Well, we did walk to the Greens’ for a Julian evening on March 14, and very pleasant it was too. As it was also Howard’s birthday, there was champagne and nibbles, as well as Julian. Bethany and Niki also put in an appearance before disappearing for wild nights out. Or something.

The next day Dot went to the dentist and got some bad news – one of her teeth has to come out and be replaced with an implant. This of course involves huge amounts of money, which Dot not unnaturally resents.  But what can you do?

On the Thursday Naomi came round to discuss the Paston Footprints Activity Plan, and to have a meal with us. She was pretty upset about the Paston situation, because she had been taken on as project manager to produce an Activity Plan, and no sooner had she got her teeth into it than Karen produced one, which left her rather in limbo. I was sympathetic and backed her up at the Footprints steering committee at Mundesley  the following day, as did Lucy, but it seemed it was a done deal.

So the PHS family is not a very happy one at the moment. I produced minutes that Rob wanted to change; so he came round this morning to discuss that, and I readily agreed to make the changes. He did not look particularly well. There’s a chance that all PHS members will be ill soon. Naomi has been ill ever since she came round here. She says it wasn’t the food.

On Friday evening I drove to Pinky’s at Halesworth and read some poems that went down very well. I have also joined the Suffolk Poetry Society and will be reading at the Stowmarket Festival.

On Sunday I led the service, but we didn’t take part in the St Augustine’s Way walk to the Gibraltar Gardens afterwards because I had an ultrasound kidney scan at the hospital at 2pm. In an astonishing twist, Dot and I arrived at 1.40pm,  and I had had the scan and was out by 2pm. I was told my kidneys were normal.

Reassured by this, I drove to Warwick yesterday to see Andrew, who is in St Michael’s Hospital (Ferndale Ward). He was pretty distressed when I arrived, lying in a chair in the communal lounge with his pyjamas on, and uncommunicative. After I went and spoke to one of the nurses, he revived somewhat, sat up and had a cup of coffee, but all he really said was that he didn’t know where he was or where he was going.

Without my pushing for it, the deputy warden arranged a meeting for me with the consultant, a junior doctor and a medical student. They wanted to know just about everything about him – a tale I have told before but which doesn’t seem to have made its way on to any permanent notes. However they were very helpful and gave me nearly three-quarters of an hour. I was impressed by all the staff and by the atmosphere in the ward. Which doesn’t necessarily help Andrew.

The journey was not particularly difficult, but it was 314 miles. I arrived home just after Dot had left for a PCC meeting, which was a distinct plus. I think she sort of enjoyed it.

Today after chatting with Rob I went to Plumstead Road library for a talk on the Rosary given by Nick Williams. Walked through the Rosary and left some flowers for Mum and Dad’s grave. Nice talk, and I had a chat with him afterwards, as well as asking a question!

This evening we are having Cake and Compline at Judy’s. It has turned quite cold and windy. Lots of rain on the way to Warwick yesterday.

Dot has bought a Fitbit after discovering her Pacer was eating up her battery. Took us some time to get it started, but I think it’s OK now.