Two intrepid climbers near the summit of the previously unclimbed Mount Shingle, on the North Norfolk coast, during their trek across the uncharted Cley Marshes – known in some quarters as the Empty Miles. This was a two-woman expedition, totally unsupported except for the cameraman, his friend and the occasional coffee and ice cream.

Happily they survived to tell the tale. A similarly dangerous expedition was in fact undertaken by one of them, with her husband (me) only four days later, when we left Norwich on the 10am train for Liverpool Street, followed by a taxi drive through unmapped road works to the Tate Gallery on Millbank. Good food at the Tate: after it, we went round the Hockney/Turner exhibition, which was pretty amazing. I really think late Turner (1830-50) is just about as good as you can get. Wonderful use of light, amazing composition, and the feeling that you’re looking into another dimension. Rilke said beauty was as much of terror as we are able to bear; if so, this is right where awe, terror and beauty meet. Even the ones that were barely started were marvellous.

We followed this by visiting the The Way We Are photographic exhibition, which was £6 each (concessions) more than the other one. Turner is free!! Nevertheless some remarkable pictures here, mixed in with some rather average ones. It’s amazing how some of the pioneer photographers overcame technical difficulties to produce really artistic, poignant pictures.

We returned to the West End by bus. The driver was unable to “find” £1 change for our £5. Past the Houses of Parliament, where there was hectic media activity: a lesser event today was the abdication of Blair and the coronation of Brown as Prime Minister. Plenty of anti-war protesters also there, and in Whitehall. Very, very slow progress down Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. When we heard today that a potential car bomb had brought traffic in the area to a standstill, we wondered how anyone had noticed.

We walked up St Martin’s Lane and had a meal in Med Kitchen: a superb rib-eye steak for me – one of the best I can remember eating. Green beans and chips. Dot had a salmon fishcake, which was also excellent, and we shared fries. Both of us had creme brulee to follow. We were going to walk up to Tottenham Court Road, but the sky went black and water started falling from the sky, so we doubled back and went into Leicester Square Tube Station, where the guy in the ticket office had no interest whatsoever in his job, talking to colleagues and doing other things while a queue built up. We had no alternative but to wait. It reminded me of Italy.

Had a bit of a wait for the train home, but all went smoothly, although it got colder and colder.

Yesterday we went to Reepham for a hair cut. I went for a walk but failed to find my cousin Barbara’s house, so will have to check the name. Afterwards we had lunch in the old station – excellent – and then went to check on the dinosaur park in case the weather at the weekend is good enough to take the children there. Afterwards back by country lanes to the A47. Brief break, then Dot went off in my car to Park Farm and I took her car for a service, then walked home (about three miles). Dot went to visit her aunt, then to Gillingham in the evening as a governor.

Today, after I finished my page for next Monday, we started by picking up the car. Weather still very showery, as it has been for days, when it’s not been solid rain. I left Dot to pay and drove back into city, where I called at Prospect House with Aunt E’s ad, then paid in some cheques. Brief visit home, then went to to UEA to see a production by Eugenia’s translation group, which turned out to be a half-hour of sketches based on Molly Bloom’s monologue in Ulysses. Surprisingly well done. I don’t know what I had been expecting, but it was fascinating and very clever in parts.

Afterwards called in at Morrison’s for a big shop for the weekend: our family are coming up to see us. Dot now has her head down working on a school report.

Oh, I forgot. On Tuesday I finally tracked down my cousin Jon, who was staying at a caravan park at Ludham in his rather luxurious motor home. It was the first time I had met him for many, many years, and I had never met his wife Dorothy before, although they have been married for 46 years. They live in Axminster, Devon.

I can only conclude that all Dorothys are something special, because she was lovely. Had a really good 90 minutes or so there, talking about family history and getting some details for the family tree (I gave Jon a printout of what I have so far). Then rushed back home (beating highways authority plans to prevent anyone entering the city by blocking roads and causing general congestion, which I am sad to say is ongoing today), just in time to meet Ruth K, with whom I’m doing a song recital / poetry reading for charity in November. Guess who’s doing the song recital aspect of it. Worked a few things out. In the evening went to Ed’s for the Tuesday meal while Dot finished her previous report.