All in all, we agreed the Mill Hotel was a Good Thing. Although the evening meal was only average, and I didn’t sleep well, the setting and service were very good. While Dot went to inspect her school the next morning after an early breakfast, I returned to the hotel and had a bath while taking a good bite out of The Snowman, by Jo Nesbo. I also managed to write the start of an article for my website, but couldn’t do much about the sermon because I’d written it in a late version of Pages that my laptop couldn’t open. I could see it (on Quickview), but that wasn’t really enough. If I had been more determined, it probably would have been.

Instead I left the room at 11am and went for a three-mile walk on the meadows. The weather was not quite as warm as the previous day, but it was very pleasant. Afterwards I had lunch back at the hotel (cheddar sandwich with generous leaves and crisps) before wandering around the town for a bit. The hotel had its second wake in two days booked into the bar for the afternoon, so I couldn’t go back there. Discovered that the town was famous for its association with Gainsborough but didn’t have time to explore the Gainsborough House. Picked up Dot around 4pm and drove her home.

Food shortage at home, so drove to Morrisons and drove round for five or ten minutes before finding somewhere to park. Then had difficulty finding things in the store because it has been redesigned and filled with shoppers, most of whom had no more idea where anything was than I did. In the evening recovered by going round the Kerrisons for delicious meal of fish kedgeree and a pleasant chat. Thea passed through our room: she has grown almost out of all recognition.

I had managed to finish off my sermon on the Saturday, and so I was able to deliver it on Sunday to a very small congregation (ten). It was, however, a lovely service – not surprising as Howard was leading it. Phil, Dot and I stayed behind to rehearse our songs for the evening event at the Seagull Theatre in Lowestoft, and later Phil came round for one of my chillis before he drove us to Lowestoft. The event itself went really well – even better than last time. When I had this ambition in my 20s to sing my own songs with a band, I little thought I would be 66 before it happened. It’s never too late. It was a big thrill for me.

The event ran late because it had the most performers and the largest audience in the two years it had been running. So we didn’t get home till after 11pm. We got a good response and felt we’d made a reasonable job of it. If we carry on like this we’ll have to give the band a name. I rather fancy Esker.