And now it’s turned to autumn again, quite cold and windy, though not as bad as yesterday. Dot has been out all day today – first at Overstrand as a diocesan support officer and then at Catton, introducing Philosophy4Children. Good opportunity for me to catch up on some vital jobs, but after starting reasonably well, I have tailed off badly, even sinking so low as to change my profile picture on Facebook. The trip to Sainsburys went quite well, though a couple of requests from Dot eluded me. I followed this by taking Bernadette to lunch – something I had been intending to do for some weeks, ever since she assisted me by checking some shorthand for my Hull trainees. We went to John Lewis, and she refused to accept more than a baguette – or to be ruthlessly precise, half a very hard baguette that was a real challenge to eat. I was not impressed: should have taken her to Caffe Italia.

Yesterday had a good morning service at St Augustine’s, led by Heather. I preached on Careless Tongues Cost Lives – well, not quite, but something like that. Watched Jenson Button get back on the world championship trail in the afternoon, then off to Ambient Wonder in the evening. Very few of us there, and a little chilly: the same went for the pizzas. Didn’t sleep very well last night. Don’t know why. Keep dreaming about holidays and living elsewhere, and Dot driving brilliantly. Strange. Finished Stefan Zweig. I see Stieg Larssen’s third and last book is out next month.