The gas man eventually cameth at 1.20pm last Wednesday (claiming he thought it was an afternoon appointment) and quickly sorted out the radiators: one had a sticking valve and the other had accidentally been turned off – the movement to do this was a quarter turn, surprisingly. He also allayed my fears about the system staying on because of a pump valve sticking while we were away. Apparently there are loads of failsafes on the system, and the boiler would eventually turn itself off. So that’s all good.

When he departed Dave and I finished our lunch and went to Stranger’s Hall museum, which proved surprisingly interesting: it has a warren of rooms representing different historical periods. Afterwards we continued through the rain to M&S, where we met Dot and Julia, and I resisted buying a jumper. After a pause for afternoon tea we returned home by way of a couple more shops, and ate in.

Thursday was Dot’s 67th birthday, and the weather was much nicer. We took a bus up to the Sainsbury Centre and after coffee in the cafe there (seated at the next table to Charles Clarke) we looked at the main exhibition and then at portraits by John Hedgecoe, which included one of my friend Lisa D’Onofrio, alongside other poetic greats such as Paul Larkin, Ted Hughes and John Betjeman.

Afterwards we walked along the river part of the way to Cringleford, but had to abandon halfway because of the mud. We diverted on to Bluebell Road, had refreshment in Waitrose cafe and helped Dave and Julia buy 12 bottles of Beaujolais nouveau, which I believe is a kind of wine. We then caught the bus home, changing at St Stephen’s. No sooner home than we were out again,up to the craft fair at the Forum, where it was cold, especially outside. Dot bought a ring, and we returned home in time to prepare for our evening meal at Prezzo’s, for which the Robinsons joined us. It proved to be their last evening as non-grandparents.

Yes, Charlie Theodore Smith, son of Sophie, was born at 2.20am, narrowly missing Dot’s birthday and weighing in at over 9lb, which is a bit excessive. On the same day Dot left at 8.30am for Thetford, where she was doing a day’s SIAS training, and the Evetts headed north at 9.45am for Scarborough. It was all go again. For them.

Dot returned just after 4pm, and by 5pm we were heading down the A11 for Caddington, where we were due to spend the night before lunching with much of the Coomes family near Bishop’s Stortford and proceeeding to David and Kristine’s for the rest of the weekend. This was partially scuppered by illness striking DC and Lydia, and we ended up spending Saturday with David, Oliver and Amy, which was very nice. Took Amy swimming in the morning, then on to Sainsbury’s, where we bought food under Amy’s guidance and then washed the car at Amy’s request. David and Oliver returned from Finchley, where Oliver’s school football team had won 6-2 in pouring rain.

Stayed in during the afternoon and played games after watching F1 qualifying, then David made a second excellent evening meal (toad in the hole; the first was salmon) and after the children had had a bath and gone to bed, we drove home, arriving about 10.30pm. It was still raining hard. Dot had been given her presents the previous day – a scarf, some soap, a necklace and a bracelet.

So that mean we were at church for Heather’s visit: she spoke on the disappointing vote which fell short of approving women bishops and got quite emotional, but it was a good sermon. I prefer to think of the vote as overwhelmingly in favour, but not overwhelmingly enough. But then I’m not a woman. Some of you may have spotted that. Ruth played violin with us, which was a refreshing change.