Celebrated Amy’s birthday a day late last Sunday (21st) after she, Oliver and David had arrived early in the evening. Dot had baked another fine cake.

On Monday we went to Carluccio’s for lunch after discovering that Presto was shut on Mondays. Nice try. We then drove to Cley by different routes but arrived at more or less the same time.  Very interesting cottage, with our bedroom leading into the bathroom, a toilet leading off that, and the children’s room leading off the other side of the bathroom. This required some care, obviously, but there were no embarrassing incidents. The children’s room had another staircase from which they could access a downstairs toilet/shower after crossing the living room and kitchen. Interesting. David’s room was opposite ours, off the main staircase. I hope that’s clear. The cottage was called Hambledon and was very comfortable.

The first three days after that were fine, if a little chilly, enabling us to do some walking. On Tuesday we walked to Blakeney – Dot and I via Wiveton Hall Farm and the others by the coastal path. Had a good lunch at The Moorings, then walked back to Cley: I took the coastal route with David and Oliver while Amy accompanied Dot the other way. Found it hard to keep up with the boys and wrote a poem about it.

Later we visited Jessie on the way to Norwich, where Dot, David and Oliver went to see Norwich beat Aston Villa, while Amy and I watched The Impossible on Netflix – a very good film about the 2004 Thai tsunami as seen through the eyes of one family. Earlier we had a takeaway from Nando’s, ordered online and fetched by Dot and myself. Unsurprisingly, the place was heaving.

We stayed at Norwich overnight after the match, and in the morning David and Oliver went to Morrisons to get some chocolate rice cakes for Amy before we all drove back to Cley – or to be more precise, David drove us back to Cley. Interesting experience – I learned a lot about driving hybrids.

Later that day we walked to the nature reserve, where we saw some art and a video and bought a book on being green for Amy – a possible coals-to-Newcastle situation. Afterwards we walked round the reserve via the East Bank and shingle beach, which became a bit wearing. I was pretty exhausted by the time we got home and had a short sleep upstairs. Ate some local fish that Dot had bought next door, and played Sleeping Queens – a card game of Amy’s that I think we all liked. Early night.

I had been finding it hard to gauge how cold it was and got a bit overheated, I think. Thursday was cooler at first, but with less wind. David and Oliver went out for a very early run which they cut short. I  created a quiz for Amy, using the Notes app in a way she showed me. Enjoyed the experience. Drove to the Anchor at Morston for a very good lunch (fish and chips followed by a brilliant blackberry and apple crumble). After that I walked with David, Oliver and Amy to Blakeney while Dot drove, having a bad coffee at the Manor while she waited. Then she walked to Blakeney with the others while I drove back, and eventually everyone did the quiz, which Dot won – not the plan, but what can you do? Following this some homework was done while I rested on the bed again.

Friday was very wet at first, with showers later. Much colder and windier. Drove to North Walsham with Jonathan’s season tickets, and he told me how his daughter had failed to stand up for him when he was abused at the Playhouse when he tried to take in a medicinal drink which contained a small amount of alcohol. We bought pies at the deli for lunch and some fish at the smoked fish chip, as you do. Later we checked the George for next day’s lunch.

Saturday was very wet. Lunch at the George (fish and chips again) , then Dot drove into Norwich to go to the football match (Norwich 1-0 v Brentford). David and the children left about 3pm in pouring rain, the four of us rushing their luggage up to the car, which was parked as usual on The Fairstead. Good journey home, apparently. I had intended to go for a walk while Dot was away, but it was too wet; so I had a bath instead. That was even wetter.  Dot arrived back about 7, when we played patience.

During this an amazing thing happened. When I had my go, three cards disappeared completely. We searched the table and the floor, inside a magazine, under piles of stuff and couldn’t find them anywhere. It was as if they’d vanished off the face of the earth. Really mysterious. As a last resort we tried to shift the table, which looked as if it unfolded. It didn’t, but it did swing round on its support, and when that happened, the cards suddenly appeared on the floor: they must have slipped through a crack in the middle of the table as one of us shuffled.

After this we watched Match of the Day and put the clocks back. Glenn Hoddle had a heart attack and was in hospital, very ill. Meanwhile, the owner of Leicester City was killed in a helicopter crash just outside the ground.

Yesterday seemed very quiet. We drove to Morston, parked in the National Trust car park (£4) and went for a walk on the marshes out to the left. Reached Freshes Creek not far from Stiffkey, but it was too damp to walk further out, as I had stupidly left my boots in Norwich. Afterwards had ice cream in the lookout, which was very pleasant (out of the wind) and spoke to a couple who we had seen further out on the marshes. They said it was possible to do a circular walk if you timed it right and had the right footwear. It’s even possible to get out to the Point.

Had lunch back at home, and there was suddenly quite heavy rain and hail: so we were fortunate. Dot did some work and I felt exhausted again: my knee and ankle were playing up a bit. In the evening we went to the Wiveton Bell, where we each had a nice steak burger. It was quite empty when we arrived (6pm), but soon filled up, mainly with dogs, which is not really what you want.  Drove home and watched TV, learning some disturbing  things about the Mediterranean, particularly Ceuta and the south of Spain.

Played cards a bit and went to bed fairly early because we knew we had to leave by 10am today.  We actually achieved that fairly comfortably and called in to see Jessie on the way home. While Dot visited Catfield School in the afternoon I went to the supermarket. As I write, she is meditating…

Luke didn’t come on Saturday; so no progress with kitchen strip lights. Popped round to see how Mairead was, but didn’t go in as they had a crowd of visitors from London. Dot also called today to take a birthday card and small present for Phoebe. She saw Phoebe, but not Mairead, for the same reason.

That was after church today: Phil led. Numbers are generally increasing – we are up to average of almost 20. Phil said he would be retiring at the end of the year and wants to play some more songs! Eleanor announced that she had been appointed vicar of St Helen’s Bishopsgate and chaplain of the Great Hospital. We already knew, but now it’s official. They are a lucky church (and hospital). Sad that she won’t be worshipping with us after February.

Yesterday was Amy’s 14th birthday, and as I write she is on her way to visit us with Oliver and David. They are on the A17; so they may be a while yet. Dot has baked a cake and hidden some small presents.

On Friday Dot and I visited Jessie at Furze Hill. Because of her hair loss, she looks much older, but she is pretty much the same to talk to: quite coherent, but a bit deaf. Her room is quite pleasant, with its own “front door”, which I think is an excellent idea. She also has her own address and post code, and will have her own phone soon. While we were there we saw a cat outside teasing a shrew it had caught, and I wrote a poem later, using that idea.

Afterwards we bought some flowers and went to the cemetery, where Dot found Susannah’s grave, behind the stone of another obviously lesser Susannah. She was Dot’s great-grandmother: same grave as her husband Walter, unsurprisingly.

Weather is still quite summery, and we’re looking forward to our week at Cley. The forecast is good, though it may be a bit cooler.

After some miserable weather earlier in the week (and yesterday), today is looking quite promising, and Dot is feeling better: last night we were debating whether she should go to the doctor’s again this morning, but we both had a very good night’s sleep, and her coughing seems much less.

Last Saturday we managed to get up to Paul’s flat at the old hospital for a meal. The meal was excellent, but the flat was really hot , and we both felt drained afterwards. Perhaps it was the wine. Happily the weather was good; so we were able to walk him comfortably (we had taken the bus up to Theatre Street and walked through the Mall). Paul’s flat is small but quite luxurious and private: he has to let us in and then come down from the third floor to let us into his wing. Even he can’t get in the other wing.

On Sunday we were both tired and I went ahead to church: Dot followed at the last minute, but didn’t play violin. Howard was on piano. For some reason it was very hard to park – something must have been going on somewhere, but I don’t know what. I led the service, and vicar Sarah took the Holy Communion. and preached.

On Monday Dot continued her school visits, but wasn’t particularly well. On Tuesday we had our hair cut – interrupted by a long  phone call from Jude, mainly about Jessie – and then Dot went into the city to meet Sue and Helen. I walked up too and bought some chocolate for Amy. Failed to find book she wanted, but got a book for myself from Anne for my birthday!! On the way back met former pharmacist David Hamblin in the Close. Cake and compline at Judy’s in the evening: took Eleanor for the first time. Claire left halfway through – seemed to be upset for some reason, but no-one knew why.

On Wednesday I drove up and picked up my pills. Now have to make an appointment to see the doctor “about my medication”. Trying to do it online, but no luck so far.  Caught up on various things – long e-mail to Rob about Maids Head entertainment, and completed my tax return. The latter was probably unnecessary, because in the course of doing so I discovered that you can earn £1000 without being taxed. I earned £745, all of which may have to go on paying for bodywork repairs to Dot’s car. Someone hit her while she was parked and left a couple of biggish dents.

In the evening Jonathan popped round with a couple of tickets for the football next Tuesday. Dot was at orchestra: I was writing a bit on sleep for my website.

Since starting this piece Dot and I drove to the dry cleaner’s to take my jacket, then to the garage and on to the body repair people for a quote (and later to some other body repair people who declined to quote). We also got a new duvet from Dunelm and some new strip light bulbs for the kitchen. Unfortunately after replacing the broken one and trying out various causes of the problem over many long hours, I gave up and rang Luke, who’s coming round on Saturday. The plug is OK, the fuse is OK, and I can’t see anything wrong with anything else.  But it doesn’t work. Aargh! I’m usually quite good with electricity.

I thought it was going to be a quiet day.

Today is very warm, and Dot has gone out to buy some bird seed. She is by no means well yet, but is not good at taking it easy. She did manage it yesterday, though, when I spent most of the day at the Julian Centre, volunteering at a retreat (focusing on Julian and Margery Kempe) led by former Norwich Dean Stephen Platten, who turned out to be quite pleasant. I was sort of organising his book signing sessions, as well as providing the cake and drinks.

Dot was intending to make a cake, but even she realised this was not a good idea, so on Thursday I went up to Waitrose and bought eight bottles of wine, four large bottles of fizzy water, some orange juice and five cakes of various sizes. Among other things. Transferred these to the Julian Centre early yesterday morning. Dot was uncertain about coming, but decided not to – sensibly, as she was coughing quite a bit and didn’t look at all well.

This was probably the result of the previous two days, when she went to Fleggburgh School (Monday), the Cathedral to assist with a schools event (Tuesday), Diocesan House all day for a heads induction event at which she was speaking about collective worship led by children (Wednesday), followed by orchestra (Wednesday evening), and a walk with Anne into the city (Thursday).  I persuaded her to go to the surgery on Thursday, where she saw a practice nurse who told her she had a small lung infection and gave her some penicillin.

Meanwhile I had been keeping her fed and doing various other things, sometimes in the garden and sometimes in the house. Also gave Amy a hand with a poem she was doing for homework, though I’m sure she didn’t really need it. It was interesting to hear her ideas, which were quite original.

I believe Mairead came home yesterday, but I wasn’t here; so I’m not sure. Dot wrote a card and put it through the door on her way out. It’s a lovely day today.

Met some interesting people at the Julian Centre: one turned out to be a tourist who had just popped in to see the Centre but found herself hauled in and given a cup of tea. Ended up showing her the church and talking with her and the Dean about Julian, before I showed her the river and the way back to her tour bus. She came from Northampton. Then there was Mariana, who came from Utrecht and engaged me in lengthy conversation before getting a lift back to the Maids Head.

Dot is making progress, but still has quite a bad cough. Nevertheless she is out and about. As I write she is at Fleggburgh School, but is intending to call at the chemist on the way back for advice. The weather is quite pleasant, but there is a touch of autumn in the air. Maryta called round about 10.30am but didn’t stay long.

Yesterday, after I preached in the morning, Dot and I went to a barbecue at Beeston Regis, where Fred and Sue were celebrating their 20th anniversary of owning a mobile home there. The weather was fairly warm (for October), and it was sunny when we arrived. Other present: Marjorie and Pat, Liz and David Cannon and two couples we didn’t know: one of them had a mobile home in the next field (as did the Cannons), and the others lived in Cromer. There was a Kate and another David, and two others…

Anyway the barbecue – not normally my favourite eating experience – was excellent, and most of us slipped inside to eat. I was sitting next to Marjorie (Fred’s sister), which meant I missed most of the other conversation, but that was fine. Did also chat to most of the others at some point or other. Helped to clear up after half the company had gone, and got home at 7.30pm.

The weather the day before was appalling – rainy and cold – but Dot went to Carrow Road and insisted on her return that she was neither wet nor cold at any point. She has an honest face; so I believed her.  Norwich lost 0-1 to Stoke, which doesn’t sound inspiring, but apparently they played quite well and were cheered off.

The previous day I went up to an art exhibition at St Margaret’s (in St Benedict’s). I had been invited to the PV by Rupert Mallin but couldn’t make it last Sunday (Dot was quite ill and I didn’t feel great). He only seemed to have one picture in it – a rather good abstract that he had done jointly with someone else. The rest of the exhibition was mixed. I spoke to the two artists curating, but neither of them had heard of Rupert. I hadn’t heard of them either, but they were amiable enough.

In the evening (after Dot and I had been food shopping) I drove to Diss for one of the launches of Caroline Gilfillan’s new book – a thriller called The Terrace. I arrived slightly late, the room was packed, and I was greeted extremely warmly by both Caroline and Annette, not to mention Mike and Teri (Lockton). Everyone else must have thought I was some kind of celebrity, but I wasn’t. Very enjoyable evening. The book was also being launched in Fakenham and Wells, not to mention the Lake District.

Last week generally I was occupied with keeping Dot fed and watered, but we also got the terribly sad news that Mairead has been told she has terminal cancer – in the liver and adrenal glands. Feel so sorry for the kids, who are almost exactly the same age as Oliver and Amy and whose father died not all that long ago.

Apparently Jessie had quite a bad week because several people who call in regularly have not been well – Dot in particular. Would have gone, but didn’t really think I was well enough to risk it. Have been feeling peculiar – generally OK but occasionally exhausted, and respiratory system not functioning as it should. Could be a lot worse, of course.

Dot has been ill since Friday. She developed a bad cough and a temperature of about 100 and felt exhausted. So clearly she couldn’t go to see Jessie that day, and as I was experiencing similar though much less severe symptoms, I didn’t think it was a good idea to go either.

I was however well enough to host a meeting of the PHS trustees at out house, after which I provided sandwiches (hopefully uncontaminated). We all then went up to the Maids Head – Rob first for a picture, with Peter and I following on – for a Footprints project steering committee meeting, which involved Matt Champion, Karen Smyth and Rebecca Pinner and lasted most of the afternoon. I was taking minutes for both meetings, and I didn’t write them up till Monday because I was looking after Dot and had one or two other commitments.

The most unexpected one was attending the Norwich-Wigan match. Dot obviously couldn’t go and we donated her ticket to Des. But then Jonathan rang and said he had a spare ticket; so after some hesitation and because it was a lovely day, I decided to go. Not a great match, but Norwich won with a penalty in the last few minutes; so that was all good.

Earlier I’d been to the supermarket and bought a chicken, among other things. We had it for supper.

Since Dot still had a bad cough and was in bed, she obviously had to miss her concert at Yarmouth, which saddened her particularly because it was in the Minster and (mainly) because it was the conductor’s last concert with the orchestra. I had a ticket, but was not inspired to go to Yarmouth with Dot not performing.

She was still quite bad on Sunday and remained in bed while I went to lead the joint service (harvest festival) at St Luke’s. This was designed to introduce our style of service to the congregation there (the vicar’s idea) but didn’t work perfectly because half our congregation were unable to attend – Howard was in Nepal, and Anna at an orchestral weekend somewhere – and because we don’t normally have a harvest festival; so I had to adapt our Thanksgiving liturgy. Only two people in the music group (Liz Day from St Aug and Nicky from St Luke’s), which is not normal, and it was a bit unnerving leading a service with the vicar in the front row and two other ordained people in the congregation. Still, it went all right. There was a meal afterwards, and I stayed for most of it, then left to get Dot some lunch.

Just as well, because Maryta had unbelievably turned up, and Dot had unbelievably gone to the door. They were chatting, despite Dot’s obvious incapacity (not to mention  Maryta’s). I got them both a drink and offered to give Maryta a meal, but she declined. She brought some flowers.

I was feeling pretty tired out myself in the evening; so I didn’t go to the private view of Rupert’s new exhibition. I’ll try to pop in this week.

On Monday I cunningly scheduled my bath so that I could open the door to the Hello Fresh man. Not much happened after that, except that I discovered that Mairead had been taken back into hospital with exhaustion and was getting a blood transfusion. Oh, and the men out back kept cutting trees, but not the right ones. They look as if they’ve finished now.

Yesterday I was toying with not going to the Archant coffee morning, but I got an e-mail from Bill Woodcock, who was thinking of coming but wanted to be sure I’d be there in case he didn’t know anyone. So I went, and he came, and happily he did know some others. Quite a good morning: Brian and Robin were there with partners, but Maryta wasn’t. Apparently she went on the wrong week and the wrong day. That is not a joke.

Today Dot seems quite a bit better, though she still has a cough. She had a long chat on the phone with an educational colleague, and I think I hear her coming downstairs. But she almost certainly won’t go to orchestra tonight. Now she is working on some fonts and wants to do some laminating. Things are getting back to normal. I’m quite tired, but I think I’m OK.