Intended to pick up Andrew from Coventry, but worst-case scenario materialised: no, not wall-to-wall snowdrifts, but uncertainty about the drive back. Sleet and snow was predicted for the entire route, so discretion won out over valour, and I postponed the attempt until tomorrow. Not sure if this was the right decision, but it did enable me to finish off my pre-Christmas tasks: lots of cardboard and other rubbish to the tip; hit-and-run card to Phyllis Todd (car park crammed); old books to charity shop; cheque paid in; and took bus to see Kathleen with card and book on Zimbabwe (The Last Resort) that I thought she might like to read. I was picked up from Kathleen’s by Dot, which gave her the chance to bring her a plant. All good.
The haircuts passed off without incident on Thursday, and were followed by a present-bearing trip out to North-East Norfolk, starting at Aunt Sheila’s and continuing at Sainsbury’s and then a bitterly cold cemetery. We went on to make a brave foray out to Buck Brigg on less-than-ideal roads. This went smoothly on the outward journey, but on the way back we had trouble emerging up a slope on to the Hanworth Road and I had to take a run at it, with Dot keeping a lookout for oncoming traffic. Then I skidded impressively turning the corner in Swafield in an attempt to get some momentum for the upcoming hill. Managed to recover and make it up the hill, thanks to nothing coming the other way. Roads very slushy. Temperature hovering around freezing, but main roads just wet – until we reached Aspland Road, which mysteriously had a covering of snow. After Buck Brigg we had mince pies at Jessie’s. She does make a good mince pie.
Couple of cancellations on Monday and Tuesday. Didn’t make it to the chess tournament on Monday; instead did some work on the loft door to make it shut properly – as well as wrapping some presents. Or was that Tuesday? I think it was, because most of Monday afternoon (after Lucy called round for my signature on a Paston document) was spent at Joe and Birgit’s. We thought it was just for drinks, but it turned out to be proper sit-down party food, and very nice too.
On Tuesday I was in and out of some shops, I seem to remember. We also had to cancel the Tuesday Group too after the Archers had some kind of stomach bug. But on the plus side, Julia and Allan called round in the morning after their return from the South-West – a journey which turned out not to be as bad as expected. There has been some really bad weather in places, but not everywhere – or at least not everywhere at the same time. It all reminds me of 1963: very cold, and snow lying on the ground, but not an awful lot falling. That’s in Norfolk, anyway.