Very rainy day today, pinpointed precisely on a birthday party arranged by Philip and Jane Coomes for Oliver’s 14th. It was going to be a barbecue, but although it was dry and warm all last week, and promises to be again in the coming week, today was very, very wet. So the party was indoors.
On the way there Dot and I were obstructed by a closed section of the A120 and found ourselves on a 20-minute detour, which I followed on Apple Maps while Dot drove. Interesting countryside – and we were still first at the Coomes’. An extra guest was Jennie, who we had not seen for some time. She seemed much better. Lovely lunch.
Earlier in the week I got my new reading glasses (Monday). Against expectations this went without a hitch. though I had to have both sets of glasses tightened later in the week.
Tuesday was much busier. Following the Archant pensioners’ lunch, Dot and I met Bill and Judy Spencer, who had arrived on a coach from Lowestoft, where they were staying for a week. Had a coffee with them in Presto, then while Dot went to UEA for her diabetes research project, I took them on a tour of the city – mainly by car, as Bill cannot walk very far. We did get out at Elm Hill, though. I worked with Bill on The Christian in the mid-1960s.
In the evening another Judy (Reynolds) took us to the Julian evening at Howard’s. This was combined with our Cake and Compline evening; so the Archers came as well. All good.
On Coventry I went by train again to Coventry, this time making sure I did not incur extra costs by impinging on Virgin Trains’ “peak period”, which starts at 3pm. As a result I had time to stroll into the centre of Coventry and catch a bus from Pool Meadow to the hospital. Andrew seemed relatively unchanged, though a bit dishevelled. I took him for a short walk, partly to get some cash from the hospital cash point so that they could buy him some shoes/slippers. We also bought him some apricots.
I stayed for about 90 minutes and caught the 1810 to Euston, which was delayed en route for nearly 30 minutes by a train having trouble at Milton Keynes. Apparently. On the train to Norwich I got into conversation with a woman bridge player who lives at Eaton.
On Thursday we went to Angela’s again for more sorting through of Ethel’s leavings. We took some stuff to a charity shop and had lunch at the new Prezzo in Dereham. Meanwhile Charlotte (Vicki’s stepsister) was very ill in hospital with some kind of infection – probably kidney stones. Her husband dropped in and was obviously and understandably very worried. No news since, so I guess she’s recovered, but she had a temperature of nearly 106 at one point.
On Friday I took some Paston Volunteer Handbooks to Rob at North Walsham, and some more to Lucy, where I stopped for a cup of tea with her and Diana, who had dropped in fortuitously. Very pleasant. The rabbits are doing well.