Monthly Archives: April 2010

Could it be the Mottram walk?

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Eddie
Little Eddie working hard in the garden

Quite a busy week, and warm too – until today, when it’s cooled off a bit. I’ve done a couple of longish walks – the first, 3.2 miles, was to the sorting office, then through the Rosary and Lion Wood, crossing Plumstead Road to Hilary Avenue, then through the alley into Mousehold and back by the usual route, taking in St James’ Hill and finishing along Riverside Road. Could call it the Mottram walk, because it passed Ralph Hale Mottram’s grave in the Rosary, and then his memorial skyline plaque on St James’ Hill. The second – 4 miles – started with a walk into the city to pay in the cheque for selling some of Dot’s shares, and continued down Tombland and past the Puppet Theatre, up Silver Road, along Mousehold Street on to Mousehold Heath (pause for ice cream), then across and into the Heartsease Estate to pick up pills from the chemist. Then along Witard Road and part way down Plumstead Road before I was picked up by Dot in her sports car, hopefully before she reached the area covered by the sociopathic speed camera van. That was yesterday. Feeling pretty tired today, with strange pains in my head. Shurely no connection?

Have managed to free padlock fastening long ladder to side wall. It had rusted in, but copious amounts of WD40 and persistent twisting eventually shifted it – just in time for neighbour to some round and say he didn’t need it yet. Job worth doing, though.

Cousin Eddie and family spent Tuesday afternoon with us. They are staying at Caister on Sea for a week. Grandchild small Edward has just turned three, and though he has lost his fantastic black curly hair (now browner and straighter), he is still delightful. Also present: Chris, her sister Maureen, Edward’s mother Jo (my Facebook friend) and her husband Stuart. Jo has gone from blonde to red: almost didn’t recognise her. Fun afternoon: should have invited them for meal, but didn’t get my head round it quickly enough – partly because we were out in the evening at the parish agm, which included a scrumptious meal prepared by Karen Wimhurt and friends, a certain amount of wine and some entertainment from a Congolese gospel choir. Again, a really enjoyable time.

The following evening we were out again, walking up to the Playhouse to see The Caretaker, by Harold Pinter. Splendidly acted: most rewarding. Met my “agent”, Tony Cooper, who introduced me to a potential stand-up comic who he said I might be able to provide material for. Left him my e-mail address and phone number, but am not convinced the PS-U was on the same wavelength. We’ll see. At least the author whose book I’m editing is happy with what I’ve done; so I will forge ahead with that.

Have just spent a couple of hours playing chess against my nephew Joe, with less than optimal results. Good practice, though. Would now be preparing for weekend trip to London to see the the Coomes, but astonishingly, and in completely unprecedented manner, it has had to be called off. This time very sadly too, as David has to travel north to visit his father, who is in a bad way, having fallen over recently. He has had to go into hospital, and the prognosis is not very good.

Something absolutely delicious

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Canoeist somersaulting
Canoeist tests submarine mode

Typically early visit from the piano tuner on Thursday roused me from my toast, tea and Sudoku. Wandered into sufficient consciousness to discuss Norwich City and other essentials while Dot prepared for DSSO visit to Yarmouth school. Later in the day she went to a governors’ meeting at Gillingham and dropped me on the Kirby Bedon road. I did a bit of exploring round the hinterland of Trowse and eventually found my way down to Whitlingham Broad and then home along the road, with a brief meadow excursion. I would guess about four miles in all, and very pleasant too. Got in some walking every day last week (until the weekend), and after a discussion with long-distance walker Michael, from down the road, went up to John Lewis and bought myself a pedometer that you can wear round your neck. New technology: you had to wear the old ones clipped to your belt, and I broke or lost several of them. I gave this one a brief test immediately, and it seemed pretty accurate. Unfortunately available only in kilometres, but the conversion maths will give my brain some exercise.

During the Thursday walk I took several photographs, and was lucky when I did the final bit along Riverside and found a canoeist doing practice stunts in the Wensum. Got some nice shots.

Drove to the Swan Hotel at Southwold on Saturday for Philip Robinson’s 70th birthday celebration meal. Got stuck in Norwich City championship celebration post-match traffic on the way out of Norwich, but still reached the hotel first, by about half an hour. Too chilly to go for a walk, so had a drink in the bar. Eventually, everyone turned up: Philip and Anne; Anne’s friend Francine; Sophie and husband Rich; Charlotte and fiance Chris; and Louise and boyfriend James. Had quite a long talk with all of them during the evening, which lasted till nearly midnight. Particularly good chat with Charlotte and Chris, who sat opposite us in the restaurant. The food was pretty well perfect. I had pigeon breast followed by beef – both done beautifully, and then poached pears with something absolutely delicious, the exact nature of which I’ve forgotten. It may have been supernatural. Gave Louise and James a lift back: they live on Thorpe Road, opposite the Town House.

Before all that I started work on the book I’m editing and got a couple of chapters done. I’ve fired them off to the author to see if she’s happy, but haven’t heard back yet. Perhaps she isn’t.  Despite our rather thick heads (we didn’t get to bed till about 1.30am) Dot and I enjoyed St Augustine’s yesterday, where I read the Banns for Ed and Jenny – for the second time of asking. Caught up on some TV in the afternoon and decided at the last moment not to go to the Ambient Wonder cafe evening, partly because our neighbours from the end of the road came round to tell us they were moving three doors down, and why. Nothing to do with us. I’m happy to say, but the same problem with the same people that everyone else seems to be having. Oddly, it’s bringing the rest of us together.

Today Dot dropped me off at the Premier Inn near the bypass on her way to Yarmouth. I walked back from there to test new pedometer again. Pretty accurate, but have adjusted step length downward slightly (85 > 80 cm) which works out about right, I think. More walks to follow! Quite warm today, but with some spots of rain.

Inordinate number of suits

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Alligator
Our magic alligator in his prime: he is now out of the bath and in the back garden, though showing no sign of shrinking.

Couldn’t stay away from the Assembly House yesterday. At lunchtime wandered up to attend the Archant annual meeting as usual. Quite strange, really: an inordinate number of suits, and a distinct lack of people from my former areas, though one of my trainees spoke to me about the new design system, and another one featured on the video about it. He is now a news editor. Brian C was the only member of the subbing group to show up: no Bruce, Robin, Peter or Hugh. This despite the excellent wine and buffet. The actual meeting was peculiar too: in the absence of chief inquisitor Mike P, no questions were asked at all following Mr J’s unusually monotone presentation: possibly the recession has brought out the Trappist in everyone. Spent some time towards the end talking to Cliff Butler’s widow Audrey, who was delighted that we remembered him, and to Jennie Downing, John’s widow, who seems as feisty as ever.

Back to the Assembly House with Dot in the evening for the Norwich Writers’ Circle open poetry competition prizegiving. Endearingly amateur organisation, with no-one seeming to know how things were going to be done, if indeed they were going to be done at all. But eventually I was announced as the winner for my poem Failing Fire, which I wrote in January after gazing into the fire after a succession of those January days in which dawn seems to slide straight into dusk with nothing in between. North Walsham cemetery made an appearance too, though incognito. To my surprise, the three other poems I submitted were also highly commended and thus got into the anthology. I read three of them and should have read the other one, but my lack of willpower got the better of me.

Very strangely, a headteacher who Dot had spoken to on the phone earlier in the day was also there, sitting next to Nic from church – who had two poems in the anthology. Also the former chair of governors at Tuckswood. Small world. There were about 620 entries from all over the country (and one or two from further afield), so I was very pleased. The judge was Hilary Mellon, a poet whose work I enjoy very much.

Today Dot has been busy: first at Brooke for a DSSO visit, and this afternoon leading four sessions at a conference for aspiring head teachers. She has spent a huge amount of time preparing for it (with some help from David); so I hope it goes well. I have just put the dinner on; she should be home soon. Managed to get in an hour’s walk this morning – Dot dropped me off at the Martineau Lane roundabout and I walked up into the city via Long John Hill and then paid in my poem cheque before walking home. Quite chilly weather, but good for walking.

Here comes that fuzzy feeling (and it ain’t right)

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robin limmer
Flashback to Adam & Eve: Robin Limmer, with Groucho Marx in background

Feeling a bit fuzzy today: have contracted another UTI and have prescribed myself some antibiotics, which make me feel tired. On the other hand, I haven’t had a full night’s sleep for about five days (no apparent reason) – so it could be that. Otherwise OK: I expect the UTI to retire hurt in a day or two. Today took a trip to Bally to have a chat with Annette and Rupert about the future of InPrint. Turned out pretty positively. We will probably be a tighter (=smaller) group and make more use of the website to publicise individual activities as well as collaborative ones. I think we’re all a bit too busy to take on another big collaborative venture at this point, though Rupert has some interesting ideas about the Great Yarmouth Museum archive. I need to rewrite the “about” page and revise the membership list. I have also landed the job of editing a short novel for a local woman, so I am earning a little money.

Not playing chess tonight, because my opponent called off, but I might wander up to the club later on to see what’s about, as my father-in-law used to say. I did play last Thursday for the C team in curious circumstances. They have five members, but three of them can’t play on Thursdays. So Greg and I were drafted in as guests on boards one and two in a bid to save the team from relegation! I won quite a nice game, which meant we needed one more point from the other three. Greg got a draw, but Norman lost what should have been a drawn position and our fourth member didn’t turn up!! So 1½-2½, and third division here we come. Or there they go, to be ruthless about it. Absent member may not be popular.

Other promotion and relegation issues: Norwich City made sure of promotion on Saturday when they beat Charlton 1-0 away. Cue wild rejoicing, mainly from Dot. Good sport weekend for a change, because Spurs beat Chelsea 2-1, and Button and Hamilton came first and second in the rain-hit Shanghai Grand Prix. More excellent tactics.

Last Wednesday Jessie ventured forth from her North Walsham enclave and came here for an evening meal. I met her at the station. Roger and Jude. Jude is active in the field of red hats, as well as various other fields. She is in fact Queen of the Norfolk Broads. I can’t say more, but we had a very good time. On Saturday, another memorable social occasion: we were invited next door for drinks and nibbles. In view of the amount of food available, I would not like to see their version of a full meal. Started in the garden, which was in truth a bit chilly, and we eventually retired to the drawing room. More good conversation, and a bit too much to drink, which was unfortunate, as I was preaching the next morning. However, it turned out all right.

We’ve had some warm weather over the last few days, but today was chillier. Happily not really affected by the no-fly-through-volcano-ash situation which has seen many, many people stranded abroad – and remain hopeful that the volcano will have calmed down by June, when we’re supposed to fly to Italy.

Extravagant lifestyle

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Ralph at the Adam, with a bit of Bruce

Over a week since I last posted, which can mean only one of two things: nothing much has happened, or I’ve been extremely busy. Reader, it is the former, although it did seem there was plenty happening at the time. In the last few days I have been getting some exercise in a bid to lose weight before Dot’s food-counting regime goes over the top. Have lost a couple of pounds following walks, mainly in the Mousehold area, and a bit of gardening and clambering around in the loft (where, incidentally, there was no sign of water incursion). Today I walked radically back from Joe’s after a couple of hours’ chess. Brisk wind, but sunny. Dot has been at Barbara’s working on her P4C and should be back shortly. Colin is due to come and survey a couple of garden jobs at around 6pm, and then Dot embarks on a Girls’ Night Out at the Greens, which sadly clashed with our Tuesday Group, and the Tuesday Group lost. A certain member of it suggested that the male members of it should have a Men’s Night Out, but as I can’t imagine anything worse than going out with a crowd of men, I was less than enthusiastic and will be having a Tim’s Night In.

Most of the time I have been catching up with financial matters and e-mails, as well as compiling the rota for St Augustine’s, which is a bit tricky as certain people who shall be nameless forget when they’re going to be away, and then remember just too late. I am in the process of selling some shares to fund our extravagant lifestyle, and I have persuaded KLM to send us our e-tickets, which should have arrived about a month ago. I shall soon have to sort Andrew’s money out.

Our former scanner is no more. It is nailed to the loft. It is a dead scanner. Happily, friend Vicky M had given us a scanner she no longer needs, and I am working out how to make it function properly. It is decidedly promising.I decided to follow some advice I saw online and not load the scanner software but use Image Capture on Snow Leopard. Result! Now I am looking out for someone with a VHS player they don’t need. Ours has bitten the dust following an ejection problem. I know how it feels.

Highlight, possibly, of the past week was the visit of Ralph and Lynne Martin, back for a month from the Seychelles and in the process of selling their house in Hingham. I warned them about the space-time distortion, but they went ahead anyway. Dot and I met Bruce at the station and we walked to the Adam and Eve, mainly along the riverside path. There we met the aforesaid Martins, together with a late-arriving Robin L, and had lunch together. The landlady of the Adam and Eve is Rita, who used to be at the EDP social club, and she amazingly remembered me. An altogether pleasant hour or two, and not a bad pie.

Leaving aside our haircuts, other exciting events included Dot’s having her MX5 folding roof cleaned (after we had navigated through a massive hold-up on Aylsham Road caused by a man sitting in a van surrounded by cones and traffic lights), which gave her a lot of satisfaction. And of course the DCC meeting on Thursday, at which we achieved a full house. Because Matt wants to come on the DCC, I am standing down and will be co-opted on. This will give me an excuse to miss a few meetings by saying I can’t vote, so I might as well not come. This is different to the forthcoming General Election, at which I can vote, but might as well not come.

Avoided losing at chess last night by getting a winning position and agreeing a draw. Well, you never know what’s going to happen, do you?

Home-grown hunt compulsory

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Oliver's party in celebration of Norwich City

As it turned out, Dot got home comfortably before David and the children arrived on Thursday, and we had a really enjoyable weekend, despite some less-than-perfect weather. Most of it was cold and almost as much was wet too. During a particularly fierce hailstorm on Saturday, water came into the living room via a hole behind one of the wall lights. Nothing very excessive: something similar happened many, many years ago and put itself right without any building work being required. But I’ll keep an eye on it.

On Good Friday we had the compulsory Easter egg hunt in the garden after considering and rejecting a couple of professional events elsewhere. The children insisted that the home-grown variety was what was required, and amazingly we collected as many eggs as we hid. Several times. Amy had a tendency to tell everyone where the eggs were, but this didn’t detract from the fun. The weather failed to dry out, so we played games indoors in the afternoon, and I introduced Oliver to table curling (don’t ask) and Tri-Tactics. He took to both, despite the latter being quite complex. At bedtime he was allowed by his Dad to watch the first 20 minutes of the Norwich game on his iPhone, but City failed to respond and went down 3-1 to lowly Tranmere, thanks to some memorably bizarre refereeing decisions. This rather put the damper on things following a triumphalist party he and Amy had organised earlier in the day to mark the team’s achievements this season. He is probably Norwich City’s biggest supporter in Caddington, if not Bedfordshire.

On Saturday we visited A Ethel for a short while and then went to the Castle Museum. Highlight there was a guy in the keep giving a brilliant talk on weaponry over the years, featuring longbows and the different types of arrow. I learnt a lot (including the revelation that the army that turned up at Agincourt would have beaten the one at Waterloo easily, because the arrows had so much greater range: get that into a song, Abba). Oliver was fascinated, but Amy was keen to keep moving. Some split supervision resulted. Eventually David and I visited John Lewis to look at scanners: an unnecessary excursion, as David later mended my current scanner. He then disappeared in search of other items and I went to pick up Dot’s shoes, which I had taken for repair on Thursday.

Yesterday I was leading the Easter service at church, and Oliver came with me to help set the room up. Dot and Amy arrived later, and there was a reasonably large congregation of 18, including four children. Phil was there; so I was able to concentrate on leading instead of playing guitar as well. Both children were brilliant: Amy played quietly throughout, and Oliver paid close attention. He was invited by John Easton (presiding at Communion) to pour water in the cup, and did so very professionally! After the service we proceed to the Red Lion at Eaton for what has become a traditional meal organised by Birgit. Twelve attended: apart from us there was Birgit and Joe, Phil and Joy, Birgit’s mother, her brother Joe and his wife Ilona. Lasted well over two hours and required some running games outside during the latter stages. Excellent food.

David and the children left around 7pm: Oliver and Amy are heading to Scarborough today with their mother. Dot and I, after some clearing up – mainly by Dot – watched the Bahrain Grand Prix and Match of the Day. This morning the rain relented and Dot and I went to North Walsham to see Jessie and insert flowers into the cemetery. Had some over so visited the Rosary and pout some on Mum and Dad’s grave too.

A goldfinch in Jessie's garden

During Dot’s inspection at Hickling she met my old friend Lily, who now plays piano for the school. During our visit to Jessie today we saw several goldfinches, which I had never met before.

Hoping the wind is behind them

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snow in ontario
Flashback: not the A93, but snow in Palmer Circle, Ontario, last month.

Spent much of the morning editing my most recent pictures, so that they look as good as they can when viewed on Apple TV later today. Yes, son and grandchildren are due to arrive this afternoon. I hope the wind is behind them, because I just got frozen taking some of Dot’s shoes into the city to be repaired. No problem on the way back. I got a hint of the iciness of the wind when I opened the door to the window cleaner at lunchtime and took several steps backwards. Glad to see the recyclists have braved the wind and emptied our brown bin. Nothing to grumble about really: the A93 between Ballater and Braemar is blocked by snow, which is very hard to believe: it is pretty much flat, though not at sea level, of course.

Dot is doing a school inspection today, and it’s 50-50 whether she gets home before David arrives. Yesterday we had our house alarm serviced, and I’ve changed the code so that I can’t get in. Sorry, that should read “so that other people can’t get in”, but I have already put the wrong code in three times. Dot was feeling pretty ropey yesterday until she had a glass of wine, when she suddenly felt better. That was after we’d done a mammoth shop at Morrison’s and she’d spent most of the day working on DSSO stuff and preparing for the inspection.

Wrote a couple of new, shorter Umbrage pieces and sent them to Anne to see if they would be any good for parish pump, but I haven’t heard from her yet. Last time she e-mailed she was not at all well, so perhaps she’s taking a break. Have also prepared the service on Sunday and led the meeting at Ed’s on Tuesday; so I’ve been reasonably busy. I have ideas for three more poems, but they’re just ideas at the moment.

Have now seen the last episode of Married, Single, Other, which is one of the best drama series I’ve discovered on TV for a long time. Beautifully written, acted and directed. Either the director or the actors knew exactly how to put the lines over, which means the writer was very lucky, or very good at telling them what was needed. Lucy Davies was superb, but so were all the others, including the lovely Miranda Raison, ex-Spooks and Norfolk-born. I hope there’s a second series: pity Lucy won’t be in it, unless it suddenly becomes supernatural or has lots of flashbacks.