We now have the car back: it needed a new tyre and was serviced. Now I hope it will last the next two or three weeks at least, as we shall be covering lots of miles travelling to Scotland, through the Outer Hebrides, back to Ballater and then to Coventry and home. At church today Howard expressed concern at our travelling this distance by car. I tried to reassure him, but he didn’t seem convinced.
Before picking up the car Dot and I went to see Jessie, who was in good form, and then bought some stuff at Sainsbury’s with the aim of reclaiming some Nectar card cash. But the cashier messed it up, much to Dot’s annoyance, and so the cash is still locked into the Nectar card. On a scale of world problems over the last few days, this ranks fairly low.
While Dot was at the DSSO meeting with Paul on Wednesday I walked into the city to pay in a cheque and see a 20 Group exhibition at the Forum, during which I was approached by two Chinese students who interrogated me on my shopping and reading habits. On the way back I bought some gooseberries and cherries and arrived just as Paul’s car emerged from Aspland Road.
On Friday Howard came round at 10am to discuss starting up a Facebook Group and page and a Twitter identity relating to the speaker programme at church. This was complicated by the additional presence of Suzanne Cooke and Liz Day, particularly the latter. After a while I let them get on with it, but even so Liz appears to have changed some things after it was all done. No surprise there. An additional problem is that Howard does not want to get involved personally with Facebook or Twitter. Ho, hum. I did not say this was rather like wanting a newspaper to advertise your event but refusing to read newspapers. Perhaps I should have.
Later in the day I took the recovering Phil to get his hair cut on Kett’s Hill – well, in a hairdresser’s there, to be more accurate. Joy was supposed to have come, but she felt too ill, and I have to admit she didn’t look at all well. Phil continues to make good progress, though.
In the evening we played host to Sue and Roger (Eagle) and Anne and Philip. Dot did the cooking, and it was very nice, especially the starter, which was a peach with something rather radical done to it. The evening was convivial and went well, though I have to admit that Philip didn’t seem too good. He is just finishing his prostate cancer treatment, so he can hardly be expected to seem on top of the world.
Yesterday Dot and I went to Castle Acre for a garden party at the home of the Bishop of Lynn, for whom Ann Knox Whittet works as secretary. As a bonus she and James got use of a marquee that the bishop had been using earlier! The event turned out to be a poetry/musical afternoon, and fortunately I had taken a poem to read. There were many other offerings, some worse than others. Met a lady who was born on Barra, where we’re heading this week. She sang a beautiful Gaelic hymn. I know that because she gave us the translation first. Alas present: Kaaren Whitney and Sue Mobbs, plus most of the Suffolk poets with whom I have become familiar. Not over-familiar, of course.
Castle Acre was beautiful. Don’t know why I haven’t been there before. Tonight some of the same poets will be reading at the Seagull, but Dot and I have decided we don’t really have the time, as we’re busy packing and quite tired. Nice service this morning, led by Phil, who seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, and with a talk by Howard, who doesn’t. Ann (95) made a rare appearance with her daughter Chris.
It’s getting quite warm here, and it promises to continue. The Outer Hebrides are not looking so good.
*Note on Phils: (a) Phil Lenton, my brother; (b) Philip Robinson, Anne’s husband; (c) Dr Phil Kerrison, a church member and guitar player.