Dot is making progress, but still has quite a bad cough. Nevertheless she is out and about. As I write she is at Fleggburgh School, but is intending to call at the chemist on the way back for advice. The weather is quite pleasant, but there is a touch of autumn in the air. Maryta called round about 10.30am but didn’t stay long.

Yesterday, after I preached in the morning, Dot and I went to a barbecue at Beeston Regis, where Fred and Sue were celebrating their 20th anniversary of owning a mobile home there. The weather was fairly warm (for October), and it was sunny when we arrived. Other present: Marjorie and Pat, Liz and David Cannon and two couples we didn’t know: one of them had a mobile home in the next field (as did the Cannons), and the others lived in Cromer. There was a Kate and another David, and two others…

Anyway the barbecue – not normally my favourite eating experience – was excellent, and most of us slipped inside to eat. I was sitting next to Marjorie (Fred’s sister), which meant I missed most of the other conversation, but that was fine. Did also chat to most of the others at some point or other. Helped to clear up after half the company had gone, and got home at 7.30pm.

The weather the day before was appalling – rainy and cold – but Dot went to Carrow Road and insisted on her return that she was neither wet nor cold at any point. She has an honest face; so I believed her.  Norwich lost 0-1 to Stoke, which doesn’t sound inspiring, but apparently they played quite well and were cheered off.

The previous day I went up to an art exhibition at St Margaret’s (in St Benedict’s). I had been invited to the PV by Rupert Mallin but couldn’t make it last Sunday (Dot was quite ill and I didn’t feel great). He only seemed to have one picture in it – a rather good abstract that he had done jointly with someone else. The rest of the exhibition was mixed. I spoke to the two artists curating, but neither of them had heard of Rupert. I hadn’t heard of them either, but they were amiable enough.

In the evening (after Dot and I had been food shopping) I drove to Diss for one of the launches of Caroline Gilfillan’s new book – a thriller called The Terrace. I arrived slightly late, the room was packed, and I was greeted extremely warmly by both Caroline and Annette, not to mention Mike and Teri (Lockton). Everyone else must have thought I was some kind of celebrity, but I wasn’t. Very enjoyable evening. The book was also being launched in Fakenham and Wells, not to mention the Lake District.

Last week generally I was occupied with keeping Dot fed and watered, but we also got the terribly sad news that Mairead has been told she has terminal cancer – in the liver and adrenal glands. Feel so sorry for the kids, who are almost exactly the same age as Oliver and Amy and whose father died not all that long ago.

Apparently Jessie had quite a bad week because several people who call in regularly have not been well – Dot in particular. Would have gone, but didn’t really think I was well enough to risk it. Have been feeling peculiar – generally OK but occasionally exhausted, and respiratory system not functioning as it should. Could be a lot worse, of course.