Started off grey and quite wet; so we didn’t emerge till late. Had lunch at the log cabin then drove to somewhere unpronounceable and unspellable between the Well of Lecht and Tomintoul.

The weather had improved; so we did a walk of just under four miles up to the top of a nearby hill,  which had a mast on the top. It also had a viewpoint just below the summit, and we lost enough cloud to make it worthwhile  – we could see Cairngorm, Ben Avon and Bheinn a’Bhurd, all with snow.

Saw no one at all on the hill. Very quiet. Four young deer ran across the path as we neared the summit.

Pretty tired by the time we reached the car, so we drove straight home. Road works and traffic lights on the Lecht road! After a cup of tea we went out for a short walk in view of the appalling forecast for tomorrow and found the house Ella is using next week. Also saw lots of damage from floods.

Returned home for makeshift tea and watched a couple of TV programmes we’d seen before. Earlier wrote s couple of poems.

Our first full day in Ballater started with a beautiful ecumenical service at the Church of Scotland (brilliant talk to children on Holy Spirit) followed by a performance by the local pipe band afterwards. This was also the opening of a festival, at which Dot bought a necklace. There were showers all day, but also quite a bit of sun.

After lunch we drove down to Loch Muick and walked to the boat shed, where we sheltered. While there I walked out on the stones as usual but overbalanced and put my foot in some water about 18 inches deep. Unfortunately Dot was too worried to get a picture, but I amused three very nice Germans who were standing there.

On the way back to the car we encountered a herd of deer crossing the path – something similar happened once when the Murrays were with us. Later we had fish and chips: very nice but far too much as usual. I fell asleep afterwards, then we got the wood burner going. It’s warm now.

Have just come to bed in our rented house in Ballater. It’s 10.30, but being June in the far north, it’s still pretty light. We arrived just after 1pm, which was a bit too early, as the wife of the owner wasn’t quite ready for us. We went for a wee drive until she was. She was very nice. After unpacking we rested for a bit until it started pouring with rain. Then we waited till it stopped before we walked round the town and bought some food. Later we went for another walk, taking in some of the golf course.

We have a diesel Ford Focus, which drives very well. After carefully doing everything the small print said I should, like taking a paper copy of my licence, two utility bills, my passport and the code obtained from a Government website, all the rental guy wanted to see was my photo licence. Very frustrating.

We spent last night at the Premier Inn at Aberdeen airport, which was excellent in every way except that it was a long walk from the airport and you had to guess where you were going. The flight from Norwich was good, though it had started to rain at almost the exact moment we had to board. Nevertheless the plane was only part full and we got free drinks. The taxi drive to the airport went well too.

Just before reaching Ballater we stopped at the Riverside Inn (formerly Crannoch) and had ham and lentil soup, which was surprisingly good. The accompanying bread was brilliant, but that wasn’t so surprising, because they make their own.

The chess simultaneous went pretty well, considering that I lost. I was one of the last three to finish (out of 19) and played pretty strongly. I had a good position when lots of games were being resigned, but I wasn’t able to calculate sufficiently in the time available and lost in an endgame where I was for a while a pawn up. Here is the game:

White, John Nunn GM, Black Tim Lenton 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 h5 9. Qd2 Qc7 10. Nd5 Nxd5 11. exd5 Bf5 12. Bd3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Be7 14. c4 Nd7 15. O‑O O‑O 16. Rfd1 b6 17. Nd2 f5 18. b4 Bf6 19. Rac1 Be7 (wasted time with my bishop) 20. Nb3 e4 (This got me some good play) 21. fxe4 Ne5 22. Qd4 fxe4 23. Qxe4 Ng4 24. Bd4 Bg5 25. Rc3 Rae8 26. Qg6 Qe7 27. Qe6+ (forced: I was threatening Qe1+, mating) Qxe6 28. dxe6 Rxe6 29. Bxb6 Re2 30. Rf1 Rxa2 (Probably should have avoided the exchange of rooks with something like Rb8) 31. Rxf8+ Kxf8 32. h3 Ne5 33. c5 dxc5 34. Nxc5 Bd2 35. Rb3 Nc4 36. Bc7 Be3+ 37. Kh2 Ra1 (h4 was better. I did see it, but was not getting much time between moves) 38. h4 Ke7 39. Rc3 Bg1+ 40. Kh3 Bxc5 41. bxc5 Ra3 42. Rxa3 Nxa3 43. Kg3 Ke6 44. Kf4 Nc4 45. Ke4 Kd7 46. Bf4 Kc6 47. Kd4 Na3 48. Bd2 Nb5+ 49. Kc4 Na3+ 50. Kb4 Nc2+ 51. Kc3 Na3 52. Kd4 Nb5+ 53. Ke5 Kxc5…

… and that’s where I stopped writing the moves down, annoyingly. I am still trying to reconstruct the last few moves, but he managed to stop my a-pawn advancing while breaking through on the kingside. In the end it was like playing him one-to-one, which of course is pretty hopeless considering he’s not only a grandmaster but a world champion at solving chess problems.

Afterwards I had a brief chat with him, and he said it was difficult for me to hold the endgame because the bishop was stronger than the knight and it was hard to advance the a-pawn. Still, I’m sure it should be a draw with best play. He also said he repeated moves just before the final position above while he waited for other games to finish so that he could give it his full attention.

{PS I have tried to reconstruct the final moves, but I lost a move somewhere, and I can’t work out where. It must have gone something like this: 54. Ke6 Kd4 55. Kf7 Kc4 (Don’t know why) 56. Kxg7 Nc3 57. g4 a5 58. gh a4 59. Bxc3 Kxc3 (Thought about resigning here) 60. h6 a3 61. h7 a2 62. h8(Q) a1(Q) and resigned without waiting for Kf7+ winning my Queen.}

Needless to say, I couldn’t sleep that night (Monday) because my brain was still whirring round and round. That’s the main reason I gave up competitive chess a couple of years ago. Very frustrating, because I enjoy playing.

I was pretty shattered the next few days, of course, which sort of affected the DCC meeting on Tuesday, which passed in a bit of a blur. Very long blur. We’d also just had our haircuts. Don’t even ask…

During Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we took some stuff to the tip, and some old clothes and things to the age UK shop on Plumstead Road, which is more convenient than Break, on Unthank Road, where we usually go.  We also went to Morrisons, and in between all that Dot repainted the small loo/cloakroom, and everything in the room. Looks nice.

The Hendersons came round last night for drinks and nibbles, which went pretty well until Maryta got a bit het up about the country going bankrupt and all the prominent politicians who hated the UK. She was in a minority, but a very vocal one. Ho, hum. Dot and I sent off our postal votes, and Dot’s DNA is on its way to the US. Hope Trump doesn’t get hold of it.

This morning we got a text message to say our flight had been cancelled. We’ve been rebooked on an earlier Eastern Airways flight, which is tremendously reassuring. I’m sure there’s a good reason for it. Thunderstorms are forecast.

I’ve been getting around: Warwick, Bacton, Stowmarket and Old Catton in the last four days, and mostly the weather has been good: warm and mainly sunny.

I hesitated a bit about going to Warwick but in the end decided it was worth it, because I won’t be seeing Andrew again for at least three weeks, which would have made it two months without a visit. For all that he loses track of time, I think he still notices when I haven’t been for a while. He was not as good as last time I saw him – he apparently had a stomach upset – but still much better than when he first went in there. We talked for about an hour, and I took him into the garden for a while.

The journey went quite well. As I hadn’t been feeling so good, I decided to go first class, and it was a good decision – even though the Chiltern Line appears not to have a first class. There were not many people on the two trains between Marylebone and Warwick, and it was very comfortable. I walked from the station to the hospital, which was about a mile. I had intended to take a taxi, but I would have got there too early.

The whole journey went slightly quicker than I had anticipated, which meant I had to hang around to make sure I got an off-peak train out of Liverpool Street. I had a quick snack at Marylebone (Upper Crust), watching the many, many cyclists taking their bikes on to the trains, then waited a while at Liverpool Street.

There were no seat reservations marked, and when the train had almost filled up, a couple decided that I and another guy were sitting in their reserved seats. It was too late to move, because the train  was pretty full; my companion pointed out that no reservations were marked, and they went off quite quietly. I have a feeling that train seat reservations should be abandoned altogether, because they cause so much trouble. People with reserved seats often sit elsewhere, and it’s easy to remove reservation cards and dispose of them (not that I would do this, but I bet some people do).

There should no doubt be exceptions in the case of those with special needs. On the way down I gave my seat to a woman with a disabled child because apparently her reservations hadn’t  been marked (or had been removed). This is not as heroic as it sounds: I was able to sit elsewhere quite easily.

On Friday the Paston Heritage Society had arranged a visit to Bromholm Priory, and I was due to act as guide for a couple of women while Lucy looked after a group of schoolchildren. However, when I arrived there was no sign of anyone. The school had cancelled because of an organisational problem, and only one of the women turned up. So Lucy, with her greater expertise,  was able to guide her, and I waited by the gate in case the other woman turned up. She didn’t, but a random couple named John and Jane did; they were about to turn away because the priory is private, but I suggested they join our “group”. They did – their lucky day. Peter was also there taking photographs, and we were all able to have a good look round.

The next day Dot and I went to Stowmarket to the Suffolk Poetry Festival, where I was reading on behalf of the  Seagull group. So was Dot – she and I did a selection of tanka that I am writing with Joy McCall. It was sunny and warm when we got on the train, but by Diss it was unexpectedly pouring with rain. Happily by Stowmarket ( a quarter of an hour later) it was sunny again. We got a teacake in the Lime Tree Cafe and then nearly got some shoes for Dot – but not quite– before the afternoon session started.

The poetry went well, I think. Dot and I started, followed by Sue, then Ollie Watson and ending with Kaaren. Quite a good balance. We listened to some other groups, then took a break, watching some students recite in another building while eating tea and cake. Following that we decided to go home, arriving in time for the Cup Final, Arsenal beating Chelsea 2-1, I’m glad to say. Good game.

Yesterday we had a rather distracted Communion service, partly because we heard just beforehand that Chris Fiske had had a very bad night and might have to be rushed into hospital. She didn’t in the end, but is not at all well. Then Dot got a phone call in the middle, went outside to take it and spent some time comforting Elvira, who was upset over recent family tragedies. Afterwards I spent some time trying to fit too many things into the too little space afforded by our replacement cupboard.

In the evening Dot was playing in a concert at St Margaret’s Old Catton, and so of course I went along. It was pretty full, and an  enjoyable evening. David Archer turned up at the last minute. As we left, there were a few spots of rain, and it rained harder overnight, though not so far today, despite the forecast. This evening I’m playing chess against a grandmaster. So are quite a few other people.

Summer seems to have arrived. Today is warm and mainly sunny, and I’ve already been out to Mundesley for a meeting of the Paston Heritage Society trustees – the first, amazingly, since last December, though there have been plenty of Footprints meetings in between. Happily I have already done the minutes, despite suddenly getting some floaters in my eye to go with my slight headache, uneasy stomach and heavy legs.  I have also booked a first-class ticket to Warwick to see Andrew tomorrow, after checking that he would be there.

Yesterday was a mixed day. The highlight by a mile for me was taking Jessie to the crematorium at St Faith’s to mark her wedding anniversary. We took a rose for Frank and viewed his entry in the memorial book. We then sauntered round the gardens, which were much more extensive than I thought, played Poohsticks and then sat by a lake before returning to North Walsham for tea and egg custard. Lovely.

Afterwards I went to Northrepps by several circuitous routes and delivered some pictures to Brigette, avoiding her partner and dog. Meanwhile, Dot was in London with Anne, celebrating the latter’s birthday by visiting the Shard and drinking champagne, among other things. They arrived back just before 11pm with makeovers from Harrods.

Earlier in the day I had been to the doctor’s – a highly unsatisfactory visit to a female doctor I hadn’t seen before and who wanted to give me statins, which I declined, and then more or less insisted I upped my blood pressure pills. She wasn’t interested in any of the things I wanted to raise with her (see first paragraph), and I left feeling pretty depressed, though my spirits were raised by a conversation with my neighbour Mary, and later with my son – until I discovered I’d booked a holiday in Scotland when he and the children might otherwise have come up to see us.

In other news, we had another meeting on Monday of the inter-church group which discusses the similarities and differences between the three congregations in our parish, and on Sunday I preached at church. The day before we spent mainly at Bury St Edmunds, partly trying to park and partly enjoying Matthew Creber’s wedding to Lynda Davies. Matt used to play piano in our group at church and lived with us for a month. He is now training for ordination. Also there – Heather Cracknell, preaching, and her family: Paul, Rhianna (13) and Finnan (10).

Those who know Matt will not be surprised to hear that there was a chaotic element. The service went so slowly that we were afraid we wouldn’t meet our afternoon engagement with Audrey and Bent at Côte Brasserie, but in the end it worked out (after a phone call), though we missed refreshments at the church afterwards. We had a nice meal with Audrey and Bent and then went to their house for a cup of tea. We weren’t invited to the wedding reception, but to the evening do, which started at 7pm. We got there at 7.45pm to find that the Reception was still in full swing, the best man’s speech was in progress and there were too many people in the barn.

Happily we entered close to where the Cracknells were sitting, and there were spare seats at their table because a family with young children had left. We even got some drink and a dessert, plus a cup of tea/coffee.  We left not long into the dancing, though, and encountered a small deer by the side of the road on the way home. (We were on our way home: I don’t know where the deer was going.)

We’re back in Norwich after a busy week, the highlight of which was David’s 45th birthday yesterday. We arrived at Caddington from Scarborough, booked into the Premier Inn on the A5 (Horse and Jockey) and then got lost trying to find our way through Caddington past the road block at the top of Chaul End Road, where they’re inserting raised tables for pedestrians to cross more safely (theoretically). Eventually we went back to the Slip End road, with a little help from David on the phone. Turns out there is no way through Caddington village other than the main roads.

Anyway after we got there we had a good time (Amy hadn’t known we were coming and seemed very pleased). David and I walked up to the Indian to get a takeaway. Bit of rain, but not too bad at that point. Got David a couple of books (one by Harold Evans and a newly discovered one by Dave Gemmell) and a small cake, plus a bottle of wine. Revised some French and maths with Amy while David and Oliver played Fifa (I think).

Drove back to the Horse and Jockey around 10pm. Left after breakfast this morning, and I dropped off Dot at Forncett St Peter School before heading home and buying petrol. I had been home for only half an hour before she rang me to come and fetch her. Just had a chat with Des, who spoke about a couple coming to our door while we were away. Can’t imagine who that could be…

Way back in the mists of time, on Friday last week, Dot and I took Howard and Phyllis to visit Ann Travis at her residential home on Colney Lane, meeting her daughter Chris there. This went really well, and Chris was very appreciative.  On the same day, we had our piano tuned. Joe is getting on a bit. But then, who isn’t?

Saturday was another big day. After having our hair cut by Linda we travelled to Louise Robinson’s new house at Stoke Holy Cross, where we met her partner Dave and were joined by her mother and father, and her sisters and their husbands – also Charlotte’s three-week-old baby. From there we drove to Stoke Mill, where we had a private room and an extremely pleasant meal. Yes, it was Anne’s xxxxth birthday. The number that dare not speak its name.

On Sunday we had a meal at church and discussed St Augustine’s Way before heading out to North Walsham to go to the cemetery before dropping in briefly on Jessie, who was about to go to Roy’s with her son and his girlfriend. I had been scheduled to go on to the Seagull, but I decided I wouldn’t, as I was already tired and had to drive to Scarborough the next day.

Which we did. It was quite a pleasant journey, and we arrived about 3.30pm. After a cup of tea we went out for a short walk part way down the cliff, where there were bluebells and wild garlic.

On the Tuesday we drove to Rievaulx Abbey (after the obligatory coffee stop at Cedar Barn). The Abbey was a beautiful place, and we really enjoyed the tour of it, accompanied by audio info. Afterwards we had tea in the cafe – also very pleasant. The weather was overcast, but not unpleasant. The next day, however, it did not stop raining. Dave devised the cunning plan of calling at a different tea shop before making our way to Eden Camp, near Malton, a former POW  camp now a museum. We had to dodge the rain going from hut to hut, but it was a fascinating experience, and there was so much of it that we didn’t manage the complete tour.

On Thursday it dawned bright and sunny, but as we travelled south it became greyer and greyer. We decided not call on Andrew because of a shortage of time (we’d have had to go well out of our way), but we got to Caddington by 4pm and booked in to the Premier Inn. The rest is history (Back to top).

At last a bit of warmth for the East of England. And it came at just the right time for a trip to Swaffham yesterday to visit the Higbees. To confirm that summer was here, if only for a while, we had a barbecue – and ate Italian nibbles in the garden, though we decamped to the dining room for the main course.

Later, while Dot went to orchestra, my brother Phil and I went to the Cathedral for a talk on “Why God loves science”. This proved to be not quite as exciting as expected, largely because the speaker tried to get too much in and therefore spoke a bit too quickly. Nevertheless he had some interesting things to say about the book of Job and its references to scientific inquiry (though not in those words).

It was a mark of how much Phil has improved that he walked to the Cathedral (and back), and we met outside the statue by the west door. He pointed out that the statue bore a marked resemblance to Rowan Atkinson, which is true enough, though it is in fact Nelson. I walked halfway back to his house afterwards and then along Barrack Street and Riverside Road, thus exciting my Steps app.

Back last weekend Dot and I went to a Mozart Orchestra concert at Christ Church, Eaton, on Saturday. We went mainly because Bridget had had a hand in organising it, and in fact introduced it and thanked everyone afterwards. But it was an excellent concert, featuring Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto and his 100th symphony. Neville and Mary were also there.

On Sunday I led the service, and in the absence of all musicians, including Dot, who – shockingly – was at Carrow Road for the final game of the season, I played guitar too. I also led the prayers. By mistake Carrie, who had had a very bad week because of the probably criminal behaviour of someone she had tried to help, had thought there was a church meal and invited four men from her Saturday group. As a result she had to fire up some quick jacket potatoes. I declined the opportunity to stay and instead delivered a bank card to the church treasurer, who lives on Colney Lane. It had been addressed to me in error.  At his house I noticed an electric car charging…

In the evening Dot and I went to Cley Wildlife Trust for a piano and art event (a pianist improvising to some art flashed on screen). We went because we knew both artists – Martin Laurance and Sarah Cannell – but surprisingly, they were not there and in fact the audience numbered only a dozen, where I had expected it to be packed. We had also hoped to combine the event with a short walk, but the weather was very cold, windy and grey, with a smattering of drizzle; so instead we sat in the cafe with a drink and watched a marsh harrier in the distance until the performance started. We felt the latter could do with a couple of poems.

On Monday, as our son arrived back from Canada, we journeyed north again, to the Paston agm at Mundesley Manor Hotel. Again a very small gathering, but with some excellent sandwiches. Weather still cold, grey and damp (although beautiful in other parts of the country), but the hotel was extremely comfortable.

On Tuesday, with the weather relenting somewhat, Dot and I walked up to Jarrolds in the afternoon to deliver some Paston books (they have now had 26), then had a cup of tea at an empty Presto’s, where Kathy and Roberto talked of opening for early evening meals, which sounds like a good idea.

In the evening Judy drove us to Howard’s for our monthly Julian evening. There was some doubt about what we should have read – I spent 90 minutes in the bath that morning reading chapters 41-63 – but we eventually zeroed in on Revelation 14 and had a good discussion. I’m getting a lot more out of it than I thought I would, and I don’t mean just wine and nibbles.

Anyway, today seems promising, and I shall go out for a walk in a minute. Dot is at a DSSO meeting with Paul. I had been thinking about going to visit Andrew today, but he has been at Minster Lodge overnight, and I’m not sure when’s travelling back to Warwick. By all accounts he’s doing really well. Glad not to go really, because my back is still not quite right, though not exactly painful.

Dot has had a day of uncluttering, but luckily I am still here. This is largely because she’s been in the garage, and I haven’t. Mind you, it’s reaching a stage when she might be getting rid of me and installing something more efficient. On Tuesday, shortly before the Archant coffee morning, I injured my back. I don’t know how, unless it was the way I got out of the bath, attempting to protect a cut on my leg. Very painful for a day or so, but then just sore. I am still very aware of it, my legs are quite stiff and I continue to feel very odd. My head is noisily fuzzy, as it has been for a while. However, I can walk OK; so I may survive.

Before that happened, on Bank Holiday Monday, we visited Jessie and had apricot-flavoured Swiss roll, which was interesting. Also went to Sainsbury’s and the cemetery, of course.

After the back injury we arrived late at the Archant coffee morning, where I had an interesting conversation with Brian. Later I took Phil and Joy to have their eyes tested. Dropped them near the Guildhall, and they walked to Specsavers. Phil is back to walking better than Joy. Later, I picked them up again.

Nothing much happening in Norwich on Wednesday, but in Coventry Andrew was visiting  Minster Lodge and making a very favourable impression, extending as far as a group hug.

Yesterday was more eventful than anticipated. I started with a scheduled blood test, then when I was asking the chemist if he had my renewed prescription pills (he hadn’t) I received a text from the surgery asking me to make an appointment to see a doctor. This was either the quickest blood test results in history, or a coincidence. Reader, it was the latter. I returned to the surgery, and the receptionist suggested it was to arrange a review of my medication. So I fixed a date later this month with a doctor I had never heard of.

Then, while Dot was having lunch with the lovely Juliet at Presto’s, I managed to break a tooth. I e-mailed the dentist and got a call back just after 2pm asking if I could come up immediately, if not sooner. I got a few yards down the road and realised I’d forgotten the broken-off bit of tooth, then while retrieving it thought it might be quicker to go by car. I ended up in John Lewis’ car park and arrived at the dentist to get the tooth fixed.

I was about to go home when I thought it might be helpful to Dot to use the car; so I gave her a ring at Presto’s. Surprisingly, she was not planning to do shopping; so we shared the ride home, dropping in at the polling station to vote on the way. Meanwhile (before the tooth broke) I had been moving the MX5 when I noticed the two suspect tyres were down. I took it to Keep-Fit, and they sorted it by the end of the day: apparently it was the seal between the alloy rims and the tyres.

Today I tried again for my pills, but they still hadn’t arrived; so the chemist gave me them anyway, planning (I presume) to replenish his stock when they arrived. I renewed on Tuesday; so you would have thought they’d had long enough at the surgery to sort it out.

While Dot has been decluttering I’ve done a bit of clearing up myself, mainly in the bedroom. Eventually I found the Voltarol, but it didn’t make much difference. Still, everything is now tidy. I’ve also booked tickets for a couple of concerts.

Bit of an end-of-an-era week in Aspland Road, as Sam and Ellie moved out on Tuesday. They are now living with Chris off Ketts Hill.

Well, we did go to Felbrigg for a walk with the Hendersons last Monday. In the course of it I discovered that my energy levels have dipped dramatically: all three of them could walk faster than me, and that’s not counting the dog. Not sure why this should be: I suspect a hangover from the various minor health problems I’ve been having. Up to now, my stamina has always been very good. Yes, I know: I’m getting old.

In the evening another stamina-sapping event – the annual parish meeting. As members of the PCC we had an added bonus: as well as the main meeting (80minutes), we had a half-hour pre-meeting meeting and a 20-minute post-meeting meeting. Happily there was a meal too. During the post-meeting meeting I suggested that Jesus would not have had a health and safety policy. I could have added that if he’d done a risk assessment, we might not have been there at all, but I knew I’d be crucified if I’d said that. Ho, ho.

An altogether more relaxing event the following day: Cake and Compline at the Archers, with everybody in attendance. According to my diary nothing much happened the next two days. I was probably asleep, or writing articles for Parish Pump. I seem to remember a couple of short walks, but it was very cold.

David left for Canada on Friday. I always feel rather nervous when he’s so far away. Before he left, however, we had a Paston Footprints steering committee meeting, which went surprisingly well, possibly because Dot made a cake.  In the evening, while David was in the air, we went with the Robinsons to the Wildebeest at Stoke to celebrate Philip’s 77th birthday. I drove there from their house, and impressed Philip with the speed of the journey. I think “impressed” is the right word. The meal was excellent. Duck.

More excitement yesterday, when Dot and I drove to remote Mautby for a Paston-related event put on by the local church as a kind of launch for their “hub” of the Footprints project. They managed to fill the church for a talk by Rob and Lucy, plus various re-enacting. We attracted the Lord Mayor of Yarmouth and Ingrid, the deputy head of one of Dot’s schools. Peter shot a video – https://youtu.be/fjfex8IpswE – and a reporter compiled something for the local paper and its website. in the churchyard I had a long talk with a woman who claimed descent from Robert Kett. She said she was not feeling rebellious.

Meanwhile, Norwich City went 3-0 up away to Leeds and managed to hang on to draw 3-3. We listened to the nail-biting conclusion on the way home.

Today we had a cake (by Anna) at church for Phyllis’s birthday, and a very pleasant service. Chris Denton called in afterwards to talk about her mother (Anne Travis), who is in a care home, and we are arranging to go to see her near her birthday, in a week or two. Afterwards Dot, Phil and I pooped over to the old church to show our faces for the Flintspiration weekend – a kind of celebration of Norwich’s old flint churches. Stuart was in charge as usual, and doing a good job. He told me he had been inspired by Rosemary, a church member who died some years ago and who was lovely.