Summer is in the air, the sky is blue, it’s reasonably warm, restrictions have been relaxed and we’re about to go to North Walsham. After lunch, that is. I’ve just written to Andrew, who seemed pretty down yesterday when I spoke to him briefly on the phone. I was told I could visit him, but of course there is still the distance problem. Maybe next month…

Last Tuesday, which marked a year since the first lockdown, I was tired most of the day and did very few steps. I did however manage to write three Parish Pump articles, and we watched Love and Mercy, about Beach Boys’ leader Brian Wilson, which turned out to be surprisingly good.

The next day was not too cold, and the sun came and went. I did the church rota and then walked up to the dentist while Dot was engaged in a Zoom DSSO meeting, during which she gave a good talk on the importance of DSSOs. I know it was good because I saw her notes, and because everyone said so. The dentist said there was nothing he could do except take my back tooth out, and it wasn’t really bad enough for that. Since then, however, I have been having trouble with one much nearer the front, which reacts strongly to cold. Annoying.

After lunch I did quite a bit of Paston editing on the QR pages, and managed 5000 steps. Later we watched Singing in in the Rain, which was good up to a point, but with some totally irrelevant dance sequences in the middle, the only compensation being the very striking Cyd Charisse. We also watched the last episode of the excellent Elizabeth R. Did she die of lead poisoning? No-one knows.

Thursday started very sunny. Dot had a Zoom with Barbara Vidion in the morning and a walk with Anne at Poringland in the afternoon. I walked up to the Rosary and home via Cotman Road. Later we continued watching The Terror, though it’s really not very good. We shall watch it to the end, not to see what happens but to show that we can. Norwich’s Dave Hanley, who can never get a header on target for City, scored with a header for Scotland. In the evening we had a Zoom DCC, without Matt or Phil. It was OK.

On Friday the weather gradually worsened – windy, then rain in the afternoon. My leg was a bit painful, as it has been for a while – happily, as I write it seems to be fine. We got up late, and I had a bath. Dot worked on a written version of her DSSO talk for wider distribution, and I did some work on a Palm Sunday liturgy, then put the rota on my calendar and on the website. We had a FaceTime with David, who now has official permission to be in Canada until the end of the year. Des got Dot fish and chips again, and I had an omelette. Early night, low steps.

Next day it was sunny and windy. I watched the end of the France-Scotland rugby match, and was glad I did, because it was extremely exciting. France inexplicably held on to the ball when they could have kicked it off field and won; then Scotland got a penalty and scored, more than four minutes into added-on time. The score was 27-23, I think. The winning pass was thrown by stand-in fly half Hastings after the first-choice fly half had been sent off .

Later I walked with Dot to the Rosary; then, after the TV jammed (I sorted it out later) we watched a film on Netflix called A Call To Spy, based on the true story of two women in the second world war. It was pretty good. We also watched the first episode of a new series of Keeping Faith, but both agreed we wouldn’t watch any more, because the lead actress was permanently hysterical and extremely irritating. Don’t know if it was her fault, or the scriptwriter’s, or the director’s. No football because of the international break.

The weekend weather turned out not to be as bad as forecast, but it was windy and a bit chilly. Start of British Summer Time, and we cooked our evening meal in daylight!  Led the church service while not feeling too well, but felt better in the afternoon. Liz Cannon preached and later we FaceTimed with Amy and Oliver, who both seemed quite perky. Wrote a piece for my website on free speech for minorities. Ended day by watching an exciting Bahrain Grand Prix – Hamilton just holding off Verstappen – and some international football highlights. Pukki scored a penalty for Finland, and (we discovered later) Hernandez scored for Cuba.

Had a terrible night last night – the worst I can remember for months, possibly years (except when I was in hospital). At 2.30 I took a couple of pills – one for my stomach, which was queasy – and at 6.30 decided to have breakfast and a cup of tea. The papers had arrived; so I took them back to bed and did the sudokus and other puzzles. Still couldn’t get to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. At some point I had a dream in which I was going mad, but couldn’t do anything about it. We were by the sea, and the tide came in on to the road. I’m sure it’s all very meaningful, but it’s now just after midday, I’ve had a bath and am extremely tired and a bit hungry, though not yet mad.

Last Tuesday was drizzly, but Anne came round and went for a walk with Dot. We had a phone chat with David Archer, then later of course he joined us for the Zoom Compline (minus Kim, for undisclosed reasons). At some point we watched a new detective drama called Grace, which was pretty good, and the Likely Lads film, which for me was nostalgic and good fun, and for Dot absolutely hilarious. It’s a long time since I’ve heard her laugh so much. Despite my bad back (now much improved), I managed 4000 steps.

On Wednesday, a major event: tree-cutting on the path behind our house, which had been promised for ages. It was cool and a bit rainy; so not much fun for the cutters. Dot took Harriet for a walk after lunch, an event she described as “a nightmare”. They lost the dog, and Harriet spent most of the walk on the phone to other people. I wrote the first half of Sunday’s sermon and watched the rest of Life on the Road, featuring Ricky Gervais as David Brent. Despite him being obnoxious as usual, the end was well done and rather sad. Also watched Norwich beat Notts Forest 2-0, then in the evening High Plains Drifter, and as a result were late to bed . Walked just over 3000 steps, all indoors.

Thursday was wet and cool again, but there was no stopping the tree men. I finished reading A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles, which was totally brilliant. Dot had a long Zoom with Barbara Vidion on P4C. My back was still quite bad, though slightly improved. Didn’t walk very far, but finished writing my sermon. Watched The Terror, which is really not very good, and Elizabeth R, which is 50 years old and very good indeed.

Friday was sunny and quite mild – a welcome change. The tree men finished and left a rake behind, which I rescued. Not a bad job, though I had been hoping they would cut more. I examined the ones remaining and decided they weren’t really a threat to our roof.

Posted a couple of cards and walked in the Rosary. Quite a few people about. Later Dot walked on her own. At 5pm we watched Riding Lights’ lockdown passion play, Breaking Day, which was excellent, as you might expect. Also watched The Falklands Play, from the 1980, which was well done, with Margaret Hodge a much better Mrs Thatcher than Gillian Anderson in The Crown. Over a few days we watched The Lost Tapes of Daniel Barenboim on Beethoven, which was extremely informative and, well, scintillating, I suppose. Printed some unrelated music out for Phoebe. Back still quite bad.  

Saturday was much duller and chillier, but no wind. Dot did some cleaning, while I went for a walk round The Close. Not all that comfortable, as I was still in a bit of pain. Norwich drew 1-1 with Blackburn – a fair result, though we missed a couple of easy chances. Dot and I cleared a pile of leaves by the steps that had been annoying me for ages, using the forgotten rake. Watched France v Wales at rugby – an amazing game won by France 32-30 in overtime. We had quite a long chat with David on FaceTime.

It was grey again on Sunday. I rewrote my St Augustine’s Way liturgy for Howard, then edited my sermon. I heard that my tanka and haiku had been included in a booklet called On A Knife Edge, which accompanies a national exhibition by the Lettering Arts Trust. Very pleasing. I filled in the national census form, and we had a philosophical discussion with David, Chrissy, Oliver and Amy. I also wrote report on St Augustine’s Sunday worship for the annual parish meeting, and then Dot and I walked on Cary’s Meadow, getting back in good time for the Zoom service at which I preached. This was recorded and is available on line if you have the access code. Watched quite a bit of Crock of Gold documentary about Shane McGowan while Dot watched Spurs match on phone.

Yesterday started out with blue sky, then intermittent sun. Dry, coolish. Walked with Dot on Mousehold after taking her to Tesco to buy water filters, then had an accidental chat with Des. Watched more rugby (recorded), then Unforgotten, which continues to be very good indeed.

Just a normal day in lockdown – well, not quite. This morning I woke before 5am and remembered I had to do a covid test before 8am, because the courier was due to collect it between 8am and 6.30pm. As I was awake, I thought I might as well do it then; so I did. It was quite unnecessarily complicated, as it was the other half-dozen times I’ve done it – even the box you put it in has to be constructed, and I have to work it out painstakingly every time. If I was actually ill, I’m not sure I would be able to do it. But I’m not – I had been selected randomly as part of a study; so it took me well under an hour. I couldn’t get back to sleep, of course (nor could my wife), and shortly after 7.30am I received a text message saying it would be picked up between 2.30pm and 6pm. Very helpful. I wonder how many billion pounds it cost setting that up.

Now it’s just after 10am, and I’m feeling very tired. Dot is waiting for her friend Anne to come and join her in a walk, which is now legal, apparently. It’s not quite raining.

I’ve had a bit of a bad back for a few days, which is annoying. It got worse after we discovered the freezer had broken down. It was probably not the discovery, which happened late on Sunday evening, but the extracting of various items and shifting the freezer away from its slot in the boiler room. I don’t know why I did that. Anyway, we salvaged a few items, threw some away and cleaned out the waterlogged appliance. Dot did that bit. I took some fish cakes round to Judy’s, who I happened to be speaking to on the phone the next day.

On the way back I called in at the Rosary and found that the flowers on my parents’ grave were looking good, despite the wind and rain of previous days. The weather seemed mild, but when I went out later with Dot we found there was a bitter breeze. Misled, I had not taken my hat. We walked over the Julian bridge and into Mountergate, then did the small circle through the Close and into Bishopgate. Later we ate some fish from the freezer, and I did a quite detailed response to the latest idiotic traffic plan, which includes closing Thorpe Road to cars coming into the city and making St Matthew’s Road and Chalk Hill Road one-way (going up). It’s only a question of time before they make Aspland Road one-way.

Obviously the plans will make our journey home from the east longer and more liable to hold-ups, but that doesn’t matter if it’s easier for cyclists. Not very green, as I pointed out. Interestingly I had just had a chat on the doorstep with our local city councillor, a nice bloke called Ben, who is probably Green (strangely, he didn’t say). We agreed on just about everything, including the traffic plan.

Let me run through the last few days, which included the annually significant three – Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Thursday – some heavy showers – was the anniversary of my mother’s death. Friday – more showers and windy – was Phil’s birthday. And Saturday – same again – was the anniversary of my father’s death. On Thursday I walked up to the Rosary and for the first time I can remember since my uncle Paul’s, there was a funeral in progress. As it ended there was a particularly heavy shower, but happily by then I had reached the shelter of the chapel porch, where I chatted to a couple of workmen. Later I wrote my website piece and we watched the film Margin Call, which was about a Wall Street crash situation and was pretty good. You could almost see how it might have happened.

On Friday we took the car to deliver Phil’s presents (on the doorstep), then put a card through Howard’s door and drove up to the chemist to pick up Dot’s prescription. Afterwards we walked on Mousehold (the nearer side), which was bit muddy. I felt quite tired and had a bad stomach pain as we neared the car, but it was very short-lived. Later Dot had fish and chips, and I did an omelette. We watched a couple of films – Lady Macbeth (artistically excellent but not uplifting) and The Man Who Would Be King (a ripping yarn written by Rudyard Kipling and made a success by Sean Connery and Michael Caine).

Unusually we spent Saturday morning reading the papers. I walked on my own up to Bishopgate in the afternoon, and down a little path at the back of the bridge where I’d never been before. Got a couple of interesting photos. Later Amy FaceTimed us. I watched England beat France 23-20 at rugby – quite a good game – then we watched Another Year, a Mike Leigh film in which nothing much happened, but it was absolutely brilliant. Great performance by Lesley Manville as an office worker past her best (though she still looked pretty good to me) who tried desperately to fit in but couldn’t. The final scene, in which no words were spoken except in the background, was stunning. Highly recommended.

Sunday was strange. Still rainy, had a bad night and felt wiped out. I read in the bath for quite a while, then we watched Norwich beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1, followed by the second half of India beating England at T20 (or toytown cricket, as Paul Henderson and I call it). As we had paid for a NOW TV pass, Dot then watched a bit of the Spurs match, in which they lost to Arsenal but scored a brilliant goal through Lamela. I led our Zoom service, and David FaceTimed, though not at the same time. We discussed a number of books. Watched the end of the Finnish thriller The Man in Room 301, which was pretty good, with a pleasing finish (ho, ho). The same could not be said of Bloodlands, in which setting up a sequel was obviously a priority.

Still here, though at times it seems hard to register the fact. This might mean I have mental health issues, because most people seem to nowadays, but in fact I think it’s just the temporary effect of having my movements restricted. Bit like being in Moscow, post-revolution, or in East Berlin when the Wall was up. These two examples spring to mind because I’m reading an excellent book called A Gentleman in Moscow and have just started watching a very good TV series called Deutschland 1989.

At least I’m not in hospital. Our friend Harriet was in with a heart attack this last week, but is now out with a stent. Dot and I are both more or less OK, though the appalling weather yesterday didn’t help: it was raining hard most of the day, and cold and windy too. Today the sky is a little brighter, but it’s still very windy, and the rain isn’t far away. I’m still waiting for my voluntary covid test pack, and can’t log into the Boots site to fix the eye test they want me to have.

It’s no wonder I’ve taken to watching old films. This week we saw Brighton Rock, based on the Graham Greene book, and featuring Richard Attenborough as a 17-year-old who looked about 35. I guess people aged faster in those days. Good fit, if you can forgive the lack of subtlety, and an excellent ending. But then Graham Greene was a brilliant writer. Last night we watched In the Loop, a sort of sequel to the TV series The Thick of It, which was scintillating but depressing, and not just because of the continual cursing. No, I know it’s not an old film.

Last Friday was Doreen’s birthday, and the day Oliver had his vaccination. He seems to have had no side-effects. Both grandchildren are of course back at school now. Dot was busy recording music and having a Zoom meeting with one of her head teachers; otherwise we would have gone to North Walsham. Instead we went the next day. I was a bit nervous, because it was neither local nor essential, strictly speaking, but of course we posed no threat to anyone. We called at Sainsbury’s in NW and then went to the cemetery to place flowers. Beautifully sunny and calm. On the way home we had a look at the bungalow Roger and Debbie are buying in Spenser Avenue, close to the high school, and then put some flowers on Mum and Dad’s grave. Dot walked home from there.

In the afternoon we watched Norwich beat Luton 3-0 to go ten points clear at the top of the table. David and Chrissy FaceTimed to show us their new furniture – donated to them by Barbara and Roger, who are having a major refit. The next day Spurs won 4-1; so a good weekend, football-wise.

On Sunday, as well as our Zoom service, we watched The Godfather, which we had never seen. Very long film, but extremely good, and we really enjoyed it. On Monday Dot had a long Zoom with Barbara Vidion about expanding the P4C material for use online, and in the afternoon, although it was raining slightly, we fulfilled an appointment with Janet Bower, who was on one of her expeditions into the city (she lives in the wilds of Taverham). We met her at Pull’s Ferry and then walked her up to the Rosary, which she was keen to see. We gave her a kind of guided tour in less than ideal conditions, but she seemed to enjoy it. I think we got more (general) information from her than we imparted ourselves. I was very tired by the time we reached our house, and of course we couldn’t invite her in; so Dot accompanied her back to the Close, where her car was parked.

Afterwards we watched a lot of TV. I sent some poems to the Suffolk Poetry Society magazine. Don’t know if they’ll publish them. I’ve been writing a lot recently, partly because as part of Lent I’ve been trying to compose something every day after we read a Psalm together and pray. This seems to prompt other poems too.

On Tuesday the weather was still fairly spring-like, and again the milk was either not delivered or stolen from the step. I suspect the latter: it happened again today, and I think we’ll have to cancel deliveries. Pity. I did think of doubling our order and seeing if the thief would take one bottle and leave us the other, but Dot is not keen on this idea. She cleaned up the utility room while I did the charity money, and after lunch we walked to the sorting office and then round to Morrisons, mainly to buy some birthday cards. It’s Phil’s birthday tomorrow – which means that today is the day my mother died, and Saturday is the day my father died.

Dot extended her walk to King Street, buying a take-away coffee and drinking it on a seat by the Julian bridge while I walked straight home, still tired from the day before. As well as Brighton Rock, we watched The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, a Narnia story that was very well done indeed. Highly recommended.

Yesterday, as I said, winter returned, and I did the lowest number of steps I’ve done for a long time. Obviously we didn’t leave the house. Roger and Debbie dropped in so that we could sign their wills: it was nice to see them. In the afternoon we did a Virtual Tour of Elm Hill, Tombland and the Cathedral led by a very soggy Paul Dickson. Brave of him to go ahead with it. Later David and Chrissy FaceTimed us; they seemed happy. In the evening we watched the latest episode of The Terror, based on Franklin’s expedition to find (or not find) the North-West passage. I suspect it’s not very good, really.

Dot has just taken advantage of a sunny interval to walk up to the sorting office to post a letter. I am staying in in case Des delivers our groceries, but intend to go out later, unless the weather deteriorates.

Not a very exciting day today. Very cold (a north wind), and intermittent rain. No plans to go for a walk. Our grocery has been delivered, and Dot has been walking in the garden. Briefly. I have registered for a survey that includes taking another covid test, following an invitation from the NHS. Looked at a couple of holiday cottages in Suffolk, but decided to put it off.

Last Friday seems a long time ago. We watched a brilliant film called Bringing up Baby, which featured Audrey Hepburn in amazing form. I didn’t know she was that good. Earlier I walked up to the Rosary while Dot did the garden: there was some tree work going on in the Rosary – not entirely sure what, possibly thinning out at the very top. Dot had fish and chips, and we watched Vera because it’s soothing.

Saturday was sunny again, and we got up late. After lunch we went for a walk on Mousehold and got pretty tired. Also had a cup of tea in Chris and Des’s driveway; it was just warm enough to chat comfortably. After that we watched The Plank, which was extremely funny, and later a modern film called Edie, starring Sheila Hancock as an old widow (83) who wanted to climb a mountain. It was surprisingly good, made even more so for us, because they used the rather esoteric hotel in Lochinver that we stayed at a couple of years ago. The mountain, of course, was Suilven – not tremendously high but quite inaccessible. Apparently SH actually climbed it; so perhaps I could… Probably not; so I wrote a poem about it instead.

My book got a euphoric response from Joy McCall, but then she is on my wavelength. Very encouraging, though. She put it on Facebook, which is more than I did. I have sent it to a few people.

It was extremely foggy first thing on Sunday, and quite chilly. I had a bath and finished Heather’s book, then wrote to her about it. Not the sort of thing I’d normally read, but quite nicely done, if you’re interested in cultural sexism. Norwich beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-0, and I led a Zoom service, with Dot doing the prayers. Howard preached. In the afternoon we walked round Bishopgate and the cut-through. Amy got in touch, and Dot spent quite a time on the phone to Anne.

Monday was cold but dry. I walked up to the postbox to post a few books, but that was it. Dot had a longish Zoom with Barbara about P4C, and a PCC meeting in the evening. We also had a conversation with the Evetts. I had a strange moment when I stepped outside the front door and suddenly realised it was completely quiet: no motor vehicles, nothing – and we are in the middle of a city. It was about 11pm.

The next day was still cold but dry. Dot had a Zoom violin lesson, and after lunch we both walked to the Greens’ to deliver some music – met Howard coming out of a neighbour’s house, then met Maureen (from No 6 ) at the bottom of the road and Sarah, who was popping into Mark’s. He is in Alabama again. I booked a couple of days at Blakeney while the Evetts are there, and a check-up at the dentist in about three weeks’ time. In the evening we had a chat with David and Chrissy (it was her birthday). They seemed to be having fun. Started watching a new Scandi Noir (Finnish this time), and saw the end of Marcella, which didn’t impress me. Almost everyone in it was borderline insane, and by the end conveniently dead, except for Marcella herself (spoiler alert) and a baby she had taken from its shot mother to replace the one she’d lost in an earlier series. Completely unconvincing.

I’ve started reading the book that Dot was very keen on: A Gentleman in Moscow. It’s very well written and heart-warming in the best possible way. Funny, too. The weather yesterday was very cold, but no wind at all. Posted a card and went to the Rosary with Dot, saying hello to our “mate” who does maintenance there. Norwich beat Brentford 1-0. Pukki missed a couple of sitters. I cooked the Hello Fresh meal while Dot watched the first half, and we watched the second half together. Watched the first two episodes of The Terror, a much-hyped series about Franklin’s ill-fated attempt to find the north-west passage. Not sure how they’re going to stretch it over ten episodes.