We did make it to the Julian meeting, and it proved very enjoyable. Anandi was there, and so was Elaine from St Luke’s, plus Vicky, Judy, Debbie and of course the Greens, who were their usual hospitable selves. Unfortunately we didn’t feel well enough to walk; so I had to restrict my wine intake.

Since then Dot has managed to fulfil all her appointments while still being far from fit. I seemed to be getting better but now feel worse again. I had to get up early on Thursday to get to an 8.40 hospital eye appointment, which went all right (I have a small cyst on my retina that is apparently “insignificant”, according to the Russian doctor).

That wasn’t too bad, but I didn’t feel like doing much afterwards. Yesterday we took Anna and Liz to Geoff Saunders’ funeral at Surlingham: weather was sunny but cold, and we came out of the church to find our car jammed in at the back of a huge agglomeration of cars in a farmyard being used as a car park. Had to wait, of course, but then drove to Woods End for the wake (having left Liz to find her own way home) and had a pleasant chat with an 84-year-old Czech lady from Bergh Apton.

Afterwards Anna came back for another cup of tea and a bit of a discussion about the future of the church, and then Dot and I went to the Hendersons’ for a meal. About that time I started to feel quite ill, and eventually I had diarrhoea – after which I felt a bit better.

Today, after a poor night, I have a headache and feel cold, and I still haven’t got rid of my cough. My stomach also feels a bit fragile. I’m getting pretty fed up with feeling ill.

On the plus side a contact through Genes Reunited sent me a picture of Dot’s grandmother Emma with her father Oliver, a few months old, on her lap. Lovely picture.