Back from a few days at Scarborough with Dave and Julia. No wi-fi there (aargh!); so this is a bit longer than usual. As I write Linda has arrived – just after 9am – to cut our hair. And it’s July, my birthday month.
Last Friday was warm and dry. Dot kept coughing during the night. Quite a busy day. I wrote a couple of Parish Pump articles. Dot went to see her boss, Paul Dunning, in the afternoon, which went well Afterwards she took the car up to the garage – problem with the exhaust. Booked in for Monday week –later changed to Wednesday via a phone call when we were walking near Thornton le Dale – so we decided to go to Scarborough by train. Bridget and David left car in our drive while they visited her sister. New CD/tape player arrived – seems ok. Meet in street – Des and Chris, Matthew, Mark and Sarah. Watched The Magnificent Seven – brilliant film with two plot flaws: why not shoot leader? and why give them their guns back?. Also watched start of new series of Not Going Out. Very funny.
Saturday was very humid, though not especially sunny. Extremely tiring day. Finished articles for Parish Pump and manoeuvred the brown table down from the living room to the study, where it is slotted under the computer shelf, protecting the WiFi plug and hiding the wiring. In the afternoon went to Great Hospital church to hear Sine Nomine, a choir that includes David Archer, Simon Snell and Lesley from St Mary Mag. Excellent singing – great female conductor – literally, because she’s pregnant. Sat with Bridget and Michael, from her church.
Later David FTd, and we had a long chat – all seems to be well. He may be buying a bike. After supper watched a documentary on Sid James – very well done. Scanned document for Des – had to work out how to do it on new iMac. Six attempts.
Sunday was another full day. Very warm, but windy. Church in the morning, Graham preaching. After lunch drove to Walpole in Suffolk for poetry reading in Old Chapel. Nightmare journey: car in dire straits and a huge diversion. Would have been late but remembered a short cut at the last minute. Sue and Lynne there. Beth Soule did excellent poem involving an angel. Two people brought dogs! Unbelievable. Drove back direct route via Bungay. Car rattling and blowing. Matt came round when I got home and took away my cassette and CD player. And some wires. Dot had swapped bookcases while I was out and now seems happy with the living room. Cooked salmon and watched Van der Valk. Still following Peter Greig on his three-week pilgrimage from Iona to Lindisfarne, morning and evening.
Monday was slightly cooler, but very comfortable. Threatening clouds, but no rain. Drove up for blood test in the morning, then after buying train tickets for Scarborough, Dot took me to church for Bible study with Steve and Stacey. Walked home from there. Prepared for holiday. Cut some ivy, and contacted funeral director and Phil re gravestone. Tidied up generally and corrected rota yet again after late change from Heather. Des came over and we had a chat about watering and a few other things. Later watched film Limbo, which was excellent.
Tuesday – Much cooler, with a little rain. Spent much of day travelling by train to Scarborough. First leg was Norwich-Grantham: held up by “congestion” at Ely and again just outside Grantham. Thought we were going to miss our connection, but in fact the train we were connecting to was also delayed (some problem around Cambridge), and so we were able to get it. By the time we got to York we were almost on time, and we bought a baguette and tea/coffee before boarding the Transpennine Express. However, while waiting for the doors to open, Dot went to dispose of wrappings at the precise moment that the doors opened. I tried to get both cases and knocked over her coffee. She rushed back to get another coffee and just made it on to the train. We were met at the station and went back to the flat. Later Dave and I went to get fish and chips, which I paid for. I had to wait at the Ordered window for No 93. After the meal we spent the rest of the evening talking.
Wednesday – Warmer again, and mainly dry, though there were lots of threatening clouds about. Rained a lot in the evening. Slept till 9am and had a late breakfast, then we drove to Cedar Barn, near Pickering, where we had an early lunch. I had egg and mayo and watercress sandwich and Dot had a scone. We shared a little of both. We then drove down to the beautiful Thornton le Dale, parked and walked round a small lake and then up through the village and up to a mill, then along a long stream to St Hilda’s Church at Ebberburn, then back by a rather higher path. I had a really nice blackberry crumble ice cream, and we all sat and ate them and then drove back to Scarborough.
Lovely evening meal after a rest and then watched Test Match highlights, which rather favoured Australia. No WiFi, so rather hampered in using internet.
Thursday – Warm and dry, though quite grey clouds at time. Drove to Bempton and had a snack, then proceeded to Bempton Cliffs RSPB, which was very crowded, but we parked in an overflow and went and looked at the birds. Spectacular. Loads of gannets and kittiwakes, among other things, and a number of puffins too. Stayed on the cliffs for a while – bit cooler there – then walked back to the car park and drove back to the same cafe, where we had a latish lunch (sandwiches). Then drove back to Scarborough, where we drove to the cliff top for an ice cream and a walk in a park. Back to the flat for a rest, then walked down to Tuscany Too for our evening meal. Excellent lamb rack for me. Got taxi home, watched Test Match highlights and went to bed. Evetts want to come to Ballater with us next year.
Friday – A bit cooler, but not uncomfortable. Spots of rain as Dave and Julia took us to the station at 10.45, but nothing after that. Crowds waiting for York train seemed huge; so we opted for the Hull route, though it’s slower. It was a few minutes late into Hull, but we switched platforms at a gentle run (together with a few others) and got a seat OK. Nice train (Hull Trains), which dropped us at Grantham. Had to hurry a bit to get over footbridge (via two lifts), and no time for Dot to get coffee as Norwich train came in. Fairly crowded, but got seats OK. By the time we arrived in Norwich (a few minutes late at 4.15pm), Dot was gasping, and so she bought a Costa coffee and sat and drank it, while I bought some milk (not for the coffee).
Very tired, but got ourselves out in the street for the 5.30 street meet (Des and Chris, Mark, Ciara, Mary, Matthew): bit windy, and a few drops of rain as we came in. Des got us fish and chips, and we watched Test highlights and caught up with Dot’s Lindisfarne pilgrimage on Sounds. Very, very tired.