This is a picture received from Howard Morgan in New Zealand, or possibly Australia. It has my grandmother (centre) with her son Ken (lounging behind) and Ken’s wife Eve (next to mother-in-law). The others are a bit of a mystery, because they don’t look much like my uncles, though there is a theory that the man at the right in the foreground could be my father. If so, where is my mother? And what beach is it? Note the beach gear, de rigeur for the 1940s. Howard’s father Frank stayed with my grandparents in Caistor Lane shortly after the war. He had been a PoW, and they looked after him for a while. Today I saw my aunt Kathleen, who apparently took him under her wing, going with him to the beach and cycling with him to Whitlingham. She remembers him and kept Howard’s e-mails, though she didn’t want the pictures. She seems in rude health, apart from arthritis in the legs and back. I arrived back before Dot, who had been enjoying a late lunch with her friend Anne.

I have finished compiling and illustrating a new story for Oliver, entitled Little and the Dark Machine. I wrote it quite a long time ago, but it is not one of the ones that was published in the EDP. I think it’s quite good, he said modestly. Better than the last one, anyway. Speaking of the EDP, yesterday it was announced that about a third of editorial jobs in Archant Norfolk were going – that’s over 50. Life may continue, but not as we know it. It will be interesting to see how bad the EDP becomes, and how quickly.

Since my last post we’ve had a surprisingly excellent meal at the Castle Carvery in Bowthorpe, paid for by one of our friends at church who felt we needed it and saw a promotional deal offered in the paper. She also supplies us with cooking apples, so we shouldn’t starve, whatever happens. We’ve also got a new financial adviser, who I brought in to explain an incoherent document from the people with whom I have life insurance on Dot. I’m not really sure why I have it. The new guy offered to take leaflets about Dot’s business to his clients who were in schools, so it might be a good idea if we organised the leaflets.

I saw my consultant yesterday, who told me my blood was “perfect”, which means the operation successfully removed my cancer. At least I assume that’s what he meant, rather than that I had produced blood that was the best ever seen. However, I am due to have tests to see if my bladder is working properly, because I still have this extremely odd sensation… which it’s probably best we don’t go into.

And I’ve won another game of chess – another quite good game as a guest on Board Two for the C team at Wymondham. Unfortunately we lost 2.5-1.5 and the team will probably be relegated, as will Norwich City if they carry on the way they’re going. Another loss today, and no room for manouevre.