Just completed a really busy week and an even busier weekend. During it all the weather brightened up and became quite summery, with blue skies and a real warmth in the sun. This made the Paston Project exhibition at St Margaret’s Church really enjoyable: even inside the church (colder than outside) was not at all unpleasant. I refrained from medieval dress, because I am not really a medieval sort of person, but quite a few people did indulge. Details will appear soon on the InPrint website, but pictured are four key players – Ruth, head of catering and great bun-maker; Neil, heir to the throne of the Paston Heritage Society; Brigette, a true medieval star; and Lucy, chairperson of the Society, who brought the whole thing into being.

I was there on Thursday to help set up. The saga of the van stuck in the mud not once but twice appears on the InPrint site, together with exciting pictures of people carrying things. Then again Friday evening for the Private View, which went very well indeed and included Siri-Susanna’s fascinating film of the making of the book, plus a poetry reading. I was there just about all day Saturday, which included two other poetry readings. Lisa gave me a lift up to Knapton (so that I could give her easy directions home) and I walked back across the fields, disturbing a muntjac deer that was lying in the grass and made off at high speed across a dry ploughed field. I think it was a muntjac, though it was quite substantial in its hind quarters. In the evening we had another Latin Compline, to which Dot came with sandwiches and Judith turned up from Bacton. Jack Earl was in good voice, and it was another interesting experience though, as Judith said, there were too many technical matters demanding concentration (Latin pronunciation, plainsong tunes) for it to function well as any kind of worship. Still, words have power, don’t they?

On Sunday – after I had led the morning worship at St Augustine’s, and preached an emergency sermon when the designated preacher failed to show up – I went over to Paston again around 3pm, when the EDP in the shape of Adrian Judd was taking pictures, and a reporter was in attendance (not one I knew). Stayed for about an hour then returned to Norwich for a break before Dot and I returned to Paston for an evening concert by Horses Brawl, exponents of medieval music. They did 18 songs, including an antiphon discovered in Paston Church in 1920 which almost certainly hadn’t been heard since the time of the Pastons. Again, a fascinating experience, though I’m not sure how deeply I could get into medieval music: I suspect it’s more fascinating for its exponents than for an audience, though one or two songs had some amazing rhythms.

During the weekend the £850 hand-made book was on show, and Annette did a really good job of explaining it to small groups, turning the pages and talking about each one. Astonishingly, two people ordered a copy, which will keep Annette busy printing for a while. All in all, a great experience and one that commanded two page-threes in the EDP, on the Friday and the Monday.

Plenty of other things happened last week. We had our shower room refurbished, and it now looks quite sophisticated and even bigger! Dot is thrilled with it. We also had lunch at Dunston Hall on Tuesday with Mary and Keith Chapman, who we stayed with at Kingston in Canada on our first visit in 1991. They are friends of Dot’s Aunt Ethel, and we took them to visit her afterwards. On the Friday I had a blood test to see if I have diabetes: I shall be very surprised if I have. I think the doctor is trying to cover everything after my brush with prostate cancer.

I have just been to the dentist to have a hole plugged, and the anaesthetic is beginning to wear off. I also called in at Langleys and Waterstones to buy some stuff for Amy, whose fourth birthday is next Monday. We will be travelling down to Caddington at the weekend to see them all, but before that – tomorrow, in fact – Andrew is coming to stay for a couple of days. Phil and I are going to fetch him. Meanwhile, Colin is in the garden, breaking up the cement at each side of the house in order to relay it properly. He has also power-washed the path and patio, which look like new. Dot is in the city meeting Carrie.