Not a good week as far as the weather is concerned – and the same goes for mortality. Discovered last Tuesday that my old chess colleague Paul Buswell had died, and on Friday my first girlfriend, Lily, eventually succumbed to pancreatic cancer. She was about 84. Sad that I could not see her in her last couple of weeks, but I rang on Wednesday and was dissuaded from going by Roger, her niece Linda’s partner, who said they were overwhelmed with carers and other helpers. Probably I should have gone anyway, though I believe she was barely conscious.
Tuesday was a bit chilly with some rain – including a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Got to Archant Pensioners’ Breakfast in the dry, though, and had a good meal. Tables were split up, unfortunately; but chatted to Robin, Brian and partners about Canada, then spoke to Bill Woodcock, Richard Batson and first-timer Steve Snelling on the way out.
After lunch caught up on computer, chose songs for Sunday and wrote some e-mails. Dot went to see Phyllis. In the evening we watched the final four episodes of The Capture, a quite frightening thriller about AI and computer manipulation.
Wednesday was quite cold. Wrote most of the Alternative Carol Service, then took Dot up to Taize at the church. Left the car there and walked home, taking in a Hostry exhibition on the way. Old photographs, but not especially interesting. Dot took Nikki to pick up Indie from school off Earlham Road. She (Dot) has repainted cabinets in the bathroom today, after getting expert advice from an assistant in Homebase. No, really.
Re-watched the final half of the final episode of The Capture, and it turned out to be brilliant: I had missed a section of it last night because I went to sleep. Same old story. Cooked a chicken breast for supper and in the evening went with Dot to watch Norwich draw 0-0 with QPR. Very good game that City deserved to win. Light rain on the way home.
Thursday was somewhat colder, with lots of rain in the morning and flooding on Riverside Road and elsewhere – White Horse Lane in Trowse was impassable. Dot drove me up to the dentist’s, where I had a rather painful filling (numbing not very successful). Cost £400. Afterwards the rain was very light; so I walked to Morrisons, where I met Dot, who arrived at the petrol station precisely when I did. Filled car, then did shopping. £111. That’s just the shopping. After lunch I had a lie down, then Bridget arrived to do cleaning. Dot’s violin lesson was cancelled. Dropped her off at the Greens’ for handbell ringing. Read a bit. Dot walked home, and Jaya walked most of the way with her. Watched documentary by A N Wilson on T S Eliot: extremely interesting.
Friday was bright but quite chilly. Went for lunch to Julia and Allan’s at Swaffham – made good time there, and coming back wasn’t too bad either. Nice lunch and interesting conversation. Outside for a drink at 5.30 despite cold: Des, Chris, Mark, Ciara and, for a moment after he arrived home, John. Tara still fighting “long covid”. Afterwards watched Dances with Wolves, a long but very good film.
Saturday was quite cold with lots of rain. Didn’t go out. Linda arrived at 10.30 to do our hair. Had a bath afterwards. Other Linda rang to say Lily died yesterday at about 4pm. Very sad, but good for her of course. I used to walk her home from Surrey Chapel, and there was a certain amount of kissing (he revealed) behind the pub on City Road, but I don’t think we ever really went out anywhere together. She was seven years older than me and wanted to get married – generally, not to me particularly. I felt she could achieve this objective better without me in tow, but was always fond of her.
Norwich beat Rotherham 2-1 away. Watched very good Storyville documentary about volcanoes – more particularly about two vulcanologists who were killed in Japan by a pyroclastic flow. Some great pictures. Later watched last two episodes of Wisting – again excellent.
Yesterday the weather was still miserable. Poured with rain during the morning, flooding on Riverside Road again and elsewhere, and it rained on and off for the rest of the day. Cool. Gave Heather Cracknell a lift to church; she decided to do a Communion, which meant we didn’t have enough hymns, but we got round it. Big congregation, surprisingly. New people from Esdelle Street.
In the afternoon, after watching football I caught up with e-mails, then we had a fairly early meal and drove to Lowestoft for the poetry group, which again was surprisingly well attended. One of my poems (Magdala) was read on Friday at Aldeburgh by Ivor Murrell at launch of Ripples book. Have ordered Ripples book. I read six at the Seagull: got home after 11pm. Those read: Aircraft Incident, Possible Coyote, Different Mountains, Hurricane, White Shipwreck (1120 AD), Magdala. I have discovered that I have lost my list of poems read at various venues over the years: it was on my Notes app but must have been deleted accidentally. Very annoying.