This is an arty picture of my cousin Ann, taken through a Celtic cross in Cringleford graveyard, where I had taken her to see Frank’s grave. All being well, she is now back in Liverpool after a fairly busy week here – most of it in beautiful warm weather.

I am radioactive at the moment, having just had an injection at hospital in preparation for a body skeleton x-ray in about an hour’s time. This is the second of two tests to see if my prostate cancer has spread. Unfortunately it means we have had to delay our trip to Caddington. We had meant to go straight there from the hospital, but I discovered that I shouldn’t be close to children today. I can imagine what Oliver might think of being asked to stay two metres away from me, so we’ve decided to travel down after they’re in bed, which is a pity, but the best solution, I think.

I was thinking of travelling over to Coventry “on the way” to pick up my jacket and glasses, which I foolishly left there yesterday, when Phil and I went to a case conference for Andrew and shifted a bit of his stuff from Gareth’s. (I was feeling a bit off because of a swelling in my groin which is a bit mysterious, so didn’t have my mind on what I was doing.) I didn’t realise I’d left them until I got home. But Halina is going to post the glasses to me on Monday, and in the meantime I’ve bought a pair of reading glasses from Boots, which I haven’t quite got used to yet…

Yesterday’s journey wasn’t too bad, though the good weather had ended with a vengeance and there was quite a bit of rain, as there is today. Traffic was heavy on the way back, and we went across the Fens, which worked out well. We got back about 7pm.

Bit of a break there. I have now had my bone skeleton x-ray, which consisted of lying under a camera for about 20 minutes, then having to have a re-x-ray of my pelvis area because it hadn’t come out quite right. All totally silent, and not an unpleasant experience. They aren’t allowed to tell me the results, but I got a positive feel from the nurse (if you see what I mean). I could be completely wrong about that, needless to say. They may be trained to give positive feels.

While Ann and Jim were here, and while the weather was still summery, we did a bit of driving around. On Wednesday we all went to Reepham, where Ann and Jim went for a walk while Dot and I had our hair cut. Afterwards we all had lunch in Kerri’s, then, while Dot drove to North Walsham to see her aunt, the rest of us went home (those paying close attention will have spotted we must have taken two cars to Reepham). At home Paul came round to see his niece, then I went to the hospital with Dot for my MRI scan. Again, not an unpleasant experience, but very noisy. I was given an injection to relax my muscles, and then laid on a table that went into a huge tube. The scan is by magnets and is very loud – almost as if someone is outside trying to get in. I had to wear earphones, and there was supposed to be music, but it was practically inaudible. It lasted about 35 minutes and, strangely, I actually felt very peaceful in there.

On the Thursday it was still sunny but the wind turned very chilly. In the morning I took Ann and Jim on a tour of some spots which might have been familiar or interesting or both. We took in our grandmother’s house in Hall Road, and the ones on Caistor Lane and in Poringland. It turned out that Ann didn’t know the Poringland one. Her family had left for Africa in 1948, bef0re my grandparents moved there. We also looked at Tuckswood, and the two houses in Brian Avenue where I had grown up. We called at Venta Icenorum and had a short stroll, then had coffee at Dunston Hall Hotel before going to Cringleford and visiting Frank’s grave (and taking a quick look at his bungalow there).

Home for lunch, then we all – with Dot – went to Yelverton to look at our old house and on to Woodbastwick, where we parked by the river and walked to Cockshoot Broad: the boardwalk has been extended rather nicely. Also called at Ranworth and bought some ice cream before heading home in time to pick up Ann’s pictures from the chemist. In the evening Dave Hall came round to beat me at chess: I made a mess of the late opening. Had quite a long conversation with him.

While Phil and I were travelling to Coventry yesterday, Ann and Jim visited a cousin at North Walsham – whose parents coincidentally lived next door to Dot’s parents in Northfield Road – then another relative (I think) at Eckling Grange, Dereham. We had given them the option of staying an extra night, but they called to say they were on their way home and had reached Sleaford.