Cold, cold, cold. Just back from Morrisons, where we ran into a crowd of Norwich supporters en route to the game against Huddersfield. Another first for BBC Look East, who listed the fixture as an away game last night – so that was nearly right. Pavements not too bad on the way there, but much icier on the way back. Managed to stay upright, however. Might be tricky for homegoing supporters. Quite a pleasant day, other than the cold, with mainly bright skies. Spent most of the morning retrieving our two cars from the bottom of the hill, where we’d had to park them last night after a lot of slipping and sliding. Took a spade and chipped some icy snow away to make some clearish ground for my car to make it to the top, but Dot’s MX5 was much more difficult, as it has rear-wheel drive, and the back end kept threatening to slip away. Linda arrived to cut our hair and made it to the top, encouraged by me from a strategic spot at the bottom! While she was doing Dot’s hair, I spread some sand on the road from the store at the top, using a spade and our brown bin as an improvised wheelbarrow. I also cut some more ice away. By the time she’d left, the sand had caused some ice to disappear, and there was also a slight, short thaw. As a result, my next attempt to reach the top – after Linda had left – was successful. The MX5 is now in the garage, and my car is in the drive, ready to slide down on its way to church tomorrow. During all this I chatted to Michael and to the family from number 11, as well as waving to Ellie at her bedroom window. She told me she’d made a snowman yesterday, and I think I spotted it up in the Old Library Park on the way back from the post office. Also helped a guy in a van to get out of the bottom of the road, with some use of the spade and a certain amount of traffic direction.

Yesterday was also cold and saw a lot of snow. However, Dot decided to go on her planned trip to Park Farm, Attleborough and Hethersett, which she completed successfully until she reached the bottom of the road: then, while parking the car on ice, she scraped the wheel that she’d just had refurbished. Not a happy bunny. I went to the Archant Pensioners’ Lunch at the Holiday Inn by the airport, though not everyone made it. Frances rang to say it was snowing hard at Cromer, and she didn’t make the trip, though Su Edgeler made it from Bacton on crutches. Well, not all the way on crutches. She did use a car. Sat with her and Robin and a group of ex-printers; we were joined by the current head of Archant Print, and all the printers had a go at him about the mistakes in the EDP. He took it very well. Had a chat with the new editor and others including David Paull, the input pool, Peter March, Alan Atherton, John Barlow from the stone, Ian Cunningham, Tony the ex-chief photographer, Ray Church, the guy from Surrey Chapel and Frances Pearce. Plus others. Signs of some cutting back: very small sherry to start and only one glass of wine, though that suited me fine. Meal was very pleasant Christmas fare, and there was a supplementary mince pie. Well staffed and organised. On the whole I preferred it to the previous venue. No sign of Brian or Bruce, however. Bruce has just been in hospital, but Brian’s status remains a mystery. We got a Christmas card from him and Tricia, but he shows no sign of emerging. I dropped off a Christmas card at his house afterwards. As usual, no reply to the doorbell.

The snow started on Thursday, when Sharon came for lunch, arriving mid-morning during a brief blizzard. Had a good time, featuring a variation on my chili con carne, using chick peas, which seemed to go down well. Dot took Sharon home (the snow had eased), chanced on Denise and elicited an invitation for Christmas Eve drinks, and went to Morrisons afterwards to pick up a cake for the evening, when we managed to reach church for a get-together for members of the various groups after picking up Matt from Lakenham, where it seemed to be snowing harder than it was our side of the city. Weather not at all good, but about 20 turned up for a bring-and-share, and we ended with a recital of various Christmas poems. Not one of the great evenings, but reasonably pleasant.

Have finished reading The Defense by Vladimir Nabokov. Beautiful writer: there’s a fantastic comic description of two guys making their way home from a very jolly evening and finding the protagonist, Luzhin, sitting on the pavement. As I write, Norwich and Huddersfield are drawing 0-0, and play has just finished in the South Africa test. No, wait, Hoolahan has just scored. Can Norwich hold on?  England, 352 behind, look likely to lose, but you never know. (Norwich 3-0 Huddersfield – result)