Very cold: we’ve just rearranged the study (temporarily) so that I can feel the heat from the radiator. Before that I’d written this month’s three articles for Parish Pump and had cold hands. Happily Dot’s meeting at Brooke was cancelled, because when I went to get the Paston magazines from the printer, I found road conditions very bad: extremely wet and with snow threatening. No snow has actually appeared yet, which I guess is a good thing, though not pretty. A dark and unpleasant day.
It’s been cold and wet for a long time, actually. Last Thursday was the Archant pensioners’ dinner at the Holiday Inn at the airport, well known for its gastronomical delights. Dot had to go to Thurton in the morning and was late getting back; so I was picked up by Brian and Tricia in the pouring rain. We got there in good time, and I made myself useful on arrival by going into Reception and reporting that the barrier was stuck down; the mechanic rushed out and freed the lengthy queue. Dot – who was scheduled to have a meal in the cafe next door with Tricia and Shelagh – was rather delayed, but she got there in the end.
Our meal was not distinguished (as opposed to Dot’s) and the wine minimal; fewer diners than usual too, though Martin Throssell turned up. I sat with Brian and Robin and next to a guy called Tim Nelson, who worked in the machine room and had had a botched spinal operation. I wonder if there will ever be any more – Christmas lunches, I mean: not spinal operations.
Anyway, it was even colder the next day, and windy with it. On the plus side, it was sunny. I had agreed in a foolish moment to go and take pictures of one of Helen Lamb’s sugar runs, featuring vintage tractors travelling from Honing Village Hall to a North Walsham day nursery. I tried to get a pic at a key point (the mill) on the way, but it didn’t work out because the tractors were moving too quickly (!) and were not in a bunch. So I took a circuitous route and arrived at the nursery at roughly the same time as they did. Took a number of pictures and chatted with Peter, who was taking a video for them. Also with Helen, Chris and Louise. The little children were giving Santa Claus bags of sugar and looked very sweet. Ho, ho.
Don’t know where the story and pix will end up, except that Gay Webster at Just Aylsham has asked for extra; so I sent her some. (Extra pics, not extra sugar.)
More coldness on Saturday, when I put on an unprecedented number of clothes and went to the football match with Dot and Des. We had two free tickets from Jonathan. Survived reasonably well. The first half was pretty dreadful and we were losing 1-0 at half-time (to Sheffield Wednesday), but we perked up a lot after the break and won 3-1. Afterwards I made an extra trip to the shop to get potatoes while Dot listened to Canary Call.
On Sunday we had to be pretty nippy after church because we had to eat lunch and then go to Blofield, for the Sillars Concert that Dot should have been playing in but wasn’t (though her neck is much better). We gave a lift to Des and Chris, to whom we had sold tickets, and the concert was OK. Maryta and Paul, freshly back from Australia, were there. I say “freshly”: he actually looked very tired, and sounded it too. We had been keeping an eye on Maryta while he was away. She came round a few times.
After the concert we invited Des and Chris in for drinks, which was very pleasant. We get on very well with them.