The gas man cameth while I was at church last Sunday, and he got our central heating  going again. Apparently a safety switch that I didn’t know existed had popped out. We don’t know why, but since he adjusted everything, our water is boiling hot. I’ve turned it down once and may have to do so again. Still, everything is working.

Later we went to the Hendersons for a light supper, and later still Paul drove us (without Maryta) to the Theatre Royal for a concert by a St Petersburg orchestra; Prokoviev’s 1st, Rachmaninov’s 4th and Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherezade. Or something like that. It was very good: Dot loved the last one – one of her favourites.

On Monday we went for lunch with Angela and Rodney at what used to be the Ugly Bug at Colton, but is now the Norfolk Lurcher. We all had fish and chips, which was very pleasant. Beforehand we viewed the new Ellis kitchen, which was pretty impressive, and afterwards we went back for tea/coffee before hastening home to get our hair cut (Linda had rescheduled from the previous week).

David, Oliver and Amy arrived late on Wednesday, and on Thursday we walked into the city before having to leave them to see a play at the Hostry Festival that we had booked up for months before. Very good it was too: Anglian Mist, performed by the Stuff of Dreams Theatre Company in the round. We were very close to the actors, and it was extremely impressive to watch their concentration and all-round skill.

That was in the afternoon. In the evening we watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I’d forgotten how good a film it is.

Yesterday the weather turned a good deal chillier, but it was still dry. We had an early lunch and drove to Winterton, where we had a traditional and good game of hide-and-seek in the dunes (north side) before wandering on to the beach, where we had a little sun and saw a couple of seals in the water. Then we drove home via Sea Palling and Happisburgh and watched Wonder Woman in the evening. Another good film with some interesting similarities to Crouching Tiger, and some Christian symbolism too. Worked very well.

This morning we had breakfast at Costa on Prince of Wales Road before David, Oliver and Amy left for Bishop’s Stortford, where they had a date with the Coomes family. It was really lovely having them here: we’re lucky they’re such lovely children, and David isn’t bad either… He gave us a bit of an insight into what he’s developing in Canada.

After lunch, Dot went to watch City lose 2-1 to Derby while I went to the Hostry to see a Julian-based  production involving music and dancing which actually wasn’t very good. I met Judy outside, and the vicar arrived independently and quite late. He seemed quite taken with it, though he didn’t appear enthralled while it was taking place. I though the dancing was a bit predictable, the music untuneful and the words (apart from Julian’s own) unimaginative. Lots of people looked at their watches.

After walking with Judy to the bus stop by the station, I walked up the road and into the cemetery to get my mileage up. This has been a pretty good month in terms of consistency. I am also noting my blood pressure over a week for the benefit of my surgery. Big difference between morning and evening. Clocks go back tonight.

Living in a rather strange world at the moment, because our heating and hot water are not working, which throws everything out. Yesterday morning, when we realised it had happened, we decided to go to Diss, which is a pretty radical solution, but there happened to be an exhibition  by Martin Laurance on at DesignerMakers21 that we wanted to see.

We took the back route, which made it quite a pleasant drive, and found the exhibition but unfortunately not Annette and Mike, who work at DM21 but were not in. The exhibition was as always good quality, but we can’t afford his work nowadays. Afterwards we crossed the road to the Corn Hall, which has been beautifully restored, to see Maggi Hambling‘s exhibition, which was even less affordable, the cheapest picture coming in at £2750. If I had £2750 to spare, I would rather buy two or three Laurance pictures than one Hambling, though they are very good.

We had a drink at the cafe and looked round the building, then walked down to the Mere, which I had never seen, despite several visits to Diss. It was really quite striking. Also called in at a lovely delicatessen before heading back to Goodies, a superb farm shop south of Long Stratton, where we stocked up a bit. Then back to a rather chilly house, where we got out the electric fire and started an actual fire, with wood we had bought at Goodies. Rather smokey, but good once it settled down.

The previous day we had also been on the road – down to Caddington for Amy’s birthday. She is 13, and we had bought her a seat from Blakeney that she had picked out when on holiday. Dot drove down and we arrived in good time to walk up to the shop and around the village a bit, getting up our walking mileage. I have now walked over two miles every day for over a week.

We stayed with Amy while Oliver went swimming (transported by David, of course),, and she showed tremendous flair as always in redesigning her room. I found a story I had written her years ago c called Amy and the Runaway Dream, which I read to her while lying on the floor. It brought home two me (a) that it was quite a clever story and (b) that it was very hard to speak while lying on my back because of the catarrh that has plagued me for weeks, if not months.

Dot had made a cake for Amy, and we ate it when the boys returned. We then headed back to Norwich with me driving, and arrived just after 11.30pm. It had been very windy all day, and by late evening it was very cold too, as it still is this morning.

Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, I went to my second Jurnet’s poetry night and read two old poems, Pick-up-sticks and All this death. Generally speaking the quality of poetry was much higher than last time. Rupert and Hilary were both there.

At the moment we’re waiting for the British Gas engineer – at least Dot is: she is staying home while I go to church, partly because it means she can watch the Ipswich-Norwich match on Sky (her phone). It’s an ill wind…

Turned cooler again today after a couple of warm days – especially yesterday at Blakeney, where Dot and I bought a birthday present for Fluffy. Walked around a bit, trying to get a phone signal to check we had the right design, and had lunch in the Methodist Church cafe, which was very pleasant, especially the chutney, which apparently came from Tesco’s.

It was admittedly a bit breezy – the edge of Hurricane Ophelia, which at the time was battering Wales and Ireland, but the warmth triumphed. Later on, when we had visited Jessie and called in at Sainsbury’s in North Walsham, the sky turned dark grey and yellow. It was decidedly eerie, because the wind had dropped and it felt unearthly. Looked as if we were going to get a downpour, but it remained dry and we got home with no trouble.

Earlier I had visited the surgery for a blood pressure test and actually got a nurse who listened to what I said and booked me in to see a doctor – not till November, though.

Back last Thursday Dot had been to the dental surgeon for the next stage of her implant, and felt so dodgy afterwards that I decided to drive her to Carleton Rode, where she had to attend the feedback from a SIAMS inspection. She got through that OK, while I chatted up a few locals in the church and went for a short walk. In the evening she managed to join us for Cake and Compline at the Archers’.

We took Judy to that, and the next day she parked at ours and we all walked to the Julian Centre, where we had volunteered to help with their Julian & Fursey weekend, led by a Greek Orthodox priest from San Antonio in Texas. He was brilliant, and his wife had a long talk with Dot.

This concluded on Saturday, and Judy and I walked there again while Dot recuperated in bed. She came to the Centre for coffee, the second talk and for lunch, and then went back to prepare for Norwich City v Hull, which ended 1-1 after we scored in 96th minute. At the time I was walking to meet her when I heard a roar and the taxi drivers started hooting. Sadly (or not), hundreds or thousands of spectators had already left the ground.

Judy and I had heard the last talk and made sure everything was tidied up before we left about 4.10pm. I had a quick chat with the priest before we went.  Sunday was quite quiet, though the service was fairly long, Howard leading and not being inclined to hurry. Quite rightly, of course.

Another thing that happened on Saturday was that the EDP finally got round to publishing the news that the Paston Footprints project had been awarded £374,400. They could have made more of it, I think. Still, it’s out there now. No turning back, as they say.

Colin came last Saturday to do some tidying up. He pulled the roses and a few other things off next-door’s roof, removed the clematis and cut the tops off the fir trees at the front – which now look a complete mess. We’ll probably have to cut them down next year. I understand they’re at the end of their life. They certainly look it.

On Sunday I preached at church on Psalm 19 – a good one, if you have a minute or two. The Psalm, not the sermon.

Still no MX5 on Monday – in fact we didn’t get it back till yesterday. I have to admit the wheels look good, and the cost was slightly less than I expected, given that we had to have a new tyre. I don’t know if this was anything to do with their wanting cash for the wheel job…

Yesterday was pretty busy, all round. I started with a visit to the dentist to check on my crown, which has been uncomfortable. It’s still uncomfortable, but I got some free laser treatment, which was supposed to reduce inflammation. I got the impression they didn’t really know what was wrong, and nor do I. My whole jaw aches sometimes.

In the afternoon I went to Blofield to visit Barbara Pilch and talk about the forthcoming History Day, at which I’m supposed to be contributing some information on Paston tombs. Some research looms. I also called in at the church, where Barbara’s husband David was doing some tidying up. We used to be in the same class at school, but he became a GP. He showed me some interesting medieval stones they’d unearthed. Afterwards I went for a short walk. I’m trying to walk two miles a day. Today I failed miserably.

After Blofield yesterday Dot and I went to the cinema to see the latest Kingsman film, which was fun but undemanding. Needed a bit of relaxation.

Today I went to a Footprints meeting at County Hall, where we met Sophie Cabot and talked about the forthcoming Hungate exhibition.  Officially we haven’t started the Footprints project yet. If you went by the EDP you wouldn’t know anything was happening, because I sent them a press release two days ago, and nothing has appeared. You would have thought that the award of £374,400 might have merited some attention.

In fact the whole thing was almost called off because Karen was ill, but someone stepped in to guarantee cover for her if she can’t cope. She was at our meeting today and looked much better. I hope this is a lasting improvement.

David has arrived back in England after his two weeks in Canada, and we spoke to him (and Amy) on FaceTime tonight. Apparently all went well.

Yesterday we went to Houghton Hall. We had been planning a visit for a while, to see the Richard Long exhibition, which is coming to an end in a couple of weeks’ time. We took the Hendersons, and the journey both ways was difficult – stuck behind slow-moving vehicles on the way there and embroiled in rush-hour city traffic on the way back. Made the mistake of following sat-nav instead of checking the route I used to take, which would have been much better.

Still, Houghton Hall is a lovely place – both the house and the grounds – and the exhibition was pretty good too. It was worth it, even taking into consideration the high price of entry.

The day before we’d been to the cinema to see Victoria and Abdul, which was very well done, though I suspect that Abdul benefited from a bit of rose-tinting. Beautifully acted and directed.

On Tuesday I went to the Archant coffee morning, with Maryta absent at something weird, like walking netball, and Dot and Paul at Horstead on a Diocesan DSSO Day, which apparently went very well. Meanwhile Dot’s car has been taken into Kwik-Fit to have its wheels refurbished, after I discovered that the front two tyres had gone completely flat over the holiday period. It was supposed to be back today, but it isn’t.

It’s turned chilly this week. Dot and I went to the supermarket today, and we both got in a walk. She walked to Morrisons and back, and I walked up to the Cathedral, playing my angel role to help a couple from West Norfolk who couldn’t find the room where they were supposed to be attending a meal.

Incidentally, Morrisons is undertaking a complete refit. In Dot’s words, it looks a bit like Waitrose. Not a lot, because it’s only half finished, but I can see what she means.

On Sunday Dot stayed behind after church to play ceilidh music with Anna and Phil, and I walked home. Felt very hot and took a while to recover. Think I was wearing too much. I have booked an appointment with the dentist because my mouth is very uncomfortable following the fixing of a new crown.