Bizarre behaviour by weather. Yesterday it was probably the hottest it’s been all year. The car thermometer registered 29C as we passed through North Walsham on the way back from a visit to Lucy’s at Paston. Today at least 10C cooler: I made the mistake of wearing just a shirt and light pullover for a train trip to Wroxham, which meant I was decidedly chilly when I got there to wait for Dot and Jessie to arrive by car. So I started walking, and we coincided very quickly. After that I avoided standing around outside. We visited Wroxham Barns and had a meal (cheese baguette), then on to Jessie’s for a chat and further refreshment. Dot had driven out to meet Jessie at Frank’s residential home in Wroxham, but I wanted to get a bit of work done, so took the train. On the way back from North Walsham we got stuck behind a painfully slow Clio the whole way, with a persistent stream of cars from the other direction. Where is a machine gun when you need it?

Just kidding. I say that in case this site is being monitored  by the Government, who might mistake me for a terrorist. I am not a terrorist. I do not like terrorists. Or very slow Clios.

Been quite busy, actually. On Monday, Dot was in a high-level P4C meeting with Barbara at Metfield and got back almost too late to have her hair done. I decided to forgo the whole process, as my hair has not recovered from last time, when I went very short, and instead toddled off to the Norwich Print Fair PV in St Benedict’s, where I met Harriet, then Lisa, Annette and Mike. Oh, and Sandra. Had quick chat and look round – some good stuff on show – then on to the chess club for a Quickplay (10-min). Won the first two games, which is always a mistake, since you get paired against better players subsequently. The clever method is to lose the first game. I ended up playing all three of the best players in the club, and losing to them all. However, I did get another win, so ended up with 3/6, which is about what I usually end up with. Very good game in Najdorf Sicilian against Merv Hughes (not the Australian fast bowler).

Lunch with Lucy at Dayspring was followed by a very pleasant Tuesday Group gathering at the Archers’, featuring scrummy raspberry cheesecake left over from Sunday. Have just read The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig. Impressed. Not just with the story but its accuracy as regards chess.