Lots to report, of course, it being the Christmas season. On a positive note, my back pain seems to have gone,  and the weather has been milder – though it’s now turning chilly again.

On the evening of the 19th we had our Christmas Cake and Compline, with everyone present, and a good time…etc. The next day Dot and I picked up Howard and Chris Denton and went to see Anne Travis. We did not pick up Phyllis because we couldn’t find her, and Howard was late; so we had to go back for him (having thought he might be at Phyllis’s). The traffic was pretty bad, but I found the optimum route through the city centre for a change, and we were only slightly late at the care home. Anne is more anxious and slightly less mobile, but was quite perky once she realised who we were.

David, Oliver and Amy arrived on Thursday, and we had a meal at Prezzo’s with Angela and Rodney, rescheduled slightly after Prezzo messed up the original booking by putting it on the wrong day. Very pleasant evening.

The next day was hectic, largely because we had been invited to the Hendersons’ for drinks and nibbles. Dot was already going to see Norwich play Brentford (they lost 2-1), and because Jonathan was ill we got two free tickets for Oliver and David. We went to see The Last Jedi in the afternoon (a brilliant film, highly recommended), and this left timings too tight for us all to see the Hendersons, given the near gridlock in the city. So Amy and I dropped in on them at about 8. By then most people had eaten and were sitting down; the two of us spoke to Philip and Heather Butcher, plus Terri and Keith, then gravitated into the other room, where we had a longish chat with Holly, then Paul for a bit, before heading home.

Saturday was hectic too. Dot and I went shopping in the morning to get food for lunch and for our evening At Home, attended by most of the neighbours and Mr and Mrs Robinson: Mairead, Freddie and Phoebe, Luke and Michelle, Mark and Sarah, and Des (Chris was ill), plus Sam, Chris and Ellie after S called in earlier in the day and found out about it. We scheduled it for 7-10 after the very late finish last year, and it worked well, the last people leaving at 11. I spent most of the evening pouring drinks, but Dot, David and Oliver did a lot of circulating. Amy was a little more reserved.

Sunday was our latest ever production of the Alternative Carol Service, and David, Oliver  and Amy all came, plus 16 others (including us). It went pretty well, and Eleanor and Liz Cannon were both particularly appreciative. Afterwards we supplied mulled wine and mince pies. Later in the day Roger and Debbie called in with the latest reports from Jessie, who still seems to be doing very well.

Amy got us off to a good start on Christmas Day  by waking us all just after 8am, and we had opened most of the parcels before breakfast. Had a lovely day altogether , with David and Dot doing most of the lunch between them. Later we watched The Man from Uncle, which was very good. Rang Andrew in the morning, and he seemed surprisingly perky. Phil was well enough to drive to Southampton with Joy, and they are spending a week there.

My walking stats are taking a bit of a hit, but you can’t have everything.

This morning we received a long e-mail from our vicar, giving the news that he will be leaving us, probably next Easter; so a new difficult interregnum is in prospect, especially as we have fewer resources than last time.

We’ve rearranged the study again now, so that the bed is wider for either David or Oliver. Quite effective really: Dot’s idea, of course. The weather is still cold, though there was a slightly warmer day yesterday. (I think it was yesterday.) Today we had our hair cut before I had a bath and then dropped Dot off in Magdalen Street to see Carrie B for lunch. After that I finished off the Alternative Carol service script and leaflet and walked to the dentist, who has adjusted my bite. Don’t ask. On the way home I bought some last-minute things for Oliver and Andrew.

A week ago, on Tuesday the 12th, we had our Canteen Christmas lunch, which was much better than the Holiday Inn official Christmas Archant lunch. The usual suspects were there, and because of where I found myself placed I spent some time talking to Janet, who I believe is Dennis’s husband. I don’t really know who Dennis is.

The next day , which was cold and wet, I went to Jack Gordon’s funeral at Earlham. No Brian (I presume he was not feeling too good), but Robin and Shelagh were there, plus Keith Skipper and his wife, Bill Woodcock, Graham Corney (photographer), someone called Ann who used to work on the Evening News, and of course Frank Gordon (Jack’s brother) and Jack’s wife Sylvia and his daughter Sally, who used to work as a subs’ runner. She is now a Californian and, judging by the accent, she has been for some time. Nice girl. Went to wake at the Garden House pub, near Phil’s.

In the evening we went to Sillars’ Christmas meal at the Blue Boar in Sprowston. It wasn’t really a Christmas meal, but a kind of buffet, with filled rolls and chips, among other things. Actually vey nice. We sat with Janet and Graham and someone called Peter, who plays trumpet, I think. Spoke to Penny for quite a while. Neville and Mary weren’t there because Mary had a headache, but quite a good attendance. Apparently Simon has had a row with the conductor and is leaving, at least for a while. Pity.

The next day Dot and I played at a Christingle for Year 6 of Angel Road school at St Luke’s Church. It wasn’t too bad, and the children were very well behaved as well as good-humoured.

On Saturday we were supposed to be carol-singing in the icy wastes of Anglia Square, but things got on top of us and we abandoned the idea so that we could fit in several North Norfolk visits, starting at Sheila’s where we encountered Bridgett, doing her hair. Had a good talk with her, and I can’t remember the last time that happened. Sheila seemed remarkably perky.

We then took some flowers to the cemetery and drove to Mundesley, where we called in on Lucy and had a couple of very nice biscuits from Lidl. She is not too bad, and we had a good chat, but Naomi is in a bad way. Lucy aims to move to Norwich to look after her.

Following this we dropped off the Paston magazines at Rob’s and visited Jessie, who again seems pretty well, and had a cup of tea and a bit of cake. As we’d missed lunch we bought fish and chips when we got back to Norwich.

This didn’t have the bad effect on my digestion that I thought it would, and I slept quite well, but halfway through the Christmas lunch at St Augustine’s the following day I got a really bad pain in my lower back, which hasn’t gone away, though it is better than it was.  Bizarre. The lunch followed Messy Christmas, organised by Carrie, which didn’t exactly go smoothly, but was OK. We didn’t get home much before 4pm.

Very cold: we’ve just rearranged the study (temporarily) so that I can feel the heat from the radiator. Before that I’d written this month’s three articles for Parish Pump and had cold hands. Happily Dot’s meeting at Brooke was cancelled, because when I went to get the Paston magazines from the printer, I found road conditions very bad: extremely wet and with snow threatening.  No snow has actually appeared yet, which I guess is a good thing, though not pretty. A dark and unpleasant day.

It’s been cold and wet for a long time, actually. Last Thursday was the Archant pensioners’ dinner at the Holiday Inn at the airport, well known for its gastronomical delights. Dot had to go to Thurton in the morning and was late getting back; so I was picked up by Brian and Tricia in the pouring rain. We got there in good time, and I made myself useful on arrival by going into Reception and reporting that the barrier was stuck down; the mechanic rushed out and freed the lengthy queue.  Dot – who was scheduled to have a meal in the cafe next door with Tricia and Shelagh – was rather delayed, but she got there in the end.

Our meal was not distinguished (as opposed to Dot’s) and the wine minimal; fewer diners than usual too, though Martin Throssell turned up. I sat with Brian and Robin and next to a guy called Tim Nelson, who worked in the machine room and had had a botched spinal operation. I wonder if there will ever be any more – Christmas lunches, I mean: not spinal operations.

Anyway, it was even colder the next day, and windy with it. On the plus side, it was sunny. I had agreed in a foolish moment to go and take pictures of one of Helen Lamb’s sugar runs, featuring vintage tractors travelling from Honing Village Hall to a North Walsham day nursery. I tried to get a pic at a key point (the mill) on the way, but it didn’t work out because the tractors were moving too quickly (!) and were not in a bunch. So I took a circuitous route and arrived at the nursery at roughly the same time as they did. Took a number of pictures and chatted with Peter, who was taking a video for them. Also with Helen, Chris and Louise. The little children were giving Santa Claus bags of sugar and looked very sweet. Ho, ho.

Don’t know where the story and pix will end up, except that Gay Webster at Just Aylsham has asked for extra; so I sent her some. (Extra pics, not extra sugar.)

More coldness on Saturday, when I put on an unprecedented number of clothes and went to the football match with Dot and Des. We had two free tickets from Jonathan. Survived reasonably well. The first half was pretty dreadful and we were losing 1-0 at half-time (to Sheffield Wednesday), but we perked up a lot after the break and won 3-1. Afterwards I made an extra trip to the shop to get potatoes while Dot listened to Canary Call.

On Sunday we had to be pretty nippy after church because we had to eat lunch and then go to Blofield, for the Sillars Concert that Dot should have been playing in but wasn’t (though her neck is much better). We gave a lift to Des and Chris, to whom we had sold tickets, and the concert was OK. Maryta and Paul, freshly back from Australia, were there. I say “freshly”: he actually looked very tired, and sounded it too. We had been keeping an eye on Maryta while he was away. She came round a few times.

After the concert we invited Des and Chris in for drinks, which was very pleasant. We get on very well with them.

I’ve just had a day full of Paston Footprints – a morning meeting at North Walsham, followed (after lunch and a longish walk) by writing the minutes, which is always a challenge. Not a particularly harmonious meeting, although everyone eventually gives way to L; so there were no actual fights. L really wants to organise the whole thing herself, but if she did and then disappeared into hospital for a couple of months, it could get quite awkward.

Karen made a surprise appearance. Her health appears to be improving somewhat. But for how long? Rob continues to hold it all together. In his place I would have given up long ago.  Bit disappointed I couldn’t take the magazines over, but no e-mail from Nick yet.

Still quite cold, with the promise of more cold and even snow tomorrow or the day after.

Dot drove herself to Diocesan House today; she appears to be able to drive the MX5 without using 2nd gear. Earlier in the week I drove her to Catfield  and Little Plumstead (Monday) and Forncett (yesterday). After Catfield I drove back to the doctor’s and saw Dr Danelia Carlile, who was very good, listened and eventually persuaded me to take statins because I have minor kidney disease and a 42% chance of having a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years. Allegedly.

Coincidentally a friend who is about 30 years younger than me and is not in any at-risk group has just had a minor stroke, which just goes to show, doesn’t it? I think the statins are making me tireder, but as I’ve walked quite a long way this week, that may not be the case. I’m giving them a fair shot. You can put that on my tombstone.

After Forncett, we both went into the city: Dot bought some Christmas presents and I went to the bank and then bought some cards. I could feel it getting colder. In the evening (yesterday) while Dot was at Little Plumstead again, this time for a Christmas concert, I had a very long talk with Oliver on FaceTime. This was because he has fractured his collar bone playing rugby and is confined to home for a while. Amy and their parents were at a parents’ evening.

Last Friday we went to Swaffham for lunch with the Higbees, which was very pleasant. Alan is 77 but seems to be thriving, turning out a lot of wooden bowls (get it?).

On Saturday Dot spent some time at St Augustine’s Hall with Carrie’s local families group, making Christmas cards. This group is growing; so we are having a Messy Christmas on December 17 for their benefit. This replaces my alternative carol service. I tried to combine the two, but Carrie wasn’t keen on the script I wrote, which would have been difficult for children. So I am adapting it for the 24th and hope to persuade my family to come along. No pressure.