11 December 2007

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This is my cousin once removed: Catherine – daughter of my cousin Patricia, who is Paul’s daughter. We met her at Pat’s 60th birthday party on Saturday, held at Mersham Road Elim Church in the heart of South London. I think it was South Norwood, but everything merges into each other down there. We got there thanks to some thorough planning by me – a number of print-out maps featured – and some excellent navigation by Dot. So excellent, in fact, that we were three-quarters of an hour earlier than we thought we had to be there (5pm), and over an hour and a half before the guest of honour arrived (5.45pm). But as we met Catherine at an early stage – and we were given a cup of tea by helpers – this was not a problem. Catherine had her two daughters, Abby and Ruby, with her, and later I also met her two brothers. So a good day for catching up on family matters. A delightful party with plenty of hot food and some cake and cabaret.

Afterwards we drove to the Hendersons in Eltham, about half an hour away: some more excellent navigation by Dot got us there precisely at 9pm, when we had predicted we would arrive. Maryta was so astonished that she woke up. Stayed overnight and had a great time: superb lunch on Sunday. The weather throughout the weekend was awful – rain and wind, and pretty cold, as it has been for some time. Today there is some improvement, and we are promised a dry spell, albeit a short one. It is still very cold.

On Sunday evening we had a call from another family member who I had never met – Bev, who is Howard’s daughter, so another cousin once removed. I thought it was second cousin, but apparently, a second cousin is the child of your parent’s cousin. So Catherine and Bev are David’s second cousins. Glad we’ve cleared that up.

Bev was calling from South Africa: she’s coming to England in January and wants to meet some relatives, so I’ve invited her to stay with us. But it sounds as if she might be trying to cover the whole country in about a week, so I don’t think she’ll be with us long. I’ve given her directions from Gatwick…

I have now won my last two chess games, the latter one against quite a strong player, so things are looking up. I don’t know how long it will last. What with writing Christmas cards and various other things (I was trying to put together a few poems to sell tomorrow – see next blog – but I don’t think that’s going to happen), I hardly seem to have time to do anything. It must be an illusion. We’re busy every evening till Sunday and most of the days too. Yesterday I went to the chiropractor; today Dot and I had lunch at Park Farm. Not doing enough walking because it’s so unpleasant out.

I almost forgot – on the way down to London we stopped for lunch at Swynford Paddocks Hotel, just outside Newmarket at a place called Six Mile Bottom (ho, ho). Very pleasant toasted sandwiches and curly chips with garlic dip. I shouldn’t, but I did. And I’ve still lost over half a stone in the last three weeks. SPH was very big on Brigadier Gerard, a famous racehorse, so I expect that’s where he came from. The Paddocks, not the hotel. Presumably. We also checked on the hotel Dot is staying at later this week when she does her school inspection at Newmarket. Looks very acceptable.

6 December 2007

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Grandson Oliver goes round his home crazy golf course at breakneck speed. Meanwhile I got through a chess game at breakneck speed, agreeing an early draw in a sterile position against Fakenham on Monday. My grading is plunging, and I’m due to play for the A team tomorrow as a stand-in.

Oliver’s other grandparents have been with us during the last three days, and we’ve had a great time despite some really dismal weather, which seems set to continue. On Tuesday we took them to the Bally Art Factory studios, and to my surprise they bought three of Annette’s pictures, plus one from another artist as a bonus. We then had lunch at the Assembly House, which was good but slow, and followed it up with a walk round Norwich. Unhappily the continental fair had packed up early because of wind and rain in the morning, but by afternoon it was quite pleasant. We bought some cheese on the market, plus one or two other things.

In the evening we went to the Theatre Royal to see Comedy of Errors: a truly excellent performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The new theatre is mostly impressive, but I don’t like the long rows in the Circle, with no centre aisle. You won’t catch me in the middle of one of them.

This morning the Evetts departed after breakfast, and Dot and I went up to the church hall to unpack some furniture for the upstairs room, which Heather C had brought in a van. We also unpacked a Christmas tree and installed it in the corner, with some help from Liz and support from Rosemary. Looks pretty good.

I checked on my blood test results, and discovered my PSA level was up quite a bit, which is disappointing. Now 12.7, which is equivalent to about double that, because I’m taking a drug to reduce the size of my prostate. Rang the hospital, and Mr Sethia’s secretary said he would be in touch. My symptoms are no worse – better most of the time – but I wasn’t feeling particularly well when I had my blood taken. Whether this is relevant is another matter.

Dot is just off to Gillingham School where she is a governor. She has just heard that they are having an Ofsted inspection next week. On the Atlantic chart, a series of lows are lining up against us.

2 December 2007

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J & A came to a meal on Saturday night, and conversation turned to mutual friends, one of whom we knew many, many years ago when we helped to run a youth group. This picture shows, not the mutual friend, but me and our son David. No prizes for guessing who is who. Three of the others are vicars’ sons and one is a bishop’s son. Talk about exalted company. The connection? This is part of a much bigger picture containing the mutual friend. I hope you’re following this.

On Friday Dot and I had our hair cut and did some Christmas shopping at Reepham. A friend said she had never found anything worth going to Reepham for, but I like it a lot. Some lovely little alleys, an unusual centre and this rather neat shop in the old station that sells all sorts of strange things. Some good walks in the area too.

On Saturday we went to Rupert Mallin’s retrospective exhibition of his parents’ work: Tom and Muriel. Some really good stuff going relatively cheap, as well as some expensive works – one of which went for £2500 while we were there. Sales seemed to be going well generally. We bought a rather nice picture of Suffolk, plus a couple of woodcuts and two small drawings – oh, and a copy of Tom’s novel dedicated to Muriel which may be a first American edition.

Today we went to Communion and then to North Walsham in the afternoon – visiting Dot’s aunt and the cemetery, though not in that order. Quite windy, but not cold for the time of year.

28 November 2007

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My lovely grand-daughter Amy is pictured on the trampoline I tripped over a few weeks ago, injuring my ribs. All OK now, and my trips to the chiropractor (actually provoked by something else entirely) are now down to one a fortnight. Cunningly I have managed to switch chiropractors – not because the one treating me was no good (he did the job well and is quite pleasant) – but because I prefer the other one’s less vigorous technique. Also he’s Canadian.

A very busy few days since my last post. As it turned out we didn’t do a poetry reading at the Open Studios event, but it all went very well indeed, despite the very cold weather – inside the factory as well as outside. Several friends came, and Dot and I bought a few cards and a couple of blocks. Coincidentally, when David visited on the Sunday he picked out the same blocks, not knowing we had bought them.

The family were up for the weekend to celebrate Dot’s birthday. We took a bus into town on the Saturday, and Dot and I walked around the close-to-icy streets with Oliver and Amy while David and Vicky did some shopping. We popped into Langleys, the toy shop in the Arcade, and Oliver decided he would like just about everything for Christmas. After lengthy deliberation he got a coach to be going on with, and Amy got two or three smaller things. We stopped for a drink and then got the bus back. Norwich City had won a football match for the first time for months – 2-0 against Coventry.

On the Sunday I was preaching and playing guitar at church, though not simultaneously. We followed this with an excellent lunch at Prezzo’s, and then David and I went to see how the Open Studios were going. In the evening I went to the Ambient Wonder music event at St Augustine’s and wished I’d made the extra effort to perform, because they had all the right equipment. It would have been difficult though, because there would have been no opportunity to rehearse or tune up. As it was I introduced Jackson Browne’s Fountain of Sorrow as one of my favourite songs.

On Monday I avoided losing at chess by the expedient of not playing. My stomach was a bit upset, or I might have gone up for a casual game, but instead I stayed at home while Dot went to a YFC meeting. I finished my short story entry for the Fish competition and sent it off. It was a bit rushed, but not bad. I don’t think it will win anything. Yesterday I completed the St Augustine’s Christmas drama, including choice of carols and readings. I went to the Tuesday meal at the Archers’ (shepherdess pie) and allocated the key roles to David and Bridget. No messing. Dot was at a head teachers’ meeting at Trowse. Wrote a carol.

I also had my blood tested. Results will go to the hospital, and I’m hoping that the PSA level will be down. Norwich won again last night – 3-1 away at Blackpool. Strange times.

22 November 2007

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Dot’s birthday. I can’t reveal which one, obviously. The picture shows her lovely as ever. We are going out for a meal tonight with friends, which will be a bit tricky, as I am on a weight-losing regime. I’ve lost almost half a stone in a couple of weeks, which is quite pleasing. My stomach was getting much too prominent. Hope I can keep it up (the weight loss, not the stomach). I don’t really know what got me started; I must have caught sight of myself or something.

I went to see the nurse on Tuesday – not because I needed resuscitation after losing yet another chess game on Monday (I’m actually playing quite well, but cracking up at the death) – but because I had to renew one of my pieces of medication and they wouldn’t do it without my seeing a nurse. She was commendably thorough, making sure I wasn’t addicted to steroids and testing my blood pressure, which at 146/94 is apparently on the upper limit of OK. I shall resist any attempt to put me on blood pressure pills, because you can never come off them.

Dot left on Tuesday to do a school inspection in south Suffolk. She had considerable difficulty in finding her hotel in Sudbury, but was eventually led there by a man in a white van. I knew they must be useful for something. Appparently a very nice hotel, but she had to leave too early the next day to take advantage of it.

On the way home yesterday she got lost, somehow managing to get on to the A143 going south in the direction of Haverhill, which is pretty much the opposite of what she wanted to do. She rang me up and after we’d established where she was (not easy, because I assumed she was north of Bury) I managed to get her back in the right direction. Meanwhile the police were parked in our drive most of the day while investigating stuff nearby, which meant that when P & J dropped off Dot’s present, they couldn’t stop. The road was full of cars, probably because it was raining. It’s been pretty wet recently.

Incidentally, the forecast storms are still possible, though happily rather later than suggested. A look at the Atlantic charts reveals a couple of ominous, tight lows hovering in the vicinity of Iceland and Greenland.

On Tuesday I did a meal for four others without the aid of Dot, and it went quite well. Nothing tricky, of course. Just quiches, potatoes and salad, with a few extras. Good discussion etc.

Today I’ve been to Bally to help Joan hang some of her work with my poems. I like her work very much, and I’m quite pleased with the poems too. Rupert, Annette and Mike were also there, and Mike took some pictures of my feet to use as part of his illustrations to my prize-winning poem, The Island Grows on Me. He’s already tackled my head and chest, with alarming results. Can’t wait to see the finished work. Rupert is frantically trying to prepare for his exhibition of his parents’ work at the beginning of December. The Open Studios private view, for which we were preparing, is tomorrow evening. There may be a poetry reading. Who knows? Certainly not us.

19 November 2007

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A considerably cropped version of trees taken from our car window by Oliver (still 5). Rather artistic, I think.

Yesterday we had a band rehearsal session after Communion: two guitars, two violins and an occasional piano. Went rather well – very enjoyable. Today Dot visited the vicar as she is top woman as far as organising the Richard Rohr sessions in January is concerned. I have already earmarked the easiest jobs for myself, which do not include car parking marshal. Hey, it may be snowing.

Speaking of snow, storms are forecast for the weekend by offbeat forecaster Weather Action, which has a good record of forecasting based on Earth/Sun interactions. Half of me wants it to be right, and the other half doesn’t, because our family are coming to see us and need safe passage. I am watching the Atlantic Charts with interest. At the moment the BBC’s five-day forecast shows no sign of it, which means it’s a near-certainty. I don’t think the BBC’s five-day forecast has ever been right. I pointed this out to them once, and they said they corrected it as it got nearer – not seeming to understand that this didn’t make the five-day forecast any better.

Went with Dot to the funeral in Alburgh of Kit Flatt, one of her governors when she was head there, and a lovely person. The church was totally packed with people I’d never seen before and one or two I had. Weather slightly warmer, but still chilly.

17 November 2007

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This is a not very high quality picture of grandparents and grandson taken not long ago with the Mac Photobooth facility.

The visit to Baldock went very well: beautiful sunny day, though cold, and we enjoyed catching up with Joan, who we hadn’t seen since 2005. Hurtled back to get to the DCC/LMT meeting at 7.30, only to find (after several phone calls) that we had to cancel it because so many people were not going. The following morning I sent out an e-mail to all members suggesting broadly that better organisation would be a good idea. Actually, this was quite restrained. As well as our coming home early, VM was intending to go despite all her problems with her Dad being seriously ill, and PK had made special arrangements because of a family commitment.

Yesterday I paid another visit to the chiropractor, but my back is very much better. Walked into the city and bought one or two things, then caught a bus home, because I could. For free. I’m hoping I will use the bus pass to increase my walking, not replace it, but sometimes it’s handy.

In the evening a very pleasant surprise: I had booked us into Under Milk Wood at Bergh Apton Village Hall, and the performance by the Oxfordshire Touring Company was absolutely superb, in the round and with really imaginative direction, including a blind actor and a deaf one. Stunning stuff. Tea and cake for £1 each in the interval, and I had a chat with KW, who used to live two doors away from us in Yelverton. Indeed, he still lives there. He was an overseer in the Eastern Daily Press composing room, and he mentioned various others who had since died: very sad. He and his wife are still going strong, presumably in their 80s.

Today Heather and Sam came round for lunch, and we had a really good time. Dot cooked a roast that was superb. Weather is still very, very cold.

14 November 2007

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Is it a bird? Well, not exactly.

Had a lot of computer trouble over the last two days – Broadband dropping out or being very, very slow. After several attempts at various things, I plugged hub and computer into different sockets, and now it seems to be fine. It’s strange what a nice feeling you get when it all works well, and how depressing it is when it goes wrong. After all, it’s only a machine. But such a nice one.

In the intervals I’ve been writing a drama for Christmas, including a song, and my page for next week, all of which is now more or less finished. Today I went and saw the dental technician – an interview that lasted a maximum of two minutes – and he attempted to get the right shade for my forthcoming crown. Walked back into the city from his place (other end of Unthank Road) and then got a bus back to pick up the car. Both of which were much easier than driving home, because I made the mistake of going by the ring road, forgetting that it’s Christmas shopping time, which means Riverside is crammed constantly. Had to divert via the city centre.

Came back from the dead on Monday night when I was close to resignation in my chess game against a guy I know from Diss. Played what was the only move then, after he missed the best move, was able to sacrifice a knight for some play, which turned out to be good enough to draw. Quite pleased with the last few moves. I was actually a pawn up in the end, but with opposite-colour bishops.

Our Tuesday night meal / meeting went really well. Talked about prayer, then did it. Really nice feeling to the group.

Tomorrow we drive to Baldock to see Joan, then back for a PCC meeting in the evening. Weather has improved: mainly sunny and not quite so cold.

12 November 2007

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Lovely autumn colours captured by Oliver (5) from our car window as we brought him to Norwich at the beginning of the month. Now it has turned very cold and windy; high water still in the rivers; but bright skies on the whole.

Dot was brought home on Saturday night – much later than anticipated. So as well as writing a piece for my next page I also got a good start on the Christmas drama, which has a health and safety theme. Don’t ask.

Yesterday was busy: after the Remembrance Day service – beautifully done by Paul and Mark H – we grabbed a sandwich and took Annette and Lisa to North Norfolk, where InPrint is going to be involved in a big project next year. Details of it can’t be released until November 19, so I’d better not say what it is, just in case readership of this blog soars into single figures. Watch this space!

Back to Norwich too late to go to Ambient Wonder preparation. Today I’ve already been to the chiropractor: my back is much improved, but I have to see him again on Friday. This afternoon I shall be enduring a 90-minute dental appointment.

Had more trouble with Broadband this morning. Dot hasn’t been able to connect, and my connection was extremely slow for a long time. Seems to be OK now, but its erratic behaviour is worrying.

LATER
OK – I survived the dental appointment – the injection, the drilling, the filing, the tooth impressions, the screw, the building up and the x-ray. None of it was actually painful in the agonising sense, but it was all uncomfortable and non-relaxing. If I lose at chess again tonight, I’ll have an excuse, especially as my chiropractor says I shouldn’t sit down for more than 20 minutes at a time. I didn’t think that applied to lying down at the dentist’s, but getting up again was unexpectedly sore. Still, I walked there and back – and earlier walked home from the chiropractor’s , which must be about 4 miles altogether. I worked out (while walking) that I do about 2000 steps to a mile, so maybe I don’t need a pedometer. If only I could count and walk at the same time.

10 November 2007

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I was looking through my mother’s pictures when I came on this one of my Aunt Vi, taken when she was 12. She’s now in her 90s and living in Cape Town.

Yesterday was bright but very cold – bitter wind. We defied it to get our photos taken in the station and then walk up into the city to get our bus passes. We then got a bus home. How exciting is that?

In the afternoon we went to Reepham to get our hair cut. In other directions there were many closed roads and cancelled trains because of overnight flooding following a 1953-style storm surge, with very high tide and high winds. Nowhere near as bad as predicted, but still Walcott was hit badly, and there was extensive flooding along the rivers at places like Brundall. Pull’s Ferry was flooded, with a lone bench sitting in the middle of flood water. Banks overtopped elsewhere. Apparently the tide was eight inches lower than predicted and the surge didn’t quite coincide.

Today was very wet and unpleasant – so grey that it was hardly day at all. Dot went to the supermarket while I reduced the size of my in-tray and wrote a bit about Hingham, based on a phone call I got from a resident. Then I took Dot to a YFC meeting in the city, and am now awaiting a call to pick her up.