visitors (with Stacey) for the heritage church bike ride. Chatted with Stuart and a couple of visitors. Watched a lot of royalty on TV, mainly to do with Charles’ accession but also about the Queen in the 50s. Lots of church services, which must be a good thing. Faith in the spotlight, from Charles too. Also watched Ridley, a police drama, which was pretty good. Very tired at the end of the day. 

Sunday was warm and dry. Up early to watch cricket, then to church for Communion led by Graham. I played guitar. Traditional hymns, of course. Dot led prayers. Leanne popped in afterwards: lovely to see her after several weeks – she’s had a busy summer with her boat and boyfriend, Adam. Got the cases down out of the loft and did a lot of packing. Also spoke to Andrew on the phone. Then had FaceTime with Oliver – it’s his 20th birthday! Our parcel hadn’t arrived because of a postal strike – probably  same goes for the card. In the evening watched more cricket and the last two episodes of State of Happiness, which were very good. Also a concerto performed by Nicola Benedetti – brilliant violinist.

Monday was a strange day. Warm and mainly dry, till evening. Made final preparations for travelling. Finished Canada app and checked other things.  Redistributed some books in my room and out of the bathroom. Didn’t go to church, but probably could have. Answered several e-mails. Put out rubbish. Des came over and we showed him what needed to be done (very little). Watched funeral service at St Giles. Karen Mathieson sang in Gaelic. Later watched another episode of Ridley – not quite as convincing as last time. England won final test against South Africa.

Gradual change in the weather this week. Saturday was sunny and warm. Dot did loads of washing while I caught up with various post-holiday things. After lunch she went to the match: Norwich beat Coventry 3-0. I went to meet her and we popped into Morrisons for baking apples and lentil crisps. Had salmon for  tea. Watched football and State of Happiness. Had a longish FaceTime with David.

Sunday was warm again. Woke unexpectedly late but had bath before church, which I led. Liz Cannon preached – good. She asked for comments – bad. Carrie was off to Scarborough to stand by her granddaughter at trial of man accused of stalking her. This was eventually adjourned for a month to give her more time to prepare – an outcome described as “good”, though I’m not sure why. Debbie gave a sermon instead of praying. Gave Ray and Chris a lift home (Chris not looking too well). Practised for evening session at Lowestoft, where I did “Passing through” and “Feel like I’m Falling Apart”, with Dot on her new violin. Also read three poems. Slightly smaller group than usual.

Monday was mild but humid: threatening rain but never quite arrived. Busy day. Woke late after bad night – bit of a rush to get to church. No Nikki and Leanne. Afterwards drove straight to Taverham for light lunch with Derek and Janet. Very nice. Then home  – very tired because of wine (Dot had been driving) – and cut back some ivy. Put out bins. Then walked up to Eleanor’s for Cake and Compline. No Vicky or Claire, but good evening. Judy gave us a lift home and we watched first stage of the Tour of Britain, which ended at Glenshee. Liz Truss new Prime Minister – hopeful. 

Tuesday was still warm, but some rain overnight and then in evening. I went to the Archant breakfast without Dot, who had a long list of things to do. Spoke to Brian and Tricia, Richard and Bill mainly. Then met Dot at Morrisons, and we visited a couple of shops. Frustrating afternoon: tried to create travel wallet, but final step wouldn’t work (discovered on Thursday that it didn’t work for joint accounts, a fact they might have mentioned); spent ages trying to sort out phone for Canada; then arranged Canada ETA. Annoyingly our return flight has appeared in the wrong place on our diary, though the confirmation receipt is correct. Not sure what to do about it. Had password problem on hotel/parking site. DCC in evening: thinking of giving it up and leaving it to Dot. Watched a couple more episodes of  State of Happiness. Ho ho. 

Wednesday was marginally cooler, but still pleasant. Showers, some heavy, but none lasting long. Had a bad night and was very tired in the morning. Have edited and captioned 125 photos taken at Blakeney. Posted cards while Dot went into city to buy clothes – several of them for me. She was out for several hours, and I caught up with e-mails and associated jobs, such as changing dentist date and booking at the Theatre Royal for next February. Also cleared up the kitchen and bedroom. In the evening Dot went to orchestra and I went to the Cathedral to hear a talk on science and faith. Bridget was supposed to have been coming, but she cried off at the last minute. Talk was excellent, but they then went into small group mode, and I left. Discovered later that the lecture was almost exactly a chapter from a book I read about 15 years ago, including photos and map. A good book, but still…

Today Dot is doing more preparation (washing and ironing), and I’ve arranged to see Thelma tomorrow. Feel I’m a bit more abreast of what’s going on, whatever that is.

Monday (Aug 29) was cooler and quite breezy, with some showers later. Dinghies were out racing early on, with a high tide catching a couple of cars out. Car park man closed the carnser late and by then unnecessarily. Oliver had bought croissants but did not run. We walked to Morston and had rather splendid pizzas in the Anchor, plus a quick go on darts. Rained as we left, and we called in at an art exhibition by Eddie Goodridge, which was really very good – oils. Had a chat with him and bought some cards. Rain eased off and we walked back to Blakeney. I was exhausted and lay down for a while. The other three went to Cley to buy some fruit. After tea got rid of rubbish, then played Yucca – a bizarre Canadian card game – and watched another episode of Clarkson’s Farm. 

Tuesday dawned cool and overcast. Oliver ran to Cley and walked back, getting caught in a shower as he neared the croissant shop. After breakfast he drove us to Cley NWT, and we walked to a couple of hides. Then back to the centre and lunch – I had a scone and one of Amy’s cheese and tomato sandwiches. Afterwards went to art exhibition by Sally Temple, who uses fingers and oil to paint excellent pictures. Bought some cards and chatted to her. She took to Oliver and Amy and gave some good advice; she has children of the same age.

Amy bought a lovely glass for Saoirse, whose 18th birthday is coming up. Then drove into Cley and parked by the village hall, walking round town and calling in to the bookshop (bought two books). Then bought some fish and ham from Cley Smokehouse. Drove to Salthouse and walked on the shingle beach. Home for another episode of Clarkson’s Farm and tea, then Oliver and Amy left at 6.45pm. Made good time and got home in just under three hours. Meanwhile Norwich City beat Birmingham (a) 2-1 in injury time, and we went to bed early, missing our guests.

Wednesday started with some rain, and continued with a heavy shower after I fetched croissants. Bit chilly too, with a brisk wind, but later it became dry and warmer. Had a bath, and later we put our boots on and walked out on to the marsh to the west of Blakeney, hoping to find where the water went, or if it was navigable out to the harbour that way. But we couldn’t go far – stopped by muddy dykes. So we walked out the other side of the main stream toward the abandoned boat.

Before that, however, the police had closed the road by the Manor Hotel for no obvious reason other than ‘Accident’. It turned out however to be an unexplored bomb in a nearby field, and as we walked seaward, they exploded it. Very exciting. All of us had been within 50 yards of it (possibly nearer) on Sunday. Dot bought a crab sandwich for her evening meal and I had a pot of mussels. I also had one of the grandchildren’s birthday present pots of terrine – black olive of that ilk, and very nice too. Wrote a couple of poems and read some of the book I bought at Cley: Ian Rankin’s Tooth and Nail. Very good. After tea we walked up the High Street looking for Yew Tree Cottage (where Sophie and Rich were staying), then down Little Lane and back round by the Spar shop. Watched a bit of Repair Shop, during which Fred rang to ask if boys could park on Saturday, and then Shetland, revealing that Tosh survived. Yes!!!  Also a bit of Premier League football – not very inspiring results. 

Thursday was bright and warm, though with a brisk wind. Kristine texted to say she’d missed her train, and would arrive an hour later (11.28). Because of traffic we still managed to be late for her, though the obscure disguising of the station at Cromer didn’t help. Drove back along the coast road; she loved the views and the apartment. After a drink we went for a walk round to the other holiday possibility and then over the Pastures, down Little Lane and back down the High Street. We then drove to Cley and had a late lunch at the George and Dragon: smoked mackerel and chips in my case. Then on to Cley NWT, where we took in the view and went to the loo.

Back to the car park at Cley beach, where we went down to the water’s edge and on the way back found a pair of glasses. Left them on a bench, as the car park man had vanished. Drove back to Blakeney: girls did a bit of shopping, or at least shop visiting. Had tea (cheese and cakes), looked at some pictures and chatted before travelling back to Cromer, where Kristine left on the 19.03. Back at the apartment we cleared up and read.

Friday was sunny and pleasantly warm. Got up early (no croissants), packed and were out of the apartment by 10am. Drove up road and got in a very lucky space while we picked some blackberries just off the path to Morston, then bought tea/coffee and drank it while sitting on a bench. Drove home in time for hair cut at 1pm.  I had a bath. Drove to Dereham with Joy’s birthday presents and stayed for an hour. Phil is having a rough time with Parkinson’s. Back home in time for drink-out, where the Blakeney bomb was quite a topic. Quite a gathering, too. Des fetched fish and chips for us. Watched Sanditon and an episode of State of Happiness (scandi noir) then finished unpacking and went to bed. Both very tired. 

So here we are in our beautiful HIgh Tides apartment at Blakeney, with our two excellent grandchildren, delighting in the chaos on the carnser at high tide, when the water encroaches on carelessly parked cars. We arrived almost simultaneously on Friday, when the weather was very warm. It remained warm until this morning, when it dawned windy and a bit cooler. This did not deter Oliver from getting our breakfast croissants from the shop up the HIgh Street, where he has struck up a friendship with the woman who serves there and also organises seal trips.

Last Tuesday Oliver was still in Sweden. We went to Morrisons to stock up on food, then to Colney Woodland Burial Park for Ellie’s funeral. Lovely setting, service a bit unorthodox but quite nice. Spoke to Dale (her son) and Michael and Heather. Debbie and Sharon were there from church. Afterwards to the Village Inn at Little Melton for drinks, where despite going the wrong way, we arrived first. Spoke to Jeanette ( who worked for Dale at Yarmouth and took Ellie out for trips) and also to Sharon. Tired out at home: lay down for over an hour, and so did Dot. Later Bridget and David came round and we watched the Pirates of Penzance DVD, in which David appeared. B & D brought Indian takeaway.

Wednesday was very mild again. Fixed the label machine, which had run out, and contacted BT about the malfunctioning phone. After much discussion – I spoke to a woman who was very hard to understand, and then a man from Northern Ireland, who was slightly easier – they agreed to send a new handset, which arrived after we’d left and was delivered to Mark. Posted birthday card to Julia. Dot went to Taize at church after Bridget had done cleaning. Later Dot went to Rushcutters with some of the orchestra for a meal. I had soup. We watched Shetland. Very worried Tosh may have been killed. 

On Thursday it rained and was cooler. Stayed indoors. Rang Lily – she’s much the same. Had FT with David, mended Roger’s picture, and Dot wrapped Joy’s presents. Did most of the packing for Blakeney. Watched the rest of Clarkson’s Farm. Do not want to be farmer. 

Friday was warm and dry. Finished packing in morning. Left for Blakeney after lunch, called in at Holt to buy food from Bakers and Larners and bought Canadian gilet on impulse. Also socks, for no good reason. Arrived at Blakeney at 3.45 and parked on carnser. Dot got key and I drove round into parking space for High Tides. Oliver and Amy arrived shortly afterwards and parked on carnser (Matt’s car). Spent some time unpacking both cars.  Eventually parked Matt’s car at the village  hall. Walked around and did some reminiscing. Salad. Looked through some pictures. Read Build Up Logically, one of my favourite short stories, to Oliver and Amy. 

Unexpected heavy rain first thing on Saturday, but it soon cleared. Norwich beat Sunderland away 1-0 and we bought meals from van on the car set at half time. Hard to carry back to flat. Bit of a mess. England beat South Africa by an innings. Later walked up to the car via Blakeney Hotel path and drove to Holt. Bought food from Bakers and Larners and had tea and tea cake in cafe at back of main street. Then got pizza from Budgens for next day. Drove back to Blakeney (Oliver doing all the driving) and turned down High Street by mistake and saw Sophie and Rich and their children. Dot jumped out to speak to her. We met again when Oliver and I went to the car to retrieve my binoculars. Oliver helped me with ArriveCanada app. Had tea (too much). Played poker. Amy and I won. They FTd David. 

Yesterday there was some high cloud, but it was largely sunny and warm. Had quite a good night. Oliver ran to Cley and back, then bought croissants. Dot, Oliver and I went for a short walk (out by coast path and round back to garage, calling at shop) and met Rich and children – Iris and Charlie – crabbing. Later all four of us went to the Manor  for tea/coffee in courtyard, then walked through Blakeney Freshes to the coast path and back home. Watched a bit of F1, and later Spurs beating Notts Forest 2-0. Later still watched an animated film, Up, supplied by Amy. Very unusual and well done. This was after we’d driven to Morston and done a short walk out along creek. Earlier we’d seen Sophie and family with Charlotte and family from our balcony and said hello. Bit worried about my abdomen, which is sore. I feel fine, though, and did over 10,000 steps.

Quite a busy day today. Overcast, and a little cooler. Promised rain did not materialise. Dot took me to church this morning as usual: a smaller attendance. I answered some theological questions from Steve. Graham back from holiday, but otherwise only Stacy, Carrie and Jude until Dot came along to take me home. Later Anne came round – Philip has been having more medical difficulties, and I think she needed a rest. Had a good long conversation. When she went, Des came round to discuss his piece about an aspect of his family history. Only two pages, but I tried to give him some advice, though it may come back to haunt me! In the evening watched Van der Valk – excellent – and another episode of Clarkson’s Farm, which was amusing. Earlier Dot spoke to Amy briefly about coming weekend. Oliver is in Sweden.

Last Tuesday was humid. Mainly dry in Norwich, with just a little light rain. Elsewhere in the county heavy rain and flooding. Paston, for example, as Jonathan revealed when we met him at Carrow Road. Put rota together for church while Dot was having a violin lesson at Anna’s. She walked there and back. Played a few LPs and looked at old videos. In the evening saw Norwich beat Huddersfield 2-1, though they should have beaten them about 5-0. Played really well in first half. Later watched Euro swimming and athletics. 

Wednesday was a bit cooler, but pleasant. Quite a bit of rain, but nothing heavy. Spent much of the day at Kim’s. Dot broke off halfway through to go to Taize event at church. Home just before 5pm. Sorted out compline, then Judy came round and we took her to Cake and Compline at Claire’s. No Vicky or Eleanor. Home quite late – Dot lost earring. Watched Shetland and bit of athletics: too late in bed.   

Thursday was mild: quite humid at times. A little rain. Finished sermon. Bridget came and cleaned. Dot sorted out two other bedrooms. Showed Dot some of the old films. She went to handbell ringing at Greens’ in the evening – I walked with her to top of Close. Listened to a few old vinyl LPs and then David FTd to talk about children’s  visit, which seems to have gone really well. Think he’s missing them. They are now back in Aylesbury, probably jet-lagged. Dot walked home with Jaya, and was also tired out. Watched some athletics. 

Friday was dry and fairly warm, but mainly overcast. Got up early and watched cricket. Sorted out travel insurance and got discount by mentioning Dave Evetts. Total £350 not bad. In afternoon Dot picked up her pills and did a bit of shopping at Boots. David FTd around 5pm to show us the pictures of Amy and Oliver’s visit. Excellent. I went outside for drinks at 5.30pm so that he and Dot could have a  chat. Then I came back in and cooked chilli while she went out. Later she went to see Norwich beat Millwall 2-0. I met her halfway, and we watched a bit of Euro athletics. 

Saturday was mild and dry. Robin Bloomfield came to do a few plumbing jobs – new tap in utility room, new plugs in shower room and bathroom, securing loo seats etc – £242. Cleared up after he left and did some other outstanding jobs. Played through En Passant games. Sorted out charity money. Watched some Euro athletics and England getting hammered at cricket by South Africa. 

Yesterday was a little cooler but still quite mild. Church in the morning. I preached on freedom from fear and was congratulated by Harriet on my sense of humour. Swedish woman and her husband came. Three people wanted a copy of the poem I used. Was inspired to write three new poems in afternoon. Drove Ray and Chris home – first time she’s been to church for a while because of chemo effects. As we arrived home Mary asked us to pray for Oscar, who has been threatening the police and may have to go to prison. Watched last day of Euro championships and a bit of Match of the Day 2. Pen y Pigyn featured on a walking programme we follow. 

Last Tuesday, after a good morning, not such a good afternoon. I  booked hotel and parking at Gatwick, but with some difficulty, especially when I tried to install ArriveCan app. Got very stressed and had to lie down. Later Dot listened to Norwich beating Birmingham in the League Cup (on penalties), and we watched the first episode of the new Van der Valk, which was excellent. Good script  – and a good team. 

On Wednesday I wrote two and a half articles for Parish Pump, partly while Dot was at a Taizé service at church. Very warm but not unpleasant. Did some food shopping in the afternoon. Later watched When Harry met Sally, which is a brilliant film, and the first episode of the new Shetland, which didn’t disappoint. 

Thursday was warmer. Almost uncomfortable. The start of a new trend. Finished off Pump pieces. Anna called in with a book from Tony Ward (former vicar now resident in Derby), and later Bridget came to clean. Most of the time she was here we were watching Casablanca, a great film of course. At 6pm we did a Heygo tour of Niagara on the Lake while I cooked duck à l’orange. Later watched the rest of the Runrig DVD, which was brilliant. Then David FTd us, accompanied by Amy, who doesn’t want to come home. Oliver in room too. Later watched Clarkson’s Farm on Prime. Really quite good. 

Friday was hot. Dot went to Morrisons early, and Kristine arrived on the 12.25 from London. Dot did really nice food, and we had a good chat. Introduced her to Runrig, which she seemed to like a lot. Felt very tired late afternoon and lay down for a while, but we all went out for drinks in the street at 5.30. Kristine got the 7pm train home: we took her to the station. Later watched some football, Witness Number 3 and Sanditon. Salmon Rushdie has been knifed on stage.

Saturday was hot. Didn’t go out at all; quite bearable indoors. Posted on website – article and poem – updated various things and then booked a cottage for Ballater next May. Norwich lost 2-/1 to Hull away despite being better in all departments except shooting. Now bottom of table. Watched a bit of Euro rowing and cycling, plus most of Rio Bravo and the second edition of Clarkson’s Farm, which is very funny. How can anyone make a living out of farming? 

Sunday was hot. Church in the morning as member of congregation – odd. I usually have something to do. Long Holy Communion with long chat afterwards. Heather has bad hip. Steve very down. After lunch spent most of day watching TV – bit of Euros, last 3 episodes of Witness Number 3 (3 and 4 much better than 1 and 2). Carrie called in with figs. Oh yes.

Yesterday was pleasantly warm, but overcast. Picked up Anna at 10 and drove to Woodbridge: traffic bad and painfully slow. Found car park and violin shop with no trouble, and parking app worked beautifully.  Dot had a choice of six of eight violins and bought one which sounded pretty good: £2500, less £500 part exchange on her old one. Anna bought a new bow, which was £800. Amazing shop, very pleasant owner and assistant.

Afterwards had lunch in the square outside the shop: really nice food and tea from the Wild Strawberry Cafe. As I was feeling pretty tired, Dot drove back. Watched some cycling and athletics (great finish to marathon) and another Clarkson’s Farm. No rain yet, but promised for tomorrow. I believe Oliver, Amy, David and Chrissy went to Niagara Falls, though there was an attempt to make me believe the picture was photoshopped.

Very pleasant day today – sunny and warm. Walked up into the city with Dot, who had an appointment at Jarrolds, then along and back down through the Close. At least, that was the idea, but as I was resting on a bench I was approached by a very nice woman from Beccles who wanted to know where the Great Hospital was. I started to direct her, then decided to go with her. Surprisingly I didn’t feel too tired, and after showing her the GH, I also showed her the pub at Bishop Bridge, because she was half an hour early for her tour and she thought she might like a coffee. So I walked further than I meant to, and felt surprisingly OK. I even hung the washing out.

Last Thursday I eventually managed to book flights to Canada, using Dot’s computer.  Bridget came to clean, and I cooked dinner (lamb steak). Then Dot walked up to Howard’s for handbell ringing: Bridget gave her a lift back. Meanwhile I played through some En Passant games. And sorted out the dishwasher. 

Friday was a bit cooler but quite pleasant. Plumber Robin came at 11 to look at a couple of jobs, and Kim arrived at the same time. She stayed for a light lunch, and we had a long chat. In the afternoon we watched a bit of Commonwealth Games, and Dot did some cleaning. Had drink outside with Des and Chris’s relatives, plus Mark, and Jonathan for a short time. Then went in for soup, and a few odd jobs. Feeling tired on and off. Watched more Commonwealth Games. Bit of constipation. Children have arrived in Canada. 

After a better night, Saturday was pleasantly warm –- not too hot. Dot went to the match with Matt and Amanda, who left their bikes in the garden. City managed to avoid losing, but drew 1-1 with Wigan. Not tremendously inspiring. I spent ages on a research questionnaire for Imperial College that didn’t seem to ask any of the right questions and ended up with brain games that I wasn’t too good at. Fred called in after the game: he’s staying at Beeston Regis and got the bus in. Nice to see him.

Also had a FaceTime with Andrew: it was his 74th birthday. He seemed much the same and appeared to have received his presents, though one can never be quite sure. In the evening we went to Des and Chris’s ruby anniversary celebration at Silver Rd community centre, and gave Sarah a lift. Nice evening: spoke a lot to Sarah, but also to John and Tara, who were just back from Cornwall, and Sean, Ciara, Phoebe and Freddie, plus Jessica and her husband and Charlie, Des’s best man, from Macclesfield; he and his wife Carol were a nice couple. Ceilidh band were ok, and plenty of people danced. We left at 9.30 because I was very tired, and so was Sarah. Watched a bit of football and Commonwealth Games.

Sunday was pleasantly warm. Led morning worship, with Heather preaching: 27 in the congregation. Nice atmosphere. Watched  a bit of Commonwealth Games and football. Lay on bed for a while – quite tired. Cooked duck legs – very nice. 

Yesterday was mild; quite pleasant. Dot dropped me off at church: the girls were not there, but had good chat with Steve, Alison, Jude, Debbie, Stacy etc. Dot returned later and stayed a while. After lunch Dot went to see Anne, who is having trouble looking after Philip: very hard for her. I trimmed back the ivy and finished Richard Balls’ Shane McGowan book. Felt very tired after looking at insurance, visa and parking. Emptied the dishwasher and cooked the evening meal. Watched last episodes of Everything I know about love, which was quite good, and  The Newsreader – ditto. Also watched MOTD2. That was quite good too.

Last Saturday was mild; mainly overcast. Anne came round and brought me some lovely Provence rosé as a late birthday present. After she left we watched some of the Commonwealth games, plus an episode of Sanditon, which is pretty good. Wrote prayers forSunday and felt better until mid-evening, when I felt very tired; Dot also developed a mysterious rash and was not feeling too good; so we went to bed early. Earlier we listened to Norwich losing 1-0 to Cardiff (A) in the first game of the season; saw highlights on ITV4. Dot had a long phone call from Debbie about Taizé service.

Rain overnight and off and on during Sunday. Quite mild. Went to joint service at St Aug and led prayers : 36 people there. Very nice atmosphere. Felt a bit shaky most of the day – hadn’t slept well. However had a proper meal – Moussaka. Dot still under the weather with a rash. She got some antihistamine pills and went to the Team Ministry service in the old church in the evening. I gave it a miss and watched some Commonwealth Games and England women winning Euro final 2-1,against Germany. A lot of people seemed quite pleased to see me this morning. 

Monday was mild but overcast. Felt quite a bit better, which was just as well, as Dot was under the weather with her rash and lacking in energy. Drove (first time since operation) to church and had pleasant chat for over an hour. Nikki and Leanne didn’t turn up so didn’t do Bible study. Howard and Matt were there doing repair work on end of hall. Had proper lunch and evening meal, which I cooked : haddock, potatoes and peas. Dot did fruit salad. Watched some Commonwealth Games swimming and the next two episodes of The Newsreader, which was good. Earlier Linda came and cut our hair, and I took over some papers to Des, who is back from Lichfield (and Commonwealth Games hockey). Oliver and Amy home from Corfu.

Bad night and a very warm day on Tuesday. Went to Archant Pensioners’ breakfast; Richard Batson came for first time. Too tired afterwards to go to shop, but went later in the afternoon to stock up on food. Watched an awful lot of Commonwealth Games, and had two long FaceTime chats with Amy and David. Amy showed us pictures of Corfu.

Wednesday was still very warm, but overcast and a bit windy. Des called to check on parking for his ruby weekend. Dot seemed to be improving –rash much less, and she perked up towards the end of the day. Watched some Commonwealth Games, including superb win by Eilish McColgan in 10,000 metres. I feel quite a bit better; wrote to Andrew and Thelma and walked up to post. Also ordered some stuff for both of them and for us. Naked Wines delivered before I was out of bed. 

Today (Thursday) is still warm, with some sun. Was feeling better until I attempted to book tickets to Canada, which went ok till I tried to pay. After six attempts (two valid credit cards and one valid debit card) gave up. Got as far as “Confirm it’s you” but no way of doing so. Aargh!!!! After lunch tried again on Dot’s machine, and it went through. Weird. As I write Bridget is here doing some cleaning. I am more than halfway through a book on Shane McGowan: great songwriter but almost impossible to be around. My chess game with Oliver is ongoing.

A confusing week – largely because I failed to record a couple of days; so some of this is from memory. On Sunday, which was very mild but quite windy, Dot got back from church (see last post) around 2.45pm. I was still feeling very tired and had diarrhoea, though I detected a slight general improvement. We watched some athletics: Jake Wightman brilliantly won 1500m world gold. Had a light meal (adaptation of Hello Fresh) and most of a tin of mandarins. Also did a bit of Pump research on Hadrian, but still very tired. Dot a bit slowed down by heat too. Watched end of Tour de France. 

On Monday I went to the surgery for my annual blood check. A very nice nurse (Anne) said I’d had major surgery and was in fact doing well – she looked at my scars. I should reckon on 4-6 weeks before I felt anything like normal. Dot went for farewell meal with colleague (Jon Moule) at Hethersett, and I just relaxed on the bed. Still not really wanting to eat. Linda cancelled hair because she was ill – not Covid, probably migraine. 

On Tuesday I definitely felt better and was up most of the day. Also enjoyed a meal of beans on toast. Spent most of day writing Parish Pump pieces. 

Wednesday was mild; quite pleasant. Couldn’t believe I hadn’t written anything the last couple of days, during which I’ve improved gradually. The weather has been quite pleasant, and we’ve had a chat with David, who seems very well, as does Chrissy. The children are in Corfu with the usual suspects, and Oliver sent us anniversary wishes today: it’s our 54th, and I felt well enough to go to Rob’s talk as Tom Paine at the Maids Head. We went by taxi and met Rob outside by chance. Also our bridesmaid Teresa: it was her birthday and our 54th wedding anniversary. Good talk.

Afterwards walked home through The Close. Bridget was doing our cleaning. We got a Hello Fresh box by mistake and gave it to her. I rested a bit, but later had meal of soup, croutons and strawberries. Long phone conversation with Gill and Mick Stedman as a result of an article I’d written for my website about my operation – Alice through the keyhole! Spent much of the evening watching T20 cricket (England beat South Africa) but also managed to get DVD player to work and watched some of a Runrig DVD that Phil and Joy got me for my birthday. Helped Dot choose hymns for Sunday. Have a bit of an appetite now: digestion improved a bit. At some point – may have been yesterday – watched Fistful of Dollars. What a great film! Not perfect, but inspiring. 

Thursday was a bit dull, but warm. Managed to sort out  the paperwork in my room, which was quite an achievement, paid TV licence and renewed heritage sub, coincidentally at the same moment someone  rang asking me to do so. Des and Chris away at Lichfield: Mark home. Dot went to shops, and I slept for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Saw more of Runrig DVD. Excellent. Had soup for supper. Dot spoke to Barbara V on FaceTime. Watched penultimate episode of The Undeclared War: still very good. 

Friday – today – was again mild and dry. Walked up to the post office to post birthday card to Linda, but felt oddly tired afterwards. Appetite has improved though. Eating quite a bit of fruit: had banana sandwich for lunch. Watched England lose at T20 cricket to S Africa. Dot, after brief foray to shops, had Zoom with Barbara and David about p4c, and later we went out to have drinks with Mark, Sarah, Matt and Angela in Des’s drive.