Monday – Pretty miserable weather. Overcast and plenty of rain, though mainly light. Someone has damaged Mark’s car, but he caught them in the act. You don’t mess with Mark. Spoke to him on the way to church. I was there by 10am because Carrie expected to be late, but she wasn’t. Only a small gathering – Judy, Robert, Alison, Paul and his daughter (3) and dog, and Dot when she returned to pick me up. Discovered that Judy’s son and Alison’s partner Dolly are both poets. Dot made cake in afternoon. Watched some more football. David FTd us at teatime: he is now not coming to England this month, because both Oliver and Amy are going to Canada for Christmas. After supper we watched The Keeper, an excellent film about goalkeeper Bert Trautmann, who broke his neck in a Cup Final and played on.
Tuesday – mixture of rain and dry. First rain timed exactly to coincide with our walk up to restaurant – Georgian Town House on Unthank Road. Excellent meal – scotch egg followed by venison, followed by peanut parfait sweet. Went with Des and Chris as part of Norfolk Restaurant Week. Afterwards looked unsuccessfully for picture frames in Jarrolds, then Dot went to chiropodist and I went home. In evening Cake and Compline: Bridget, Eleanor, Judy, Vicky. Dot baked chocolate cake , which went down well.
Wednesday – Cool but dry. Dot had two school visits, to Long Stratton and Sutton, with lunch at home in the middle. I finished reading Imagine Heaven, an extremely good book about near-death experiences which demonstrated how the latter are not only remarkably consistent with each other, but tie in closely with biblical descriptions, especially those I’d formerly thought of as imaginative fantasy (from a human point of view). Very encouraging in the descriptions of overwhelming love and light. I also started reading Keiron Pim’s biography of Joseph Roth – Endless Flight. Watched a bit of football and University Challenge, in which a girl from Norwich made a disappointingly brief appearance (for Balliol, who were overwhelmed by Southampton). Cleaned out car in preparation for service tomorrow, largely in order to find the wheel locking nut – which was where it should have been, in its slot in the boot that I’d forgotten about.
Thursday – Dry and not too cold (about 13C). Drove up to garage to take car in for service and MOT. Walked back over ring road and caught bus to Tombland. Bought sympathy card for Linda from Revelations and walked home. After lunch Dot walked to Anna’s for violin lesson and I got bus from Tombland to pick up car at 3. But because of mix-up at MOT place it wasn’t ready till after 4pm. Meanwhile Carrie had come round to talk about Darsha, who is being abominably treated by Norwich Housing Dept, and found herself talking to Bridget, who had come round to clean. I eventually got back about 4.30, shortly before Dot. Carrie had gone. In evening watched first two episodes of The Crown, and some football, which was marginally more exciting.
Friday – quite mild and dry. Dot and I drove up to chemist to get pills and then to Morrison’s for £125 worth of groceries. After lunch I filled the brown bin full of leaves, and had a long chat with Michael, as he returned from a five-mile walk in tee shirt and shorts. Later still out for drinks at 5.30pm – Des, Chris, Mark, Mary, Ciara and John. Joined briefly by Anglia TV news presenter who lives up in Old Library Mews. David FTd and we chatted mainly about sport. Watched a couple of episodes of Rogue SAS Heroes, recommended by Mark. Not bad.