Have just had Adrian and Tish from Wales with us overnight – Tish’s first visit to Norfolk for many years. They came of course to see Jessie, but arrived yesterday afternoon, and after chatting we walked up to Ali Tandoori in Magdalen Street for an Indian. As usual had trouble eating it all. Had a chicken biryani. Think I might try something else next time.
Spent the rest of the evening watching football – Norwich had beaten Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 away, and Liverpool had just failed to beat Arsenal. This morning after breakfast Tish and Adrian set off for North Walsham via Morrisons (for flowers). Have just heard (6.30pm) that Jessie was over the moon to see them and flung her arms round Adrian, which is quite an effort for her!
We went to church of course: I led the service, and Howard did a very erudite sermon on “one God”. This afternoon I worked out a tune for Highway Nine, and we did some other songs, but Dot eventually went on to play her ceilidh tunes.
Actually we were at church yesterday morning too: six or seven of us doing some odd jobs like painting the toilets and putting the gate back on its hinges. The latter was achieved by one of Carrie’s clients, and another couple of them helped me with the gate. Or maybe I helped them. Phil arrived late because of a domestic crisis relating to heating, but then did a thorough job of removing mould from the windows. While we were having food afterwards, three people arrived looking for the Quaker graveyard at Gildencroft. We gave them a drink and chatted to them – very nice people who looked vaguely of Indian extraction – before Carrie showed them the way to the graveyard.
Last Tuesday went to a Paston talk at Hungate by Dr Vic Morgan. Quite interesting though scholarly, lightened by many slides. Jude was away in Hampshire, and Dot didn’t come because it was very cold and she’d had a busy day and was tired (Anne had been round). Ron and Penny were there, as were Karen and Liz, and of course Matt. I think I’m safe in saying that it was the coldest lecture I’ve ever been to. He stopped just in time (after 50 minutes), with ice creeping up everyone’s legs.
The next day Rob came round at 9.45 and we walked up to the Maids Head for a meeting with Georgina and Paul about November 22. We have a problem with poor advance bookings, and my idea of subsidising it and offering cheaper tickets hasn’t made much impact – at least not yet. Paul took some pictures of Rob in costume for publicity.
On the way up there we were accosted by a sight-impaired man who was trying to find a solicitors’ office on Cathedral Street. I walked there with him while Rob went ahead. Nice to be able to help (cf encounter with graveyard-seekers). Seem to be reading a lot about hospitality recently.
On Thursday Dot and I walked up to see Rupert Mallin’s latest exhibition at Studio 20 in Wensum Street. Very interesting, as always, though I have my doubts about the machine gun (which, to be fair, wasn’t his but his colleague’s). Met Martin Laurance and Tonia Jillings, two artists we’ve known a long time. Bought a very small print for £10.
Have more or less decided not to have Dot’s MX5 repaired through the Mazda recommended people (£975), and I think it’s now too late to claim from insurers, who would probably want to get rid of the car anyway. I toyed with the idea of doing it myself, but Carrie has recommended someone who will do a much cheaper job; so I’ll take it up there (off Harvey Lane) this week.