Dot, Julia and Dave getting properly shod in Trowse for our walk to Whitlingham
A very full week, starting last Tuesday with another visit to the Norfolk Record Office to hear the latest talk, The Fall of the House of Paston: a fine title and a brilliant lecture to a standing-room-only audience. I bought the book by the speaker (Jean Agnew) and walked home with Rob Knee.
Dave and Julia arrived around lunchtime the next day, and in the afternoon we took them to the Masterpieces exhibition, where Dot and I saw the bits we missed at the weekend, including the Rennie Mackintosh pictures and the Lotus F1 car in the restaurant. We got the X25 bus home (express route via Newmarket Road), and Dot cooked a brace of rather nice pheasant in the evening.
Our compulsory walk the following day was in two parts, because the cafe at Whitlingham Broad was helpfully closed. So after walking there from Trowse via Whitlingham Hall we walked back to Trowse along the road and had garlic bread and tea in the River Garden Cafe. We then drove back to the closed cafe and walked round the Broad, pausing only to shelter from a shower.
Later we walked up to the city to look at the Christmas stalls and witness the Christmas lights turn-on, all of which was OK, but not as spectacular as one might have expected. We returned home and had supper at Prezzo – as usual a very good meal with excellent service. Free bottle of Prosecco for the birthday girl. According to my app, I had walked a record 8.6 miles that day.
The peripatetic Evetts set off for Salisbury at about 11 on Friday, which was Dot’s actual birthday. I gave her a new violin case, a book and tickets for the ballet next February! Well, you have to book in advance. In the evening, although Dot was feeling a little under the weather, we drove to Metfield for a performance of the Fitzrovia Radio Hour, which I have to say was brilliant: a supposed radio performance in which we were the studio audience. The sound effects were the highlight, but the actors were brilliant in every respect. If you get the chance, go for it.
On Saturday yet another highlight: we drove to Caddington, arriving at almost the precise time that Elliott James Lenton was born in Southampton. Blissfully ignorant of this, we had a great time with the Coomes family – adults in the kitchen and children all on gadgets in the living room, playing a joint game, I believe. Excellent buffet food from David. After the Coomes left I got involved in a football game on the landing with Oliver, David and Amy (in goal), from which I miraculously emerged with no broken bones. Reminded me of The Christian, only more violent.
Also played a game of Mastermind with the children, in which you have to work out the position of four coloured pegs in a row. Oliver is very good at this, but I did manage to work one sequence out. I believe we played a version of this when David was young, or even earlier. Also played chess with Oliver. Like his father, he has the potential.
Meanwhile Magnus Carlsen was winning the world championship in India by defeating Viswanathan Anand without losing a game. Quite a feat.
We left quite late and as a result had a clear run home. The next day Dot was shattered and had mouth ulcers, so stayed in bed while I went to Communion. We spent most of the rest of the day watching television, which is never good. The weather has been cold, with quite a lot of rain.
Chronicle performing at the launch of the Paston exhibition at NRO
In the end we needn’t have worried. UPS failed to deliver after I’d alerted next door, who were no doubt on tenterhooks all day. In the end they delivered on Monday, less than an hour before the exhibition opened, and Dot made a special emergency trip, with the children, to deliver the leaflets to me.
The launch went very well, with a big attendance, and Chronicle’s performance was very well received. I was at NRO from about 10.45 and got home around 5pm, having given Kay a lift to Tombland to pick up a park-and-ride bus. Sadly Lucy didn’t make it, being confined to her house with cracked ribs and in quite a bit of pain. So Peter filmed it for her.
Dot and I had picked gone down to Caddington on Sunday afternoon – the last part of the journey in torrential rain. We had tea with David and then I drove back in much better weather. It was Amy’s birthday, of course. We got her a rather nice leather jewellery case.
On Tuesday, when it rained again, we went out to see Aunt Jessie in the afternoon. The gas man arrived about the same time as we did, to service her central heating. So we sat in the dining room, which worked out quite well, as Amy was able to draw on the table. Well, on paper, but on the table. You know what I mean.
During their couple of days with us Oliver wrote a very good poem, and Amy joined in with a couple of lighter, funny ones. She also made some sugar mice (with a bit of help). There was also a certain amount of table tennis played, with Oliver frequently victorious.
We set out after lunch on Wednesday to travel to Coventry, which turned out to be quite an arduous journey, with hold-ups because of the amount of traffic. Nevertheless we met the Evetts on time at the Allesley Harvester and had a good couple of hours there.
Then Dot and I drove home – again, more arduous than expected because the A14 was closed. We travelled south on the M1 to near Bedford and took the A421. Not a bad route, though further of course.
While the children were with us we also entertained the Hendersons, who stayed overnight on Tuesday while looking at houses in the area. All of us went to Prezzos and had a good meal.
Yesterday – a beautifully warm and sunny day – Fred and Sue arrived around 5.30pm for an evening meal with us. Today we all went to a CBSOB reunion at the law courts, where we were shown round by former pupil Mike Huggins: very well done, though I knew a lot of it from my time training journalists. We then took a walk along the river, and Dot and I won a quiz set by Adrian O’dell, thanks to a bit of knowledge from Dot (Wensum means meandering, for instance).
We ended with a good meal at the Adam and Eve (Rita still in attendance). Thanked Ray Houseago for allowing me to use his name in my column, though I’m not sure he knew what I meant. He behaved as though he did. Throwers also there. The four of us walked back along the river, had a cup of tea and then Fred and Sue left. Dot and I dozed off in front of the TV.
Rodney, Angela and Oliver line up for pictures at the wedding
Yes, it’s Tuesday again, and a small pause for breath. Have just had another go at booking airline seats for our Florida holiday – this time a bit more successfully, having obtained our British Airways booking number (strangely omitted from our original documentation). I have also been promised a refund from the agents for seat booking which didn’t happen.
This followed an all-action weekend, beginning on Friday with a day of interviewing UEA students for an internship at the Paston Heritage Society. This was made a little more tiring by having to fetch Lucy from Paston and return her there, and by the chosen candidate being constantly unobtainable by phone afterwards. When I did eventually contact her (by e-mail), she had just accepted a full-time job, so withdrew from the internship. We now have our second favourite, an earnest young lad who seems nevertheless to be extremely competent and has a car!
In the evening Dot and I went to the Norwich Christian Resource Centre to hear a talk by Allison Barnett, of Jews for Jesus, who rather unexpectedly turned out to be a brilliant speaker, deserving of a much bigger audience.
The next morning we met Heather Savigny and Simon for breakfast – something I would consider for only a selected few people – at Grounds coffee bar on Guildhall Hill. Had a teacake and as always some great conversation. They are scheduled to move to Bournemouth next month, but have already found an Indian restaurant there. We have been promised an invitation.
Later in the day was the long advertised event of autumn: Donna’s marriage to Andy at Oaklands Hotel. Many West Midlands accents in evidence, but also most of the surviving Beales family, with the exception of Rosemary. David, Oliver and Amy came up from Caddington, and we found ourselves sitting at the same table as Richard, Maddy and Darcy – lovely girls. Great opportunity to chat with Richard, the next generation coming to the fore. Justin took the official photos, and Heidi sat next to David. Angela was a witness. Vicki and Graham were also there, as was Rodney’s son Chris and his wife Sarah. Great food and drink from Oaklands: we used a taxi both ways. Oliver gained an admirer – four-year-old Darcy, who followed him everywhere. I think he quite liked it.
Our view of the O2 stage
No rest on Sunday, when we were off to London by 10am for the second major event of the weekend: a day with the Coomes, followed by a Leonard Cohen concert at O2. This was all paid for by our ever-generous hosts, including the taxi back from O2 to Leyton, a not inconsiderable sum to which we contributed a small amount behind David’s back. Cohen was as ever brilliant. Here is his set list:
Dance me to the end of love; The Future; Like a bird on the wire; Got a little secret; Everybody knows; Who by fire; Where is my gypsy wife tonight?; The darkness; Amen; Come healing; Lover, lover, lover. After the interval Tower of song; Suzanne; Chelsea Hotel#2; The Partisan; In my secret life; Alexandra leaving (sung by Sharon Robinson); I’m your man; 1000 kisses deep (read as poem); Hallelujah; Take this waltz; then as encores (!) So long Marianne; Going home; First we take Manhattan; Famous blue raincoat; If it be your will (sung by the Webb Sisters); and one verse of Closing Time.
It got better and better, and the O2 was a good venue, though the loos are laughably inadequate: there was a huge queue for the men’s toilet(!). Some peculiar people in the audience: one middle-aged man in a hoodie kept going out for a pint of beer; presumably he thought he was at a cricket match. Another couple brought a baby, but it didn’t last long. Probably preferred Iron Maiden.
Next day we were about to leave the flat much later than expected (Audrey’s partner, Bent, rang to say she was too unwell to be visited) when David arrived home, also not feeling well – he had fallen in the bathroom the previous morning and damaged his ribs. We were on our way out, so continued, assuming (rightly, I think) he would want to be left alone.
Dot at Elveden, waiting for breast of guinea fowl
On our way home we were fortunate to avoid a major hold-up on the A11 Elveden stretch when a car transporter slipped into a ditch and the road was eventually closed. We had been held up by a broken-down car short of Elveden, then stopped for lunch at the farm restaurant. When we emerged there was a huge delay at the lights, and we just managed to squeeze out after ten minutes or so. I suspect the lorry had gone into the ditch trying to get round the car. There ought to be some kind of penalty for causing such major hold-ups (unless it’s me, of course).
The major event of the previous week was my lunch with Joy McCall and a prospective publisher of a book of Norfolk-linked tanka. We met at the Rushcutters and eventually I had adequate fish and chips to match Joy’s fish pie. The publisher (of a smallish outfit called the Mousehold Press) was Adrian Bell, who turned out to be a chess player. The idea, it transpired from Joy, was for Adrian to publish at her expense a number of our tanka strings with photographs of Norfolk to which they were linked. I am supposed to get a running order together and send it to Adrian, which I need to do quickly. Together with a number of other things.
That was on Wednesday. On Thursday I made my second attempt of the week to visit Geoff in hospital (on Tuesday he was somewhere else getting his toes looked at). This time I coincided with Nicholas in the car park, but we were told Sophie had taken Geoff out in his wheelchair. Nicholas knew where they were likely to be, but they weren’t there, and after he left I spent some time scouring the area, in vain. Still, the stroll through the cemetery was quite enjoyable.
Meanwhile, I’m getting tantalisingly close to finishing Amy’s story. This week?
Oliver, Dot and Amy find a gorilla in Chapelfield Gardens
Slipped into September almost without noticing, as usual. Dot is far from me, having journeyed up to Middlesbrough with Barbara yesterday, where she stayed the night before delivering some Philosophy4Children at a nearby school. She is doing this as I write. They will then drive back, arriving early to mid evening. This means I shall have to attend a PCC meeting without her invaluable support, but I expect I’ll manage 🙂
As usual I have wasted much time, and now have to work hard to catch up. Today is Joy’s birthday. I took her presents round yesterday: they included some old Amy Carmichael books that I unearthed, one containing a letter from the Dohnavur Fellowship to my aunt Mary, thanking her for looking after one of their lads. Joy is into AC at the moment, so hopefully she will find that interesting.
Also yesterday I was sole musician at church until Carrie took over the first hymn (at my invitation). We tried to do the second one together, but it didn’t work too well because of the tricky timing. I easily get lured off track by people singing slightly differently… Still, nice service altogether. I forgot to take the collection home and had to go back for it.
It’s been another busy week. When isn’t it? Back on Monday, a week ago, we had lunch at Lucy’s with Simeon. It may be the last time we visit Dayspring, because she’s moving to Mundesley later this month. Very pleasant: we had tea in the garden afterwards: warm sun with a bit of wind in exposed places. Afterwards we went to the cemetery in North Walsham and then called to see Jessie, where we found Roger, Adrian, Clarissa and some tea and cake.
Later, Adrian and Clarissa came (as planned) to stay with us for a couple of nights because Bury were playing Norwich City in the Capital One Cup on the Tuesday. Confused? Well, Adrian’s son Gareth is now captain of Bury. Dot and I also got tickets (declining the offer of free seats with what turned out to be an extremely noisy Bury contingent), and it was a great game, Norwich winning 6-3 and scoring some excellent goals.
Adrian and Clarissa departed on Wednesday, and we left too, eventually – for Caddington, to pick up Oliver and Amy. They stayed with us until the Saturday. On Thursday we all went to West Runton in the afternoon and stayed till early evening as the tide went out and the beach got more and more peaceful. There was a certain amount of rock pool investigation, and some enthusiastic climbing and descending of a steep cliff slope. Both have huge amounts of energy, of course. Amy did some gymnastics on the groyne.
On Friday, with Oliver feeling a bit less energetic because of a cold, we took a bus into the city, where we followed part of a gorilla trail and then visited a bike shop to look at a possible bike for Oliver’s birthday. Afterwards we had a slightly surreal lunch in BHS, because Dot had a voucher. David arrived at 9pm.
On Saturday David, Oliver, Amy and I returned to the bike shop and, rather unexpectedly, completed a purchase. This meant that David had to go to Halfords to buy a bike carrier for his car – and then fix it on to the car. In the middle of that we had lunch at Prezzos, which seemed to have recovered some poise following our last, rather disappointing visit. Plenty of Norwich City supporters about: happily the Canaries beat Southampton 1-0.
David and the children returned home early in the evening with a certain amount of trepidation, but both bike and carrier survived the trip in sound condition, as did Oliver, Amy and David.
While we were in the bike shop I got a really unexpected phone call from Andrew, who seemed surprisingly coherent. Is something amazing happening, or is it part of a cycle? That wasn’t really meant to be funny.
I’ve just finished a book called Quiet, by Susan Cain, which David got me for my birthday. This is about “the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking” – and so clearly right up my street. I should have read it 50 years ago. Unfortunately, she’s only just written it. Fascinating stuff. Makes me feel better, which can’t be bad.
Between July 10 and 28, Dot and I were away from home. This is just on the edge of what I find comfortable in the area of being away from home, but well within the boundaries of time I feel comfortable in Scotland. There’s a paradox for you. Ah, well. It went a bit like this:
Wednesday, July 10
Drove to Glasgow. Started cloudy and cool but became warmer – very warm on arrival. So warm in fact that Dot backed into a parked van. Don’t ask me why. Van escaped unscathed. Drive up pretty good, the only hold-up being at Elveden, where a car had broken down. Stopped at Cambridge Services, M6 Toll, Carnock Richard and Westmorland Farm Shop, then again briefly so that Dot could drive on approach to Glasgow. Couldn’t see any way to get on to M8 going in right direction (east), so went off and came on again, which worked well. Tried to follow Premier Inn directions, but went astray near the Cathedral; enlisted the help of Google Maps on my iPhone, after which it was a total doddle. Nice hotel with welcoming staff. I had a steak, and Dot lasagne after watching Test match highlights. Brief walk to river afterwards.
Dot back at her birthplace – 24 Waterside Road
Thursday, July 11
After quite a good night’s sleep had a reasonable breakfast, then headed out in the sun to Dot’s birthplace – 24 Waterside Road – which we found without much difficulty about a mile away. The road is still there, bordered by the River Clyde, but the houses look a bit newer, though the area is clearly still less than affluent. Took pix of Dot on her second appearance in the Gorbals, then we crossed Ballater Street (and the river) into Glasgow Green, a beautiful park containing the People’s Palace and the Winter Gardens, where we had an ice cream and visited a museum with some wartime memories of the area.
We then walked across the park and up to St Andrew’s in the Square, where we picked up a tourist bus which took us across town and via many noteworthy landmarks to the Kelvingrove Museum. Here we had tea and a sandwich and looked at a lot of excellent pictures, plus a Rennie Mackintosh room, and got very tired. Undeterred we headed out again, following directions that surprisingly turned out to be right, up the hill to the university – a very wearing walk in the sun – and the Mackintosh House there, where we joined a guided tour. This turned out to be very interesting, despite an irritating American who kept trying to turn it into a private question-and-answer session. While waiting for the tour we popped into the adjacent Hunterian Museum, which had pictures by Whistler next to somewhere we could sit down. After the tour we caught the tour bus again (one ticket for two days) and headed homewards. During a convenient break I managed to get some cash from a machine, then we continued to the stop where we originally boarded before walking the last half-mile or so (bit more so, in fact) back to the Premier Inn and some iced fizzy water.
Friday, July 12
Another hot day, and my 68th birthday. I have been an adult for 50 years, or half a century, whichever seems longer. After breakfast we walked to St Andrew’s in the Square and caught the tour bus to George Square.We then walked to John Street, where we spoke to a friendly guy in the city hall about Dot’s search for her birth details. He wasn’t able to help much, but referred us to the Mitchell Library for voters’ lists for 1945. Dot decided she didn’t want to spend a lot of time doing that, so instead we walked through the city centre to Sauchiehall Street and the famous Willow Tea Rooms, which turned out to be not only famous but lovely and not packed out. We both had tea, and I had a strawberry tart. The design was amazing; great atmosphere. After a couple of purchases in the shop downstairs, we got the bus again and walked back to the hotel from our usual stop.
After a brief respite with iced fizzy water, we got directions from the receptionist to Pollok Park and the Burrell Collection. This didn’t work out perfectly, largely because Dot mistook the end point on the map for the beginning, and vice versa. However with the help of the atlas and Google maps we eventually made it. Pollok Park is stunning, and so is the building housing the Burrell Collection (though the eco-friendly roof doesn’t work and is leaking in places). I was not too impressed by the temporary exhibition, but the permanent exhibition upstairs was interesting (I liked Baudin and Ribot), and there was some lovely work by Rodin, including The Thinker. Good cafe too.
Lasting impressions of Glasgow: the wideness of the roads, the slowness of the traffic lights, the way all the exhibitions are free – oh, and the friendliness of the people, especially those in our hotel.
Saturday, July 13
Woke latish following a bad night. After breakfast discovered that David and the children were already on the road and ahead of us. Left at 10.40 and got on to the M8 fairly easily. Journey was straightforward despite some slow drivers on the A93, and we met David at Braemar at about 1pm. Lunch in Fife Arms, then drove to Ballater, arriving at The Coyles around 2.30pm. Very big house. From hot in Braemar, it became chilly at Ballater, with very low cloud. Bought food, played cricket in garden, bought fish and chips and watched Test Match highlights after eating it. For my birthday David bought me three books and two films, Amy gave me a lovely key ring she’d made, and both children made me beautiful cards. Dot had trouble with the washing machine, but it made sense eventually.
Sunday, July 14
David up early to meet Chrissy (and Roger and Barb) at Edinburgh Airport. D and C arrived in Ballater just after midday, R & B half an hour later. After something to eat and various items like shopping and cricket we walked round by the river and spent some time on the stones. Very warm today. C & B joined us by river and we walked remainder of circle. Interesting meal followed by watching England beat Australia (just). All shattered. Bed quite early.
Roger, Barbara, David, Chrissy, Amy at the far end of Loch Muick
Monday, July 15
“Short walk” (Barbara Murray) round Loch Muick in pleasantly warm weather. Actual distance 7.6 miles. Struggle for Amy and for Chrissy, still battling jet lag and developing sunburn. My hay fever from yesterday disappeared. Beautiful walk, in fact. Afterwards drove to Log Cabin for drink and snack – probably a bit too far, but very nice when there, as always. Fish and chips later – I had egg and chips. Spent rest of evening talking and looking at photos, and deciding what we’ll do the rest of the week.
Tuesday, July 16
Cloudier, but warm, though with some light rain in afternoon. Drove to Balmoral, had food then visited ballroom and guest cottage. Sheltered a while from rain then climbed up path, but didn’t get far because Amy was not keen. Dot and I had extra cup of tea while Roger, Barbara, Chrissy and Oliver visited Crathie Church (Amy and David resting in car). All visited Distillery and I bought a baseball cap, then drove home by southern route. David, Oliver and I went up to Monaltrie Park to play cricket. Lovely meal, but I had violent diarrhoea afterwards. Soon got over it. Watched some Twenty Twelve followed by The Trip, with Coogan and Bryden.
Oliver and David on Craigendarroch
Wednesday, July 17
Warm and dry. While Roger and Barbara walked Seven Bridges and the others went to the river, Dot and I went into town and bought me some binoculars (birthday present) for £170, a top and scarf for her and some meat for supper. Had drink and muffin at cafe, sitting outside! In afternoon I played cricket with Oliver, David and Roger while others went to river again, then – after a brief break – Dot and I, Roger and Barbara and Oliver climbed Craigendarroch. David met us on top, having started later and gone a long way round. We all returned by another route I recommended, despite much doubting by others. But it worked well. After supper watched more Twenty Twelve.
Thursday, July 18
Even warmer. Got up fairly early to climb Craigendarroch again, thinking I’d lost my binocular lens cap up there. But it was found by Dot in the house while Oliver and I were on the top. Nice walk though, especially during those moments when I could breathe. Later drove to Linn of Quoich, where Amy got stung by a wasp but otherwise things went well. Had late lunch at Fife Arms, then drove home, pretty much exhausted, except for usual suspects, who immediately went to the bookshop.
Amy gets to grips with the stream
Friday, July 19
No reduction in warmth. Five of our number set off under blue skies at 7.55am to climb Lochnagar but had to retreat from the ridge at about 1pm, feeling exhausted under the hot sun. Meanwhile, Dot, Amy and I played storytelling using Dixit cards, then went to the little bridge off the Corgarff road to play in the stream (at least, one of us did). Idyllic spot. Managed to receive a call from Coventry about Andrew as well as a couple of texts from David to say they’d turned back. We eventually drove back to Spittal of Glen Muick to meet the Lochnagar party as they arrived, rather tired in the sun. Good achievement, though – especially by Oliver. Fish and chip supper.
Saturday, July 20
Still very warm. everyone pretty tired, so had a quieter day. Mooched around town, including Larks Gallery and cycle and sweet shop before arriving at new corner cafe for very good lunch. Later in the afternoon Barbara, Roger, David and Oliver walked out on cycle path towards Cambus O’May while I took Dot, Chrissy and Amy there by car. Very crowded, boys jumping off bridge etc, and distance was more than I had thought, so Dot, Chrissy and Amy started walking back. I found a layby where path came to road and amazingly proved to be almost exactly where the two parties met. All hot, so I gave lefts home in shifts to all except Barbara, who hurtled back on her own, setting a new world record for a cross between walking and running. In the evening had a fantastic meal at the Glen Lui. Drinks outside followed by meal in room on our own, and excellent service. It doesn’t get any better.
Sunday, July 21
Four left early (6.15am) for Edinburgh airport. Roger’s car had a flat halfway down the road, but fortunately David had a usable pump, and the tyre stayed up for the journey. Hot again, and we did very little except go to the shop for some food – on the way home as David arrived. Later emptied bottles at car park. Not much else: Froome completed win of Tour de France, England hammered Australia in Ashes and Mickelson unfortunately won the Open after Westwood led going into the final day. But he and Poulter came joint third. Dot and I switched to Murrays’ bedroom and a double bed.
Cyclists Amy, Oliver and Dot pause at Cambus O’May
Monday, July 22
A little cooler at first, but sunny and warm later. The five of us remaining hired bikes (£42) and rode down the old railway track to Cambus O’May and then Dinnnet and back – a total of about 15 miles. By the time we got back, Dot and I were quite sore and Amy was flagging (not surprisingly). She did pretty well. Three hours in all – followed by lunch at our favourite corner cafe. Watched bit of Wreck-it Ralph with Amy but kept going to sleep. Managed to keep awake during Dixit, tea and a showing of The Hobbit, but really pretty shattered by the end of the day. Not sleeping too well, for some reason.
Tuesday, July 23
The weather broke, with low cloud followed by rain and eventually a thunderstorm. By that time we had arrived back in Ballater after visiting Glen Shee cafe with a view to taking the chair lift. That proved impossible, of course, but Amy got to touch a cloud, so that was all right. Drove back via old road to Braemar, then over Crathie-Gairnshiel-Ballater road. Played games in afternoon, then Dot and Oliver and I went to La Mangiatoia to book for diiner. Got booking for 6.30 and had another excellent meal.
Wednesday, July 24
Warm weather returned, and David and the children sadly left. We had a walk in town first, a little shopping, mainly of the window variety, then lunch in our favourite corner cafe. Simultaneously two men arrived to lay vinyl in the en suites, three hours early, so we left them to it. Eventually (after our early lunch and after David left) the caretaker Mr Campbell also turned up, as did a gardener; Dot and I left them to it. We drove up to the Lecht and walked up a path to the top on the right-hand side: great views and a ridge walk with minimum effort. Back to the Log Cabin for a snack and then drove to a layby on the road to Gairnshiel, where we took a pic for a Spanish couple and read a bit, before moving into the valley by the bridge for a further read in the evening sun. Good shelter. Then home: watched Looper (one of my birthday presents from David): very clever and enjoyable film. Followed by watching last two episodes of Twenty Twelve. Still funny.
Thursday, July 25
A bit cooler and with some rain. Got up latish and notified caretaker that the vinyl-layers had left two sliding doors unsecured. He came later to fix them, while I was buying newspaper and a present for Oliver. He, his father and sister were meanwhile making good progress homeward and arrived at 2.30pm. By this time we were in the Fife Arms, having travelled to Aboyne in the hope of happening on some 3G and checking where the Boat Inn is. But it was very wet and dark east of Ballater so we headed for Braemar. Got free WiFi in the Fife Arms, so Dot caught up with her e-mails at some length.
After a snack we looked round some shops and then drove up to the duckpond, staying for a while before heading home. On the way stopped by forbidden bridge near Keilloch and saw a deer by the river’s edge, also three heron(?) in the air. In the evening met Ella and David at the Boat Inn at Aboyne and bought them supper. Ella in good spirits, but David didn’t look well, though he was bright enough. They knew many of the people there, of course, but the landlady asked me if I was local, which is a first. She had only been there three weeks.
Dot under a cloud on Capel Mounth
Friday, July 26
Mainly warm and dry with some showers. Had breakfast at cafe in high street, then drove to Loch Muick, making a picnic first. Walked up the path to Capel Mounth and reached a plateau after two miles. Sat down to eat lunch and it started to rain. Black clouds, so finished quickly and retreated fast, but still got fairly wet. Not cold, though, and quite fun. Drove back to Ballater and did some packing before getting fish and chips (I had egg, bacon and chips). Then watched a DVD we’d seen before before finishing tidying up.
Saturday, July 27
Started warm and bright blue, and remained so for most of the drive south to Killington Lake, near Kendal. Dot drove to just south of Glasgow (including a brief return to Ballater when I realised I’d brought a house key with me), then I took the wheel the rest of the way, popping in to Gretna to refuel. From Ballater to Scottish border was just over 200 miles. Diverted briefly to Shap, but having found nothing of interest returned to M6 and stopped at Tebay, “the best service station in the UK” – an accolade I would not disagree with. Had meal and lingered in shop and with ice cream, then continued to Killington Lake.
Here it soon started to thunder and lightning quite enthusiastically, and eventually rain poured down extremely heavily, confining us to our room. We took advantage of a brief lull to go and get a muffin and tea, despite finding the restaurant largely flooded. Returned to room with umbrellas and extra tea bags, awaiting promised accelerated downpours overnight. This was our 45th wedding anniversary, and one of the most memorable.
Amy shelters from the sun at Beechwood School speech day
Another eventful week, though not as intense as some – not all the time anyway. Most intense day for me was Thursday, when I drove to Warwick to see Andrew, who is still not making much sense, but is calmer. He is making regular visits to Minster Lodge and according to the manager, Helen, is quite a comedy turn there. So that’s all good.
I actually went to Minster Lodge to see Jan Sneath, from Coventry City Council, about Andrew’s money, which turned out to be even more complicated than I thought it was. The arrears that I was assured in 2011 were not counted as savings now are (they were arrears for a year only), so this could have had implications looking back. However, the council has decided to ignore this, which means he is self-supporting for another three or four months, when it will all have to be worked out again. Oh joy.
On the way home I called at Papworth Hospital, where our friend Geoff had not recovered from his operation, largely because it was rapidly followed by two others when they discovered other things wrong. As I was parking the car I met his wife Sophie. She took me up to see him. I was in the intensive care area for about 5-10 minutes before all visitors were ushered out as someone had a bad moment. Geoff was unconscious, sedated, and did not look good.
Afterwards I met Sophie by the duckpond – a beautiful spot in lovely weather – and we had a long chat before repairing to the restaurant for a light meal. She was very calm considering, but very tired too. The next day she left for a rest at home, only to be called back when Geoff had a “massive stroke”. He was transferred to Addenbrooke’s for an operation to stop the bleed, where he remains as I write. Sophie is with her daughter in Tunbridge Wells, hoping for a miracle.
As for me, I left her at 6pm and arrived home 90 minutes later. On Sunday we sung my new song, All will be well, at a service which really centred on Geoff and Sophie, and was a beautiful experience. It seems trivial to add that in the afternoon we watched Andy Murray become the first man in several thousand years to win the men’s championship at Wimbledon, surprisingly outplaying Djokovic. Media reaction continues at a high level today.
We had a lovely evening yesterday with Heather, Simon and Sam – first at the King’s Head and then at the Ali Tandoori. Again a very warm evening, and the conversation and food were of high quality. We all get on very well.
The highlight of the week, however, was on Saturday, when Dot and I travelled down to Markyate for Beechwood School’s speech day. We missed the speeches, happily, but enjoyed the end of a picnic on the grass (we ate our sandwiches at David’s house), then had a tour of the classrooms and a chat with one or two teachers. Very hot weather, and when the day ended with a visit to the Cafe du Lion, with Oliver one of the chefs, the tent was quite stifling. The tea and cakes were good, though. Vicky and her parents were there too, but afterwards the children, David and we went back to his house for fish and chips. We headed home around 9pm after a game of cricket with Oliver, who looks a useful bowler.
Today has been spent packing for our excursion north tomorrow. We seem to be taking most of our clothes.
The wee house at Ballater: our home from home for more than 20 years
End of an era. The wee house at Ballater has been sold – back to the council from whom it was originally bought. One can only hope they now do something constructive with the whole site. Today we received a parcel from Ella with a memento: a small column with a Farquharson crest on it. It will be really strange being somewhere else in Ballater. It’s like losing a home: we had become so familiar with it.
Meanwhile, Dot was sitting in the garden during a momentary burst of sunshine and slight heat yesterday when a Wildlife vehicle backed into our wall. No damage this time, but it heightens our suspicions that the fallen section mentioned earlier was indeed provoked by a collision. Maybe the cutting back of the hedge makes it easier for the rear of vehicles to reach the wall. Unexpected consequence. No word from NWT yet.
It seems a long time ago now, but David and the children left last Thursday after a really nice few days, and our ex-best man Fred arrived around 7pm the same day, staying the night so that we could all go the CNS Old Boys’ event at Dragon Hall the next morning. The latter was sunny but still pretty chilly, but it all went well. Dot immediately met someone she knew: Mary Thrower, who plays clarinet in the same orchestra as her. She is the wife of former classmate Neville, who I never knew all that well.
Adrian O’dell, the organiser of all this reunion stuff, gave us a tour of the Hall that was surprisingly informative, and we then had a talk from Peter Bussey on the Large Hadron Collider, where he has worked. He did well with a difficult subject, but it left our brains a little fuzzy. Then on to Yellows for a meal that was described later as “not quite Premier League”. But the company was good. As well as Fred, we spoke to (the Rev) Graham Drake, and others including Barnard, Chadwick and Cowell from the L stream.
We spent the rest of the day recovering from the food (amount rather than quality), but on Saturday we were out again – first at Winterton, looking unsuccessfully for an earring that Dot had lost earlier in the week, and later at the Kibbles’, where the conversation is even more filling than the food. The next two or three days were spent catching up with things that had been set aside while the grandchildren were here and exciting things were happening: I caught up with some Chronicle stuff and sent a potential blog to B J Epstein at the UEA. I was quite pleased with it, but I haven’t heard back.
Yesterday I struggled to get out of Norwich for a Chronicle meeting at Kay’s. Big hold-ups on the inner ring road and on the Aylsham road; so I diverted on to the Reepham Road and approached Wood Dalling from behind, as it were. Happily I was able to find Kay’s rather remote cottage without much trouble. We spent much of the meeting discussing the potential recording of a CD, and we did trial recordings of small sections that worked well in the end, after David (Kay’s husband) struggled to make the machine work properly. And he’s an expert. Why is sound technology so difficult?
We also talked about out plans for the year and allocated a few tasks. I am producing a script for Dragon Hall and printing some letters for reading at Paston Church at the open day in a couple of weeks’ time. We also fixed a date for rehearsal, which is good.
Now I am about to have my hair cut by Linda, then my shoulder massaged by Sharon. One of my better days.
Certain amount of déjà vu this week. It’s just as cold, but thankfully remaining dry. And again I found myself at Ranworth and the Castle Museum in Norwich (though not simultaneously). This time in the company of David, Oliver and Amy, who are staying with us for a few days.
We went to Ranworth on Easter Monday, and I managed to fulfil my promise by buying the map I had looked at with Andrew. This time it was priced! We spent some time at the visitor centre and then had something to eat at the church tea rooms. We caught the second shift coming on duty, and they kept telling us they had no idea where anything was, or indeed if it was at all, which suggests a certain failure in organisation. However, they were very friendly, and the tea was good.
Afterwards we climbed the tower – a steep process made even more difficult by the need to pass some people coming down. The children took this in their stride and made the summit easily. Needless to say the wind was blasting across, but the view was even clearer than last week.
On Tuesday we took the children to Winterton while their father did some work, and we had a good time as usual in the dunes while becoming increasingly aware of our advancing years. I fell over almost immediately while executing a body swerve, and then wrenched my arm while tagging Amy (or, looking at it from her point of view, not tagging Amy). Meanwhile Dot also fell over, though not so dramatically, and we discovered later that she had lost one of her earrings.
Earlier we had had baguettes and rolls in the cafe, which was packed – possibly because it had featured in a national newspaper recently as a top food spot. We always knew that, of course, but we had previously benefited from the fact that it doesn’t look it at all. Quite unprepossessing and lacking in style, but hey, the food is great, and so is the tea. Afterwards we drove to North Walsham and had even better tea with Jessie, followed by a visit to the cemetery.
Yesterday we took in the Castle Museum with Oliver and Amy and half the population of Norwich – presumably because it was still so cold outside that the beach was out of the question. Some interesting items for the children to tackle, and games to play, but the battlements were out of order and the dungeon trips full. We ended with some tea and cake and a trip to the shop before meeting Daddy in M&S and buying Oliver some trousers.
Then Dot, Oliver and I took the bus home while Amy, after some indecision, stayed with her Dad for further shopping. They arrived home just in time to join us for a meal at Prezzos and chocolate dessert at home. Meanwhile part of our rear containing wall has fallen down into the Wildlife Trust car park, but it was not hit by a vehicle. Oh no. Actually it may well not have been. We await a conversation with the NWT people.
On Easter Sunday we couldn’t persuade any of our guests to join us at church, which was a pity, because it was a nice service, led by Geoff, and quite well attended. It also featured some chocolate eggs at the end.
House feels very empty today. Dot is out working under her free governor’s hat, I haven’t done much except put a BBC producer in touch with a St Peter Hungate trustee, and David and the children are back home (or in two cases, at school). They arrived here on Thursday, and we had a relaxing three days, because it was too cold to do anything much outdoors. Nevertheless Oliver and I did manage a lovely 2½-mile walk up through the cemetery and Lion Wood, while Dot and Amy went shopping and David ventured into the city.
We also fitted in a very nice lunch at Prezzos on the Saturday, before listening to Norwich beat Everton 2-1 with a goal in the last seconds. Amy and Dot made a cake, and several games were played. Oliver is progressing well with his chess. He took away my old iMac: not sure his father was overjoyed by this idea, because it’s quite big, but Oliver seemed happy enough, though Amy wanted half of it to go with the new clothes Nana had bought her. Both children still delightful and growing up quickly: both enjoy writing and are creative as well as lovely. After a bit of uncertainty, they left at around 7pm on the Saturday and had a straightforward journey home.
Sunday featured the first of our projected post-service talks, and it was an impressive start. Louise Øhrstrøm spoke on St Julian, who she has translated into Danish, and there must have been about 60 people there, about a third of whom attended the Communion beforehand. Nicholas was in his impresario mood, which I have to say he does very well. Louise’s talk was very good, despite being quite difficult to listen to because foreigners, however good their English, always have a different intonation and flow. Good response generally.
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, we had an evening meal with the Higbees at Newton Flotman after having difficulty getting out of Norwich because of road works on King Street, creating traffic jams. Not feeling at my best ( I was a bit below par all week), but an enjoyable time as always.
Have finished Into the Silence, a book by Wade Davis on the attempts on Everest in the 1920s. Fascinating stuff and very thorough research. I learnt a lot about Tibet and the huge organisation that seemed to be required to even get near the mountain. The book casts doubt on several reputations, and makes others. The early section on the Great War left me extremely angry at the arrogant incompetence of the generals, especially Haig, but there was plenty of incompetence during the Everest expedition, not least from the people organising it safely at home (as Haig was safely behind the lines).
Having read the book, I doubt that Mallory and irvine reached the summit, though it’s not totally impossible. Amazing that Reinhold Messner (my favourite mountaineer) did the whole thing on his own without oxygen in 1980.
And so we inch up to the end of the year – quite slowly, in fact, as it’s not far off 11am, and I’m the only one downstairs. Of course we all need the rest. We haven’t been venturing out much because of the inhospitable weather, but there has been plenty of action indoors, mainly connected with gadgets of one sort or another, but occasionally new games invented by Amy, plus bursts of Carcassonne, Dixit and Coppit. Very pleased with my iPhone4, and Dot is rapidly becoming part of her iPhone5.
We had a particularly nice evening meal yesterday, which turned into a game of I-Spy and lots of laughter. Earlier we’d been to see Auntie Ethel, who noticed that the children had got much taller. She noticed this many times during our short visit, and tried hard to get us to eat something, but as we’d just had a sizeable lunch, no-one could be tempted. She seemed quite well physically.
On Sunday Amy was much exercised as tho whether she should go to church or not, but in the end decided against. So Dot and I went on our own. I preached a sermon on how we are liberated by being forgiven. Slight consternation when we discovered the key in the safe door and the silver missing, but in the end it turned out that Nicholas had placed the silver elsewhere and forgotten to lock the safe after the Midnight Communion on Saturday. Ho, hum.
On Saturday David and the children had been planning a visit to the Coomes at Bishop’s Stortford, but Jane rang early on with the news that Alistair had been ill or night, so this was abandoned. I spent quite a lot of time writing my sermon, but the others played a lot of games and amused themselves otherwise. Oliver and I also prepared a quiz for tonight. I hope I can remember the answers.
