Spent most of last week catching up on paperwork of various kinds – for example writing modern versions of a couple of Paston letters, finishing off the Paston magazine, writing a sermon for yesterday, trying to work out Dot’s tax payment and looking at my mother’s family tree. Nevertheless we did fit in one or two other things.

On Tuesday we squeezed in a visit to the cinema. There were several films we wanted to see, but the only one to fit our schedule was The Gentlemen, an extremely violent but clever and funny gangster-type film. Quite enjoyed it. Later we went to Cake and Compline at the Archers’ house, which was rather less violent, but also quite funny. We gave Judy a lift.

On Wednesday Dot had to go to an Ofsted feedback at a school which must remain nameless, because the result was so bad. It meant she was delayed until it was too late for her to eat a meal and get to orchestra, which meant in turn I had to cancel my “date” with Neville at the pub. Still, he kept himself busy by watching Norwich lose to Spurs – another game they should have won.

On Thursday we made it to the book club at St Luke’s. I got there by way of the Theatre Royal, where there was a PV for the 20 Group. Spoke for a while to Martin Laurance and saw one or two other faces that I knew. Walked from there across the market down one of the lanes and up Duke Street, then cut across and got to St Luke’s via Oak Street. Bit further than I thought – or maybe it was my usual tiredness. Dot came by car and walked part of the way home.

The next day we walked up the the maddermarket with Des and Chris to see The Turning of the Tide, by Crude Apache. I was a little disappointed by the second half, which had been altered since I saw it on Kett’s Heights, but they are a very talented group. Some really good songs, too. Judy went the next night and enjoyed it.

On Saturday we had a PCC Awayday, which is not the sort of thing that fills me with joy. It was at St Francis on Heartsease, which is a nice setting, but I nearly left them to it after the first session, which I didn’t enjoy at all. However after coffee the vicar joined our group, and it was much better. The rest of the day was fine, and became even better when Dot got home in time to listen to Norwich playing Burnley away in the Cup and winning 2-1.

Yesterday I preached at church and also played guitar, though not simultaneously. Not one of my better sermons, I don’t think. Not sure why. Had long talk with the vicar and others afterwards, which was encouraging. She and I are very much on the same wavelength. Later on, the Hendersons came round, and I had quite a longish talk with Maryta upstairs while Paul and Dot were making the drinks. Quite surprising, but she reverted to type later when as usual she wanted to leave before Paul did.

Spoke to David on FaceTime later. He seems much better.

Very cold now, and high pressure. Still have a heaviness in my chest that may be the result of my cold or may be something to do with the car crash. Either way, it’s not stopping me doing things, though there is some coughing involved.

On Friday I met a second cousin I didn’t know existed a fortnight ago. I heard from her daughter first: her name was Stella, and she brought shocking news – almost everything I had on my family tree on my mother’s side was wrong. Admittedly there wasn’t much to start with, and a lot of it had been guesswork, based on the fact that my grandfather was a gardener. But it was a bit of a surprise.

Stella didn’t tell me that.She just told me about our DNA, and then brought her mother to see me. Her mother’s name is Alison, and her middle names are “Miss” and “Marple”. She has constructed a family tree that puts mine in the shade, mainly because it’s right, and mine isn’t. I had thought my grandfather came from Brighton by way of Cambridge, but in fact his family have been Norfolk people for generations.

Alison’s grandfather was Cecil, my grandfather’s brother. Cecil was about 18 years younger, and so Alison is quite a bit younger than me. She and Stella were both charming, and we spent an hour talking about the family. I have since sent her some photographs, and I aim to revise my tree drastically, with help from what she has discovered.

In the evening I drove to Halesworth for the Swan poets evening. Hit a pothole at a fairly early stage and almost went back in case something bad had happened, but I ploughed on, and it seems OK. Read three poems: quite a good evening, not too long.

The next day I went to Carrow Road with Dot because she had three spare tickets, and it was sunny. And lo! A miracle happened, and Norwich City won. They have a new loan player called Duda who is excellent, and a Bournemouth player had to handle his shot to stop it going in. Red card, and amazingly Pukki scored the penalty. We had someone sent off to make it fairer, but still managed to hang on. As always, we should have scored more.

On Sunday I led the church service, and all went well. Did a little walk with Dot afterwards. Today I have walked a bit again, partly to accompany her to her Richard Rohr evening, but also to the post office. She will be back soon; so I had better start cooking.

Happily, David is now much better, having completed a course of antibiotics. He has also ordered the chairs we bought him for Christmas. But he has had a hard time so far in 2020: hope the rest of it is much better. Perhaps it will be, now that he can sit down.

I’m still feeling fairly whacked out, though continuing to do the things in my diary. Chest and head still a bit heavy, but nothing I haven’t had before. Dot seems pretty well and has just been in the city to get a UBS connector for her computer.

We both had our hair cut last Friday and went to church on Sunday. I played guitar for the first time since the accident, and it felt OK. Don’t know what everyone else thought. Later I summoned up enough willpower to drive to Lowestoft and read some poems at the Seagull. Good to see Ian, who has had a triple heart bypass. Everyone is worse off than me. I read a couple of my Orkney poems and four others. Seemed to go down well. Haven’t written a song for ages, but at least I don’t keep singing the same one, like Peter! Perhaps I should.

On Monday I drove to North Walsham for a Paston trustees’ meeting. I get the feeling that Rob would quite happily give the whole thing up, but Peter is keen to push it as far as he can: he is fascinated by just about everything to do with it and has achieved a huge amount in technical terms. Just take a look at www.thisispaston.co.uk. Got back quite late, but before Dot left for her Richard Rohr session at the Julian Centre. Spent much of the evening writing the minutes.

The big Paston Footprints teachers’ conference at Blofield Primary was on Tuesday, starting officially about half an hour before we got there, but in fact, just as we arrived. Went pretty well. Was very impressed by Tim Taylor doing his Mantle of the Expert thing, which I had heard described before but never seen. It is much better in practice than in description. Dot did a really good session on P4C and The Paston Treasure, despite being restricted to 90 minutes instead of two hours.

On leaving we met a couple of members of Hexachordia, who thought they were taking part but had in fact been told not to come. All the teachers had left by then. Dot and I took Sue and Tim for a cup of tea/coffee in the King’s Head after promising to circulate Hexachordia’s material.

Yesterday Pam and Stuart Goddard came round for tea and Christmas cake in the morning, and Stuart made impressive inroads into the cake. They live near Southampton, but were in Norfolk visiting various people. Pam used to be curate for a a while at St Luke’s. She left her umbrella, and they called in this morning, on the way to Blickling, to collect it.

So much for new year health hopes for David and me. I have just passed the peak (I hope) of a really bad cold, which started overnight on Sunday and has left me tired out and stuffed up. All the usual old problems. Out of bed today, but not feeling up to much.

Far worse, David developed a mystery infection that involved a rash, high temperature and exhaustion. Obviously Dot and I were worried sick about him being alone in the flat, but angels were nigh in the shape of Chrissy, Vicky and Oliver. Eventually, with some help from Dot, they persuaded him to consult a doctor, and he is now on antibiotics and is getting some other checks. Not sure what the problem is, though: he’s still very tired.

Obviously most of my plans for this week were cancelled, but before I succumbed I walked up to the museum on Saturday and had a look round the W G Sebald “Sight Lines” exhibition, which was quite interesting in a rather intimate way. Also took in a water colour collection by John Sell Cotman.

On Sunday Dot still had a cold but I went to church and did her prayers for her. Only 11 of us there. In the afternoon semi-recovered Dot and I went over the road for some post-Christmas nibbles with Des and Chris. Very nice. Hope they survived the encounter.

Since then I have missed the Archant coffee morning, Mary Welander’s funeral, and Nicholas’s book launch at the Revelations cafe. Would have liked to have been at all three. Dot went to the book launch and was greeted warmly by Nicholas. Many others there including Mark, Lisa and June Campling and Bridget Fosten, who bore news that Ian had had a triple heart bypass.

Dot seems to be working very hard on the Paston conference. She has tried unsuccessfully to get a refund on her Somerset train ticket. Tonight she will probably go to book club at St Luke’s. I certainly won’t. Just want to lie down really.

And so it’s all over. David is on his way home on the 1400 after the 1330 was cancelled: business as usual for Greater Anglia. Norwich City have played twice and drawn twice when they should have won. Business as usual for them.

David and I joined Dot at the second match, against Crystal Palace, on New Year’s Day. Norwich went 1-0 up after five minutes and the rest of the game we spent wondering when they were going to concede – despite the fact that they were playing well. They eventually did concede – with the help of VAR, of course – a few minutes before the end.

Earlier in the day Dot and I had picked up the tickets from Jonathan at Coltishall, opposite the Recruiting Sergeant. Just thought I’d mention that.

Going back to the Sunday, I preached at St Luke’s during a joint Holy Communion service – given that I hadn’t written this sermon till the day before, It went very well. It is now online on St Luke’s website.

The next day we did some shopping and then I walked to Philip’s to deliver Andrew’s Christmas present. Dot picked me up unexpectedly halfway back. Almost didn’t recognise her when she pulled up beside me on Riverside Road.

David arrived by train on New Year’s Eve, and Dot and I met him at the station. Over Christmas and the New Year the weather was much improved, but it was pretty cold. In the evening we all went to the Robinsons at Poringland for a meal and to celebrate the New Year. All went very well, and we stayed till almost 1am. I drove, so didn’t drink much, of course.

Yesterday David and I drove to Aldiss to see if they had any chairs suitable for his flat, but they didn’t. Also popped into Hughes before I dropped him outside John Lewis. Dot would have come, but she has developed quite a bad cold. David and I are hoping we don’t catch it from her.

As David nears London, Dot and I are watching South Pacific. At least, she’s watching it and I’m writing this, while picking up on the plot now and again. Much like life, really.