Tag Archives: dot

Magical stars

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Experimental picture taken after dark at Aldeburgh and digitally altered in a pretty basic way. Quite like it.
Experimental picture taken after dark at Aldeburgh and digitally altered in a pretty basic way. Quite like it.

Awaiting the arrival of David and grandchildren: weather mild. Have just been out briefly to book Prezzo’s for lunch tomorrow. Earlier I cleared up some more leaves: I’m becoming something of an expert. Last night was a big success: for Dot’s birthday dinner we went with the Robinsons to the Norfolk Mead hotel at Coltishall and had an excellent meal. Also very relaxed and quiet, so pretty well perfect. Afterwards we came out to see a sky full of bright stars. Magical.

Have just finished my talk for Sunday on Christ the King. Found it difficult to prepare, because I kept getting bogged down in fascinating byways as to the true meaning of certain words in the Hebrew and Aramaic. Have rewritten first verse of Genesis to read: At source, God filled the skies and the earth as an ox moving the plough towards its mark. Not exactly traditional; I may not mention it tomorrow. On the other hand…

Managed to draw my chess game on Wednesday by winning a pawn in the opening and getting a big advantage, then letting my opponent off the hook. Quite happy really, because he’s graded higher than me. Drove the entire team down there, so very late back. Meanwhile, Dot went to a DCC meeting, so she had to tell me all about it. Result: very late in bed.

Lots of activity on internet about leaked e-mails from UEA climate scientists which seem to reveal fiddling of data and some rather unpleasant tactics to silence sceptics. Phil Jones of UEA has apparently admitted they’re genuine. Will be interesting to see how the BBC manages to ignore this. By ignoring it, I suppose.

14 March 2009

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A picture I took quite a few years ago now, when the River Bure froze. Lost a bit of its colour, but I like the composition.

Quite a quiet week for me, though Dot has been pretty busy, returning to Terrington and visiting a couple of other schools. I won another game of chess, in the club tournament, and I need to maintain this winning streak to finish in a reasonable position, though I won’t win it. I’ve sorted out the Paston Guidebook material – though I haven’t started editing it – and printed off my own booklet of Paston poems, as well as laminating a few poems for the Grapevine exhibition. Bit of a panic with poems for the 20 Group exhibition: the poems with Sandra’s pictures are now sorted out, but I’m not seeing Ruthli till Wednesday, and I have to have all four poems in by Friday!

Took my brother Phil’s birthday presents round on Wednesday, but our conversation was cut short when his neighbour came round, so he came round yesterday to complete it. Now we’re awaiting the arrival of David and the children: David and I are taking Oliver to Carrow Road this afternoon in the hope that the team can maintain their form of Tuesday, when they won 2-0 against Cardiff. But they are still in dire straits. Dot is taking Amy into the city to meet Anne. The weather has warmed up markedly in the last few days, and it’s beginning to feel like spring. I need to get walking again.

5 February 2009

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This is Barbara and Dot as they set off for their head teachers’ conference on Tuesday. The snow had miraculously melted overnight, and there was no problem in reaching the venue – either for Dot and Barbara or anyone else. It was all a big success, with universally excellent feedback. The only problem came afterwards when an exhausted Dot sent out the invoices for the packs all addressed to the wrong school. This turned out to be a technology problem, which I helped her sort out yesterday. Lots of people indicated that they would be booking them to do in-school sessions. I greeted them with champagne on their return home and did all the cooking and preparation for the Tuesday Group, which makes a change. I usually sit around and let Dot do it. The only thing I’m worried about now is that Dot is practically working full-time at the moment. She visited two schools yesterday with her DSSO hat on and has more in the pipeline. She is also down for two inspections next month – following one next week. Today she has spent all day on her PIB (don’t ask) for that. Meanwhile the man came to change our electricity meter, which he did remarkably quickly.

This morning we woke up to more snow, but during the day it melted. Meanwhile in Caddington it is still thick, and the children and Vicky were all at home because of the treacherous roads. Here a meeting at Diocesan House was cancelled, though probably not for any good reason. Helped Dot, though.

Yesterday, while Dot was out at Hapton and Tasburgh, I picked up the Paston book from the library. The librarian kindly protected it with cardboard for me, and I just had to carry it down to the car. It is now in the guest bedroom, which is a little bit worrying as it’s worth over £1000. Of course, the average burglar wouldn’t know that and would be unable to sell it anyway. Lucy has sent me loads of stuff for her upcoming guidebook in the hope that I will be able to knock it into shape. I now have to work out which shape to knock it into.

12 September 2008

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As I mentioned last time, I’ve been putting together a birthday present for Oliver that consists of my story Little and the new year game illustrated by a variety of photographs, most of which I took specially. There is a red bus in it that is not the tour bus for Norwich, but it’s the only red bus I could find. Several other pictures are similarly approximations, but I’m pleased with them generally. Hope he likes it.

Won my first chess game of the season on Monday. Got a good advantage out of the opening, then gradually frittered it away until I was probably losing, but by that time he was down to about 30 seconds, and I won on time.

Dot has a new job: she’s a DSSO, which is a diocesan schools support officer: it’s for 28 days a year, and she has more than 20 schools to visit on a kind of pastoral basis. There are four DSSOs altogether, and I guess you could say she was headhunted for it, which is pretty good. Her career has been pretty much a huge success, unlike some people’s I could mention. Today she heard that she got an “outstanding” in the distance learning task she did for her other job as a church schools inspector. She’s quite a star, and I shall bask in her reflected glory. I do quite a good bask.

This week she’s also put some work in on the third string to her bow, which is her Philosophy for Children project in partnership with Barbara. She went down to Suffolk to see Barbara on Tuesday, and on Wednesday she had a meeting of the Norfolk Association of First and Primary Head Teachers (Nafphte), so it’s been a busy week for her. I feel positively inert in comparison, but I did join her earlier on Wednesday in meeting her Aunt Jessie at Wroxham and visiting her husband, who is in a home there. We then went on to Wroxham Barns, intending to eat there, but were put off by a coachload of scavengers and went instead to Divine, a new restaurant at North Walsham, where we had an excellent meal.

In the evening of the same day we both went to the DCC meeting at Horsford, giving Howard G a lift. Howard joined us from the Cambridge train, and the next morning was flying from Norwich to Manchester and back. He’s just returned from a trip taking in Denmark, Finland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekhistan, China, Tibet and Nepal. Howard makes Usain Bolt look as though he’s standing still.

Went to see Dr Hampsheir yesterday for some precautionary antibiotics for our trip to Switzerland. I’m still catheterising daily, and I didn’t want to be stuck halfway through the holiday with an infection. He was very helpful, and I got the impression he would have prescribed me just about anything.

Yesterday was Oliver’s sixth birthday – we chatted to him on the Web – and today is David and Vicky’s tenth wedding anniversary. We’re going down to stay with them tomorrow and Sunday. After a couple of nice days it’s turned wet and overcast again, so Dot and I went to see The Duchess at the cinema this afternoon: it would have carried more conviction if someone could have made Keira Knightley’s hair look less like a misshapen ball of wool, but it wasn’t bad. Some interesting locations, among which I’m sure were North Norfolk, in the Salthouse area, but I could be mistaken.

I’ve put a bit of commentary on my website, but I’m getting to the point where there’s not much more to say on the subjects of speed and climate change. Some bandwagons are impossible to divert. I have however introduced a LATER slot on the home page! How innovative is that…

11 March 2008

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A rather nice picture of Dot – one of many I took in the garden the other day. Is it surprising that the woman in the bank today asked if we were over 50? Well yes, it’s extremely surprising in my case, but she was trying to persuade us to open a new account. Not so surprising in Dot’s case.

A very busy few days. What happened to those long hours of relaxation that retirement was supposed to provide? On Saturday we had two social events – the first at Hingham, where a former EDP colleague was bidding farewell to a few friends before departing to do some work in the Seychelles. Disappointingly good buffet, so I couldn’t sit back and ignore it. Ralph and Lynne were the hosts, and most of the guests were sub-editors or former sub-editors (or their spouses): Graham and Glenys Bradshaw, now resident in Leicestershire; Bruce and Cynthia Robinson (Sheringham), Robin and Shelagh Limmer (Denton), Brian Caldecott and Tricia (Old Catton); Simon and Anna Procter (Hockham); Tracey Bagshaw (Ormesby); and two of Lynne’s friends. Really enjoyable afternoon. In the evening we were at Menita and Regis’ home in Norwich, with a cosmopolitan bunch including three French, two Italians and a Brazilian, plus someone born in Glasgow (hang on, that was Dot). Excellent continental food, as you might expect, and some nice wine, as you also might expect, but I had to restrict myself severely, as I was driving. I could pick up quite a bit of the French, but when Menita started talking to her Italian friend, and I had to give up. Interesting listening to a conversation where you can’t understand a single word. Regis’ sister, who came from Lyon with her husband Gilles, wanted advice on what to call her upmarket interior design company. Apparently it’s quite chic in France to have an English name, which has to be the height of irony, since the opposite is the case here.

There was another meal at church on Sunday, but I managed to resist the trifle, largely because trifle is not high on my list of favourite foods. Watched too much television again, taking in the odd FA Cup tie and some rugby, in which Scotland beat England in a less than enthralling game (I actually didn’t watch that till yesterday) and Ireland lost to Wales.

There was quite a storm on Sunday night, though it was less severe here than in the south-west. Still, extremely wet and windy: not the sort of weather you’d want to be out in. It lingered a bit into Monday, but I braved the elements to get some website training at the vicarage. Most of it was pretty straightforward, but I was hampered a bit by the fact that the system involved didn’t run very well on either Safari or Firefox, which is not too impressive for a system nowadays. There were four of us learning it, including the vicar, who is clearly happier training than being trained! I think I’m going to be moderating the site when it goes live, though it’s going to be difficult keeping any sort of control.

In the afternoon we eventually managed to bring the motor insurance horror to an end by visiting a local broker, telling the story and showing him the documents. He fixed us up with a new policy at quite a reasonable price: it was such a relief to be able to talk to someone face to face. I wrote letters to Direct Line, who had cancelled our policy, and to Zurich, who had messed us about for two or three weeks and caused the problem in the first place. I hope that will be the end of it.

An amazing number of friends and relatives have been having problems recently. Must be something in the air. I had a really bad night again last night, for no apparent reason. I now have a date for my biopsy – April 17 which, coincidentally, is my father’s birthday. Tomorrow I have to go to the hospital to check if I am healthy enough to lose consciousness.

We went up into the city earlier today to switch Dot’s ISA to online and, as I anticipated, couldn’t avoid opening a current account there after the adviser told us how wonderful it was. I try to keep financial matters as simple as possible, but it’s getting more and more difficult to do so.

The weather improved for a while earlier today, but it’s now got worse again, and gales are threatened in a different part of the country. We may get away with it a second time.

31 May 2007

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These are my grandchildren, Oliver and Amy, taking part – albeit unwittingly – in an InPrint art installation at the Open Studios. The installation is called Shaded, by Rupert Mallin and Tonia Jillings: more can be seen on it at www.inprintartsandpoetry.co.uk. The children were just having a rest while we all chatted at the private view on the 20th.

I’m just back from a St Augustine’s LMT meeting at Horsford. LMT members: at least 10. Number present: 3. Clearly a priorities problem, except for Dot, who is in Caddington looking after the above grandchildren. I shall be going tomorrow. Today I cleared up a few outstanding things. After months of dithering I went to see about an improved gravestone for my parents’ grave, and I followed that by going to see a former colleague who is in Aylsham Hospital – hopefully recovering from cancer. Bit odd being in the place where my mother and father-in-law died. Good visit, though. J was very upbeat and looking quite well, though in a wheelchair. Her sister was also there.

Lovely day today for a change: some sun and warmth. Yesterday popped down to Bally again in between writing Monday’s page. Lone vigil by Annette. Piece appeared on my poetry prize in today’s EDP Art, Antiques and Collectibles supplement. Not sure which category I fall under.

14 April 2007

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This is Dot with Oliver and Amy at Stockwood Park, taken last week on a lovely warm day. It’s even warmer now, and Dot and I are shortly going to Dunston Hall for a carvery meal. Some time since we’ve been out for a meal, after all the excess of Florida.

My cough is a lot better, but my throat is now just sore enough to be annoying, and I don’t feel particularly good despite a longish sleep last night. The Green Party called this morning – Rupert Read and a couple of henchwomen – and failed to convince me that their transport policy was anything short of silly. They think there’s a 50% chance of my voting for them, but in fact it’s much lower than that. There’s not much chance of my voting at all.

Dot had a bone density scan this afternoon, and came out as superwoman. Of course I knew that anyway. Well above 100 per cent, whatever that means.

I’ve finished writing my sermon on the persecuted church: not St Augustine’s – the other 200 million. I’ve just discovered that we only have four weekends free till August.

2 April 2007

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This picture was taken in 1950, when I was five. My father’s car is on the left, and St Andrew’s Hall is in the background. I think I have a faint memory of the event – may even have been in the car as it paraded round the city – but I can’t be sure. When the picture is blown up, there seems to be someone sitting in the passenger seat of the Vauxhall, but it’s too faint to make out.

Dot hasn’t been at all well for the last week or so, and had to stay in bed over the weekend, with an unpleasant cough and screwed-up sinuses. She’s up today, but still not really well. Nevertheless, we’re going to Caddington tomorrow to look after the grandchildren for three days: maybe they’ll be a tonic!

I’ve had a very busy few days – seemed to be overwhelmed with things to do. Spent nearly all Saturday working on stuff for Ambient Wonder, then after church yesterday I was at InPrint studios in the afternoon, making plans and influencing people. Have agreed to work on a large piece of work with Bronwen, and a collaborative poem with the other four poets (by e-mail). Am also doing stuff with Annette, who has just returned from South Africa.

On Friday Phil and I drove to Coventry to see Andrew, who is in hospital. He looked extremely gaunt, but was cheerful and very talkative. Quite confused about very recent things, though. Spoke to doctor, nurses and social worker, then called on Gareth. I think Andrew will be in hospital for a few weeks yet – they’re going to do an MRI scan to see if there’s an organic problem.

Some blue skies recently, and the odd warm today, but at the moment the wind is chilly.