We’re back in Norwich after a busy week, the highlight of which was David’s 45th birthday yesterday. We arrived at Caddington from Scarborough, booked into the Premier Inn on the A5 (Horse and Jockey) and then got lost trying to find our way through Caddington past the road block at the top of Chaul End Road, where they’re inserting raised tables for pedestrians to cross more safely (theoretically). Eventually we went back to the Slip End road, with a little help from David on the phone. Turns out there is no way through Caddington village other than the main roads.
Anyway after we got there we had a good time (Amy hadn’t known we were coming and seemed very pleased). David and I walked up to the Indian to get a takeaway. Bit of rain, but not too bad at that point. Got David a couple of books (one by Harold Evans and a newly discovered one by Dave Gemmell) and a small cake, plus a bottle of wine. Revised some French and maths with Amy while David and Oliver played Fifa (I think).
Drove back to the Horse and Jockey around 10pm. Left after breakfast this morning, and I dropped off Dot at Forncett St Peter School before heading home and buying petrol. I had been home for only half an hour before she rang me to come and fetch her. Just had a chat with Des, who spoke about a couple coming to our door while we were away. Can’t imagine who that could be…
Way back in the mists of time, on Friday last week, Dot and I took Howard and Phyllis to visit Ann Travis at her residential home on Colney Lane, meeting her daughter Chris there. This went really well, and Chris was very appreciative. On the same day, we had our piano tuned. Joe is getting on a bit. But then, who isn’t?
Saturday was another big day. After having our hair cut by Linda we travelled to Louise Robinson’s new house at Stoke Holy Cross, where we met her partner Dave and were joined by her mother and father, and her sisters and their husbands – also Charlotte’s three-week-old baby. From there we drove to Stoke Mill, where we had a private room and an extremely pleasant meal. Yes, it was Anne’s xxxxth birthday. The number that dare not speak its name.
On Sunday we had a meal at church and discussed St Augustine’s Way before heading out to North Walsham to go to the cemetery before dropping in briefly on Jessie, who was about to go to Roy’s with her son and his girlfriend. I had been scheduled to go on to the Seagull, but I decided I wouldn’t, as I was already tired and had to drive to Scarborough the next day.
Which we did. It was quite a pleasant journey, and we arrived about 3.30pm. After a cup of tea we went out for a short walk part way down the cliff, where there were bluebells and wild garlic.
On the Tuesday we drove to Rievaulx Abbey (after the obligatory coffee stop at Cedar Barn). The Abbey was a beautiful place, and we really enjoyed the tour of it, accompanied by audio info. Afterwards we had tea in the cafe – also very pleasant. The weather was overcast, but not unpleasant. The next day, however, it did not stop raining. Dave devised the cunning plan of calling at a different tea shop before making our way to Eden Camp, near Malton, a former POW camp now a museum. We had to dodge the rain going from hut to hut, but it was a fascinating experience, and there was so much of it that we didn’t manage the complete tour.
On Thursday it dawned bright and sunny, but as we travelled south it became greyer and greyer. We decided not call on Andrew because of a shortage of time (we’d have had to go well out of our way), but we got to Caddington by 4pm and booked in to the Premier Inn. The rest is history (Back to top).