This is my cousin Ruth, eldest of Reg and Dorothy’s children. I am still in contact with her, now and again.

Now well into the World Cup, and today England play again, so we have the usual collection of loud-mouthed drunks on television who use the occasion as an excuse to parade their oafishness. In this case they were doing it outside the hotel where their “heroes” were trying to sleep, thus ensuring that they were well prepared for today’s match.

Should be interesting, although England were extremely uninspiring in their win against Paraguay. Nothing really exciting yet – too many teams happy to score, sit back and win 1-0. Usually they get away with it, which is why it was so good to see Australia score three in the last six minutes to beat Japan 3-1.

Yesterday Dot and I went to the Aldeburgh Festival at Snape, calling in at her old school on the way, as well as dropping on Julia and Allan. After a heatwave, weather has turned cool again, but Snape was beautiful as ever. We had a light meal (jacket potatoes) in the Oyster Bar, where we met Peter Anderson, former EDP sub – he left in 1988. The performance by the Britten-Pears Baroque Orchestra was excellent, especially the first half, where they played The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba and another piece by Handel. In the second half they lost the woodwind (two oboes and a bassoon) , which was a pity, but they ended with a superb concerto by Geminiani, who I’d never heard of. There was also a lovely oboe solo by Bach (not in person).

The drive home was marred by the usual suspects – people who think 45mph is the ideal speed for a good quality A-road, and other people who won’t overtake them. Home about 10.40pm.