Well, here we are in 2022, and it looks kind of familiar. Dot and I took a longish walk this morning – about three miles – and there were plenty of people about, quite a few of them in masks, which always seems to me pointless in the open air. But perhaps they don’t want to be recognised. We walked round the riverside path, crossed Coslany bridge and came back through the city and the Close. Very pleasant weather for a change – high cloud, some sun and pretty mild. Apparently the warmest new year’s day since records started a couple of years ago.
We were due some decent weather. Until yesterday the week had been deep grey, wet and extremely unpleasant. On Tuesday I only went out once – to take three of my latest books to Joy McCall, placing them carefully in her bin. Joy is one of my greatest admirers and a huge encouragement, but she’s been having a hard time. Her daughter died last year, and Joy herself has continual health problems, of course, being paraplegic.
Back home I managed to write my two Parish Pump pieces and a short blurb for one of Joy’s books, among other things, then watched Norwich play Crystal Palace on Amazon Prime and lose 3-0. It’s getting pretty disheartening. Then England lost the third test and the Ashes series against Australia. Pretty inept all around. Watched an episode of Vienna Blood – very good – and the Christmas special of Call the Midwife, which just teetered on the right side of sickly. We are on the penultimate season of Friends.
Wednesday was – guess what? – grey and wet again. Amy started her journey home: all seemed to be going well. We FTd David, but Amy was in the shower. Played through some chess games from En Passant while Dot went to Morrisons.
Thursday was – yes – damp and grey yet again. Amy’s journey home went well, though she apparently slept for 18 hours after getting there. Kristine came up by train: I met her at the station at 11.45 while Dot finished getting ready. Dot cooked a salmon tart and a pseudo-pavlova, both of which were delicious. Carrie came round while we were talking and had a coffee: Kristine seemed to like her. When she went, we moved upstairs and watched The Chosen, then Kristine caught the 17.30 train home: we both went to the station. In the evening we watched the last Vienna Blood, which was excellent again, as well as the film Paddington and a surprisingly good documentary on Prince Philip.
New Year’s Eve yesterday surprised everyone by being mild, with some sun. I walked up to the Rosary in early afternoon after posting books to Philip Butcher and a letter to Mike Read, who coincidentally rang just as I was about to go out. He wanted to bring me a copy of his latest book, which contains four of my games (+2-2), but Dot had already bought it for me for Christmas, and I had mentioned it on my website. Wrote a number of thank-you e-mails before going over to Des and Chris’s for tea and nibbles in the afternoon. This was followed by drinks in the street (or under the garage) and our evening meal, which was lamb chops. We watched TV after that, ending with the usual Jools’ Hootenanny, which was pretty predictable. Went to bed about 12.20am.