David’s 48th birthday today! We have just had a four-way FaceTime with him and Oliver and Amy. Everyone seems on good form. Our books got to him, but the children’s present hasn’t arrived yet. Here in England it’s a beautiful warm and sunny day, and Dot is painting the second gate. She painted the one by the bins yesterday.
It’s been quite a busy week, as lockdown weeks go. On Wednesday I drove to Leiston for my COVID-19 test. It was the nearest testing station to Norwich, you will not be surprised to hear. In the end Dot didn’t come with me, which I think was the right decision. Let me say right away that the results were negative, but I didn’t find that out till Friday.
The only problem on the way to Leiston was that the A146 was shut; so I had to cut through Yelverton to the Poringland-Brooke road; from there it was pretty much plain sailing. I arrived 20 minutes early, but the Army – for it was they – didn’t worry about that. I got waved straight into the Leisure Centre car park, where they tried to speak to me through a closed window but eventually resorted to showing me a number that I had to phone. That worked well. I was phoning someone about a metre away. Obviously I was in the car, and he wasn’t.
I had to do my own test, which involved unpacking the gear (which was thrown into the car through the side window) and the instructions, which were even more complicated. I had to swab my throat without touching any other part of my mouth, and then put the same swab up one of my nostrils. That was the easy bit. I then had to detach a couple of bar codes from a sheet and put one of them on a small tube, into which I then inserted the swab, breaking off the end and screwing on the lid. I then had to put the tube into one bag, put another bar code on that, then put that bag into another bag, drive round and throw it into a large sack. I then drove home.
Or I could have driven home. I was temptingly near Aldeburgh and other beaches, but I thought it wouldn’t be fair on Dot if I went to the sea; so instead I went to Leiston Abbey, which I could see from the road and which I expected to be closed. But it wasn’t, and there was just one car in the car park. So I parked and walked round the ruins, taking a few photos. It was quite chilly, but dry.
Something really bizarre happened on the journey home. I took the back route from Halesworth because I was behind three slow highway maintenance lorries. It’s a road I know very well, but it was surprisingly busy. Not far from St Cross I decided to put my satnav on, just to see how it directed me. This only involved pressing one knob, because it was all set up. Immediately afterwards I noticed a road going off to the right that I didn’t recognise, but I carried straight on and the road became unexpectedly narrow. I passed two groups of walkers and a Royal Mail van. I was driving very slowly because it was so narrow, and I quickly found myself entering Homersfield, which should have been about four miles away. I drove into the village, which I sort of recognised and found myself exiting close to the A143. It didn’t make any sense.
Anyway, I then drove home by the road through Alburgh, which I know extremely well, and the satnav kept telling me to go a different way, which is stupid but normal. I got home in very good time.
The following day things reverted to normal-for-lockdown. It was a bit chilly, but after Dot did some violin practice we walked up to the Cathedral, and at 8pm we had the usual applause for the NHS. It was Dot’s father’s birthday.
On Friday I got my test results, which were as expected. We walked up to the Cathedral again, and Dot spent a long time sorting through some old letters, bringing back memories. I did some Paston letters and put together some old photos for David, with extended captions. At 6pm we had wine in the street (VE Day + 7) – a long chat with an even bigger group of neighbours. I spent a great deal of time talking to Michael (No 16).
Saturday was a bit warmer, but not much, and after feeling pretty lifeless all day I managed to gather enough energy to walk to Cow Tower with Dot. Had a long chat with Amy on FaceTime, but didn’t do much else. I was a bit dodgy yesterday too, taking Paracetamol for the first time since lockdown – felt queasy and totally stuffed up. Feel better today, although I’m still quite stuffed up.
On Sunday we attempted to join the St Luke’s service on Zoom, but there was some major issue, and it wasn’t working properly. I did manage to access it later; so heard part of the sermon! Our own service in the evening went pretty well: I led it, and it was attended by Marlene from St Luke’s and Heather Vesey from Aspen, Colorado. Also by Sarah the vicar, though she remained sound only. Anna did a sermon which was bit long and obscure for my taste, but I’m sure everyone else enjoyed it.
Dot and I have been listening to a series of podcasts on Julian of Norwich by an American woman with three names: Veronica Mary Rolf. Surprisingly for someone with three names, they’re very good.