Grandson Oliver tackles the climbing wall at his school fun night.

Quite a week. I was well enough to have the operation, despite a brave attempt to get into a different hospital by falling headlong in the street the day before. My computer had gone in for repair, and I was carrying my external hard drive in for testing when I trod on some uneven ground outside the shop, which is in a rather rundown area of the city. I hit the ground quite hard because I instinctively tried to protect the hard drive (success there), and twisted my ankle quite painfully. Happily the injury was not too severe, and I was able to walk all right, but it was a bit of a shock – I suspect more of a shock than I realised at the time. I also jarred my shoulder – again I didn’t realise it till later – but I was lucky not to do serious damage. The computer is OK too.

So we arrived at the hospital at 7am on Thursday, and I had the operation at 8. Since you ask, it was a cysto-urethroscopy with bladder neck incision, which sounds like an Olympic dive, but isn’t. I was awake again not long after 9, and had no pain. At first everything seemed brilliant, but later there was a bit of a hiccup, and I thought it hadn’t worked at all. Happily that was just temporary, and it does seem to have done the job. Because of the uncertainty I stayed in the hospital overnight (though I was given permission to go home), and Dot picked me up at 10am yesterday.  I felt a bit tired, though I had slept quite well. It was probably a mistake healthwise to go to Peter Franzen’s farewell party in the boardroom, but I’m quite glad I did, because I was able to say goodbye and also to chat to a few old friends, including Ian from the printers and David Paull, who is doing very well. Also Alison Croose from Lynn. The gap is widening.

If that was a mistake, going out for the evening must have been too, though Dot and I had a really good time at the Higbees’ with their friends John Martin and Larisa, his wife, who is Russian. John is an author, and the conversation was really interesting. Felt fine while we were there but very tired afterwards, and today I am feeling extremely weary, which is annoying, as David and the grandchildren are here. Have taken an antibiotic in case of infection, but it’s probably just after-effects. Phil and Joy also called in this morning, and Phil told me all about his visit to Open, the new facility for teenagers in the old Barclays building in Norwich. Sounds absolutely amazing. Dot and the children are now up at Chapelfield at a funfair (it’s Lord Mayor’s Procession day) and David has walked up too after initially dropping them off. The weather is a little threatening and not very summery. Dot is much better, though still clogged up, especially in the mornings.