Poor quality picture of top quality girl: Amy in tea cosy and glasses
A couple of visits to the surgery in the last couple of days: the first to see Dr Hampsheir to test my blood pressure, which was up a bit but not too much; the second for an all-purpose blood test. Awaiting results with unbated breath, in a similar way to my awaiting a dry day – knowing that such things exist but are unlikely to happen any time soon.
Yesterday it teemed down while Rob picked me up and transported me (with Lucy) to the Norfolk Record Office for a meeting with Dr Alban about our planned Paston exhibition there at the end of next year. That went very well, with all parties enthusiastic and full of ideas (no, it doesn’t sound like me, does it?) Tomorrow I am meeting Natasha Harlow to discuss Dragon Hall.
Still raining today (despite misleading patches of blue sky) when I took Dot up to purchase her iPhone 5. This took well over two hours, partly because the guy serving us did not know an awful lot about switching from one phone contract to another, then because we couldn’t open Dot’s old phone to get the old sim card out and find out what the model was, then because Dot couldn’t remember her Apple password …. well, you get the picture. The whole process involved most of the people in the Apple shop at some time or another, but we did eventually emerge into the early evening, where it was – yes, you guessed. It was raining. We picked up a bus outside Debenhams.
This gave Dot a relatively short time before she had to go out again to a governors’ meeting at Little Plumstead. If I were to say she was calm and relaxed, I would be lying. She does seem to have been very busy again this week. But at least she has an iPhone5, and before she went out I managed to switch on her contacts.
Julia wonders if she has bought enough drink for the evening.
The gas man eventually cameth at 1.20pm last Wednesday (claiming he thought it was an afternoon appointment) and quickly sorted out the radiators: one had a sticking valve and the other had accidentally been turned off – the movement to do this was a quarter turn, surprisingly. He also allayed my fears about the system staying on because of a pump valve sticking while we were away. Apparently there are loads of failsafes on the system, and the boiler would eventually turn itself off. So that’s all good.
When he departed Dave and I finished our lunch and went to Stranger’s Hall museum, which proved surprisingly interesting: it has a warren of rooms representing different historical periods. Afterwards we continued through the rain to M&S, where we met Dot and Julia, and I resisted buying a jumper. After a pause for afternoon tea we returned home by way of a couple more shops, and ate in.
Thursday was Dot’s 67th birthday, and the weather was much nicer. We took a bus up to the Sainsbury Centre and after coffee in the cafe there (seated at the next table to Charles Clarke) we looked at the main exhibition and then at portraits by John Hedgecoe, which included one of my friend Lisa D’Onofrio, alongside other poetic greats such as Paul Larkin, Ted Hughes and John Betjeman.
Afterwards we walked along the river part of the way to Cringleford, but had to abandon halfway because of the mud. We diverted on to Bluebell Road, had refreshment in Waitrose cafe and helped Dave and Julia buy 12 bottles of Beaujolais nouveau, which I believe is a kind of wine. We then caught the bus home, changing at St Stephen’s. No sooner home than we were out again,up to the craft fair at the Forum, where it was cold, especially outside. Dot bought a ring, and we returned home in time to prepare for our evening meal at Prezzo’s, for which the Robinsons joined us. It proved to be their last evening as non-grandparents.
Yes, Charlie Theodore Smith, son of Sophie, was born at 2.20am, narrowly missing Dot’s birthday and weighing in at over 9lb, which is a bit excessive. On the same day Dot left at 8.30am for Thetford, where she was doing a day’s SIAS training, and the Evetts headed north at 9.45am for Scarborough. It was all go again. For them.
Dot returned just after 4pm, and by 5pm we were heading down the A11 for Caddington, where we were due to spend the night before lunching with much of the Coomes family near Bishop’s Stortford and proceeeding to David and Kristine’s for the rest of the weekend. This was partially scuppered by illness striking DC and Lydia, and we ended up spending Saturday with David, Oliver and Amy, which was very nice. Took Amy swimming in the morning, then on to Sainsbury’s, where we bought food under Amy’s guidance and then washed the car at Amy’s request. David and Oliver returned from Finchley, where Oliver’s school football team had won 6-2 in pouring rain.
Stayed in during the afternoon and played games after watching F1 qualifying, then David made a second excellent evening meal (toad in the hole; the first was salmon) and after the children had had a bath and gone to bed, we drove home, arriving about 10.30pm. It was still raining hard. Dot had been given her presents the previous day – a scarf, some soap, a necklace and a bracelet.
So that mean we were at church for Heather’s visit: she spoke on the disappointing vote which fell short of approving women bishops and got quite emotional, but it was a good sermon. I prefer to think of the vote as overwhelmingly in favour, but not overwhelmingly enough. But then I’m not a woman. Some of you may have spotted that. Ruth played violin with us, which was a refreshing change.
River Bure near Horning, at about 3.10pm on a late November afternoon.
Managed to fit in a load of supermarket shopping and a visit to three banks before Dave and Julia arrived at 1.30pm on Monday. After lunch we went for a walk round the lesser known parts of the city, taking in Rouen Road, Ber Street, Hall Road, Southwell Road, Trafford Road and Brian Avenue. Obviously there is a good reason why these are lesser known, but we didn’t let that put us off. Dot saw Charlotte and Sophie through a window at 81 Trafford Road and shamelessly accosted them. Sophie is on the brink of motherhood but not quite there.
On the way back we called in at John Lewis and that shop on the hill that sells quality furniture upstairs and coffee downstairs. Some very nice stuff, but you can’t keep buying furniture. It was raining pretty solidly by the time we got home, and there was a lot more of it yesterday, when we had hoped to do a walk near Oxnead. In the event we started at Wroxham Barns for coffee, went on to Oxnead Church, then took a brief walk down to the river with our umbrellas up. Didn’t do the bit behind Oxnead Hall because of mud.
Continued by car to the Gunton Arms, where we had lunch (Lincolnshire Poacher sandwich for me, bagel for Dot and rarebit for the Evetts). Really enjoyable, and the setting of course is excellent. On again to Alby Crafts, where I bought a few small things (I had been tempted by a coat at Wroxham, but resisted it). By this time it was getting dark and we drove home. Later we walked up to Loch Fyne, where I tried to use an out-of-date Gourmet card (via iPhone app), which was rather embarrassing. It seems they haven’t renewed my subscription: I can’t find anything taken off my credit card.
Very tired last night. Still tired this morning, partly because I had to get up at 7.30pm in case the gas man came at 8am. Of course he didn’t. It’s now 11.12am, and I’ve heard nothing. Meanwhile another radiator seems to have bitten the dust, this time in the kitchen. Dot and Julia are out shopping (aaargh), and Dave has gone to the station to get a Motor Sport magazine.
On Thursday we voted for a police commissioner, and he got in. Not many people can say that. In more exciting news, two of the radiators in the house are cold, and the Evetts are due tomorrow. In addition, the heating failed to turn off last night when it was supposed to, so when the gas engineer eventually turns up (Wednesday is the latest offer) we will have a few questions to ask him. Hope he can answer them.
Meanwhile on Friday we went with the Robinsons to the world-famous Poringland cinema experience and saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which much to my surprise was both brilliant and inspiring, despite being set in India, which is probably the country I least want to visit.
On Saturday, while Dot got rather over-excited watching Norwich City beat Manchester United 1-0, I attended a birthday celebration for Bridget, who was 52. This took place on the Southern Comfort, which started at Horning, set off down the Bure and visited Ranworth Broad in gradually fading light. Atmospheric: really enjoyed it, especially as the forecast had been for constant rain.
Amy Myers in party mood
Spent quite a lot of time talking to Amy Myers (5), who has developed a lot and is fun. She had a small admirer called Emily (2).
I drove Howard to Horning (and back). Anna, like Dot, had intended to come but had mistimed her return from Derbyshire. The cake was good, and I also had a chat with Bridget’s mother, Joy, who I’ve known for a while. She writes short stories. By today Anna had a stomach upset, so didn’t make church. Dot did make church and seems to be pretty healthy, which is just as well in the circumstances.
Phil came round and lent me a booklet by Paul on the life of Mollie Wurr, who I knew way back in Surrey Chapel days.
Amy, Oliver and Nana at Elveden during a recent visit.
Busy times continue, hence the delay in posting this. Dot is now working on her inspection report: she was at Linton infants’ school in Cambridgeshire yesterday, having stayed the night at the Crown Inn, where she was presented with a massive breakfast at 7.30am. Fortunately the school was a very good one, and so the report should not be too hard to write. But it may be her last inspection: the effort is becoming incommensurate with the reward, and the new system of organisation has made it less flexible for inspectors.
While she was away I attended a PCC meeting (Monday night), at which Nicholas’ plans for a new Sunday evening community were discussed and generally approved, and a lengthy meeting of Paston trustees with Peter Stibbons (yesterday afternoon) about a planned Paston DVD. I was also able to talk to him briefly about a copy of my Norfolk poetry book that I had sent to him some time ago (he is also a publisher), and he recommended someone else, who I will try. A slow process.
Dot got back from Cambridgeshire in time for a Tuesday Group at the Archers’ last night. The Group has settled into a fairly constant eight: the Archers, Dot and I, Vicky, Judy, Ian and Harriet. Last night we watched a Rob Bell Nooma video, about bad reasons for attending church (among other things). He does that sort of thing very well.
Before Dot went to Linton on Monday evening we went shopping and I bought some slippers from M&S that turned out to be too small. Yesterday I took them back and changed them, which turned out to be remarkably easy. Later I did some shopping at Morrisons: I had mistimed it somewhat and it was a big rush to get to the Paston meeting, but I did just make it, despite the usual ditherers doing a constant 45mph on the road to North Walsham and even less between NW and Paston.
We had actually been to North Walsham on Sunday too, calling at the cemetery before taking tea and mince pies with Jessie and showing her how to work her new Samsung tablet. To be fair Roger had already shown her, but apparently rather too quickly. Earlier we had been at a Remembrance service at St Augustine’s, where Stuart gave a talk on a parishioner who died in France shortly before the end of the war, having experienced little fighting in the Middle East up to that point. Fascinating stuff, despite being delivered in a less than charismatic way. This was followed by some more of Carrie’s legendary soup, which again gave me heartburn. I mean, soup?! How can that happen?
Incidentally, I have recorded my new song, Woman at the Window, and given a copy to Phil. We may use it on our next Seagull visit.
The previous days had also been much concerned with church, of one sort or another. We had one of our visiting speakers at St Luke’s on Friday and Saturday – this time Cyprian Consiglio, a monk and musician from California. I didn’t hear an awful lot of what he said, but what I heard was extremely interesting, and his guitar-playing was brilliant. Phil, who is much more of a technician than me, was extremely impressed.
Phil was actually organising the volunteers for CC, and I gave him a hand on the Thursday (preparation) and nearly all Friday, when I had a chance to chat to the delightful Archie and Cathy Cameron, from Agape, who record the speaker events. Turns out they were born in the Gorbals, Glasgow, at almost the same time as Dot, and they spoke glowingly of the community there, where they also grew up. Dot’s Mum had also said how kind the people were.
Meanwhile on the Friday Dot was leading a Nafpht conference at Mangreen on Philosophy4Children. She had been extremely nervous and spent loads of time on preparation. She did the morning sessions entirely on her own, and Barbara came in the afternoon. Needless to say, it went very well, and she has got some good feedback, plus a possible booking at a Yarmouth school.
On the Saturday I popped up to St Luke’s at lunchtime to see if Phil needed help, and I assisted in clearing away the tables downstairs. I had intended helping at the end (5pm), but suddenly remembered that Dot and I were due to attend a thanksgiving event for Norwich Youth for Christ, of which she was formerly a trustee. This included a buffet at 6pm, much earlier than I had thought. It was at the Gateway Vineyard church in Nelson Street (formerly Mount Zion) and was very enjoyable. Spent some time talking to Don Guyton about Surrey and related things. The service was pretty far removed from the contemplative approach of CC, but was very well done, including contributions from choir and an excellent worship band. Interesting how they used old songs which I knew from my childhood – but in new settings. Lovely atmosphere. NYFC do a great job.
Way back last Thursday I attended a meeting of Paston trustees without Peter Stibbons, and we went through a lengthy agenda which included attracting new trustees and allocating new roles following the departure of Jo Berry and Lin Pearman for health reasons. I am now the secretary, and managed to produce some minutes which approximated roughly to what was said. Not as easy as it might be, as Lucy is difficult to follow at times.
It’s gone very quiet as far as I’m concerned, although the accountant is talking quite noisily to Dot in the kitchen at the moment. For Dot herself, life is very hectic. She went to Gateshead with Barbara on Friday (I took her to Scole), and their Saturday session in The Sage for the BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival – following a comfortable night in the Ramada hotel – went pretty well.
They arrived back around 10pm on Saturday, and on Sunday (after a rest instead of church) she was off again in early afternoon to pick up Barbara for a drive down to Islington, where they stayed at the same Travelodge we had used before our Treyn holiday to Switzerland a few years ago. Just inside the Congestion Zone, so that was £10 to pay for the Monday, plus £15 for the parking. I paid the CC online, and it was very straightforward.
Dot and Barbara then took their P4C to Vittoria School, which was quite hard to find because it was more or less barricaded in. Very impressive, however, and the session again went well. They then drove home, and Dot arrived about 6pm, feeling a “little” tired. I hadn’t done very much over the weekend: the weather was not good, and my energy was not high, for some reason. But I had taken church money into the city on Monday morning when the sun came out, and I had not reached the top of Prince of Wales Road before it started raining.
Since then Dot has been working hard on various upcoming projects, almost without a break, so I am looking after the cleaning and cooking. Fortunately Judy supplied soup for the Tuesday Group last night, and all I had to buy was bread. Needless to say, it rained all afternoon. Still, I have managed to write an article for my website and have made inroads into the Christmas event, as well as writing prayers for Remembrance Day on Sunday. I’ve entered a poetry competition, finished my song based on a Dali painting and assisted Dot with some quotes, laminated for her P4C session on Friday. Perhaps I should charge her…
Dot is on her way home from Gateshead after a successful time with Philosophy4Children at the BBC 3 Free Thinking Festival, and I am sitting her feeling pretty exposed after a thorough attack on our hedge by Colin and Matthew. At our request, of course, and I’m pretty pleased with the outcome, but the garden does look very bare – as well as quite a bit bigger.
I contributed to the desolation by cutting back the rose outside the back door rather drastically, taking the opportunity to get rid of the resulting rubbish on Colin’s lorry. This was particularly important because our brown bin wasn’t emptied last week, and there’s now some dispute about whether we’ve renewed our payment for the service. Embarrassingly, I don’t actually know.
The week started embarrassingly too, with a pretty inept loss to Martin Woolnough in the Dons chess knockout competition. I wasn’t feeling like playing, and it showed. Or maybe I’m just getting old. On the plus side, though, I’m feeling quite a lot better: I think I must have had a virus of some kind. And Norwich City have had a good week: Dot and I saw them beat Spurs 2-1 in the Capital Cup on Wednesday evening, and today in our absence they beat Stoke 1-0.
Dot has been working hard all week, preparing various Philosophy sessions that are coming up, and on Tuesday she spent most of the day at Barbara’s; so I put the evening meal together for the Tuesday Group. Nothing special, obviously. On Wednesday, in preparation for the evening football, we had our hair cut: this is not interesting, just a matter of record.
On Thursday, while Dot went out to Hethersett I visited an ailing Lucy at Paston, returning some of the stuff I’d brought home from Mannington Hall (but not all of it, obviously: that would have been too sensible) and sharing a cup of tea. Later Anne visited Aspland Road, providing some light relief for Dot (and me).
I took Dot down to the Scole Inn on Friday afternoon, where she transferred to Barbara’s car for the journey to Gateshead. Last day of half term; so lots of traffic in the city. I felt it advisable therefore to return home in pretty short order. Not much else happened. I shall now cook a pizza, because I can’t be bothered to go out and buy fish and chips. This is what it comes to.
