Tag Archives: church

26 March 2008

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As well as snow over Easter, we had flooding too. Here is Oliver at Pull’s Ferry in Norwich, where the River Wensum came over the pathway.

I stopped writing yesterday before I’d quite finished, because we had to dash out to a meeting of our church ministry team – beautifully chaired by Bridget, who not only created an agenda on the spot but got through it in good time. The lunch at the Red Lion on Sunday was good, although hardly anyone got through it, except Joe and Ilona, who devoured some very English fish and chips. They were on good form and clearly enjoying their holiday despite the weather – or maybe because of it: Joe said it was colder in Germany. Afterwards our family went to St Augustine’s, where I had promised to clear up, but found it had been done. Instead the grandchildren got a lot of pleasure out of running up and down the hall. Clearly what we need is a running service. I must suggest it to the vicar.

Monday was the snowiest day, and Oliver and Amy had fun outside with Nana (see yesterday’s picture) before (a) it melted (b) they got so cold they had to come in. Later we debated what kind of expedition we might try, but ended up with a short walk up to the Red Lion and back on the Riverside Path (see today’s picture). The wind was bitterly cold, and we were glad to get back.

Over the weekend Oliver showed off his expertise on the computer. He now has an account on mine and can initiate chats and send e-mails, among other things. When they all went home they encountered a blizzard on the A11 just outside Norwich and nearly turned back (about 7pm), but carried on and found much calmer weather beyond Thetford, arriving safely. Oliver, who fell over and banged his head before Easter, is still feeling a bit fragile, which is probably the result of mild concussion.

On Tuesday I cooked a chili con carne for Ruth and Steve, two friends who have a new baby. We took it round, admired their house and baby, and then visited the nearby lighting store, where we bought four sidelights and two other hanging lights – one for the study and one for the kitchen. On unpacking them today, Dot has decided the sidelights are wrong (blueish and not white, as we thought), and so they will go back. Ho, hum. They were the only ones I felt sure about.

The weather is still unpleasant – grey, cold and damp. Dot is about to go in the city to meet some friends. I decided to stay in and get some stuff done for Sunday’s Ambient Wonder. Besides, the vicar is coming at 2pm to discuss the church website.

25 March 2008

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Grandchildren Oliver and Amy gang up on Dot outside our house over the Easter weekend, which was very cold indeed. Snow came and went, there was high wind and it was generally unpleasant. Nevertheless, it was full of pleasant things.

On Maundy Thursday Dot and I went to a meal at St Luke’s which was combined with a kind of meditation event afterwards. About 50 present, and food by Suzanne and Ali – therefore excellent. No-one was allowed to help themselves, so those who had perfected the art of looking hungry, or were sitting next to a generous and perceptive person, did best.

On Good Friday our family came to visit for an extended weekend. In the evening Julia and Barbara, a couple of friends, came round to share a meal with us, and on the Saturday I was involved with the Paston Medieval Fair and Open Day in St Margaret’s Church, sharing responsibility for a poetry and print workshop with Annette Rolston on behalf of InPrint. Had to get there by 9am. As I passed through Walcott, the sea was very, very rough and spraying the road. Chaos at the church as cars and vans unloaded in a situation that was totally unsuited – pretty medieval in fact. Added to the mix were mud and a gale-force, bitter wind.

Despite the conditions, visitors numbered over 500 – possibly 800, someone said. Annette and I were constantly busy, mainly with children wh0 wanted to print themselves a bookmark or letter/poem. Rupert turned up at the outset and helped us set up; Caroline and Lisa, with her family, came at the end. Mid-afternoon Dot turned up with the rest of our family – extremely brave of them – and Oliver and Amy printed some pictures – or at least Oliver did, and Amy chose some shapes to go on a bookmark, which Annette printed for her later. While all this was going on strange medieval events were taking place inside and outside the church – dancing and rabbit-skinning, to name but two. One particularly brave medieval group pitched camp in the graveyard.

Packing up took for ever, with a bit of hassle from the locals, who wanted their groundsheet back and their table in the vestry. But in the end I got back to Norwich before the others, who had been visiting Jessie in North Walsham.

No rest on Easter Sunday, when I organised our church service. Went quite well, but overran badly, which made us a little late for the second major event of the day – a family meal at the Red Lion in Eaton (a few yards from where my mother was born, as it happens). As well as the six of us there were Phil and Joy, Birgit and Joe, and Birgit’s brother Joe and his wife Ilona, together with her mother – these last three on holiday from Germany.

8 February 2008

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Dot and our friend Joan pictured during a walk down the Yare Valley from Cringleford to the University Broad yesterday. We returned on the other bank, through some woods and up on to Colney Lane, which has been closed to through traffic – making a rather exclusive and semi-private little community. Can’t imagine how that happened.

Joan, who taught with Dot at Muswell Hill around 1970, stayed overnight on Wednesday, after arriving just after lunch, which Dot and I had enjoyed with her aunt Jessie at Caffe Italia. Jessie was in the city to visit her husband, who was taken into hospital on Monday when his illness worsened suddenly. But he is doing remarkably well there.

Had a cup of tea with Jackie Willis on Tuesday in the massive Sainsburys store at Longwater – first time I’ve been in there. She has set up a company, Care Motoring, to teach driving in a more thorough way, hopefully improving road safety. Many of her clients are people who have already passed the test. We met some time ago when I was writing about road safety in the Eastern Daily Press.

Incidentally, the EDP has finally got round to mentioning that my page has ended after 11 years. They’ve put my farewell page on their website, and it contains a reference to my own website, though they may not have noticed. Seems a bit more satisfying: I had been feeling rather in limbo. I’ve been putting the occasional commentary piece on my website and hope to carry on doing so.

Dot has done another church school inspection – at Salhouse – which turned out to be a bit fraught through no fault of the school’s. She was pretty tired when she got home (Shrove Tuesday); fortunately I was cooking for our normal Tuesday invitation meal, and we all managed to stay awake. Well, more or less. Must have been the pancakes, courtesy of friend Bridget.

Last night we had a very lengthy DCC meeting covering a multiplicity of church topics. Never really enjoy these: I’m not very good in meetings and find it hard to balance between not taking part at all and being more forceful than I mean to be. We have agreed to drop our Ditchingham weekend this year, which will disappoint a few people, including us. Everything is changing, it seems.

Lovely weather yesterday for our walk down the Yare: a bit chilly, but dry and a certain amount of sun. It seems much the same today. An article in the EDP today said we need to get used to not having winter – so stand by for several feet of snow over half-term. Still, a case of wine has just arrived from Cooden Cellars, so we will probably survive.

Have been having an exchange of e-mails with Jeanette Eglington, who is Beverley’s half-sister and my cousin once removed. She also lives in South Africa and has given me more information about the family, which I am about to insert in my tree on Genes Reunited. Great to be in touch with her and Bev, and to find out more about the African branch of the Lentons.

24 September 2007

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This a picture taken by my son David of his son Oliver, who is clearly showing promise of solving Spurs’ striker problem. Nice balance, ball control, concentration – it’s all there. Meanwhile, England did avoid losing to Samoa, but Norwich City look candidates for relegation. They lost 2-0 to Wolves on Saturday and had two men sent off. Spurs scraped a win against Bolton (away) and could have done with Oliver up front.

Artists M & A came for a meal on Saturday night, and we spent some time discussing South Africa, where some of A’s family live. I also showed her how to use the InPrint calendar and e-mail facility. The InPrint site is on the brink of fulfilling its potential, with lots of news coming up about the poetry vending machines being placed in a couple of new spots, including the biggest bookshop in Norwich. (www.inprintartsandpoetry.co.uk)

Amy2, daughter of Vicky2, was dedicated at church on Sunday, with family visitors from far and wide. Lovely occasion: Vicky asked me to take family pictures, so I hope they come out all right. It was a beautiful day, and after the meal we went for a walk through the Rosary and to the nearby exotic garden, which we found because V2’s family told us it was there. It comes to something when you live about half a mile from an attraction and have to be told it’s there by people who live in Yorkshire (and occasionally South Africa). £4 entry, but probably worth it. Some unusual plants, original layout on the side of a hill and a splendid tree house. Always something interesting round the corner, including V2’s family, who must have thought we were stalking them.

In the evening Ambient Wonder on art, which featured (as well as some thought-provoking visual stuff) Bridget’s magnificent buns and juice.

6 May 2007

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Sneak preview of a small part of one of the exhibits at the upcoming Open Studios in Norwich – a combined work incorporating my poem, Unable to Find North. Or it may not be a part. The artist, Bronwen Edwards, took a very large number of pictures, of which fewer than 30 will be used, I believe.

Meanwhile Rupert, Lisa and I have installed the Poetry Vending Machine in St Giles Church for the Open Stuidios “taster” exhibition. It looks very good and was quite a hit at the private view on Friday, but it still has operating problems. We can’t rely on it to work if we leave it. Rupert is popping in with some WD40 and a screwdriver tomorrow, hoping to sort it out. Rupert is incurably optimistic.

Dot has been at Caddington having fun with Amy, but she came back earlier than expected, so we went to a poetry reading at Wells together on Saturday evening. Also superb sausage and chips. Wells seafront was idyllic: no wind, dying light. Poetry reading by Alan Brownjohn, who was witty in a very low-key way. Poems not terribly poetic but very amusing and designed for performance. Sarah Law was not really a performer: she appeared not to enjoy it, despite AB’s attempts to jolly her along, particularly in the questions and answers. Some interesting poems, though – many with a mystical bent – but the best were about her father’s death.

Church lunch today: nice community feeling to it. Nice to be among so many friends. Discovered I’d missed the deadline for the TLS poetry competition, but I don’t suppose meeting it would have affected anything. Should I have a go at the play-writing contest? I’ll believe it when I see it.

Apart from Wells seafront, the weather has been quite chilly over the last few days, and we are supposed to have rain tomorrow. Is summer over?

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.

4 February 2007

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For the record, this is Aspland Road during the recent spell of cold weather. Our house is on the left, with Dot’s snow-covered car in the driveway. My car is parked on the right. The road dips down to the river, and you can see the new town houses on the opposite bank.

It’s been warmer, but it’s very cold again today, and there’s a possibility of more snow this week. I was in Thetford yesterday, playing chess for Norfolk second team (Board 2) and managed to win the morning game, but lost the afternoon one. As I lost last Monday’s game and my win yesterday was the result of a blunder by my opponent, my poor run of form continues. However, Oliver is learning the moves. Perhaps he will take over.

Dot is better. I’m glad to say. We went to church this morning, and the music went very well. Quite a big congregations, and lunch to follow. I’m afraid to say we’ve spent most of the rest of the day watching TV – particularly Ireland beating Wales at rugby. Sadly, Spurs failed to trouble Manchester United.

Since my last entry, astonishingly, England have beaten Australia at cricket. I saw it, so it must be true. I have got together a few poems to enter into the Norwich Writers’ Circle competition and have also applied for a commission to produce a Norfolk poem for a Norfolk arts initiative which involves promoting the county through its arts. The commission is worth £2000, but of course a lot more well-known poets will apply. I’ve sent in three poems as examples of my being inspired by Norfolk landscapes.

Yesterday, after my chess exploits, we went for a meal with our former neighbours, Menita and Regis. They are Italian and French respectively, and there were two other people there – one Italian and one Brazilian. International, or what? A really nice evening, some great food, and I discovered that I shared an office tray with the Italian friend when I was at UEA! She is in the LIT department (as a translator) and our names both begin with L.

29 January 2007

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This is the promised picture of David’s new car – an Astra. Actually the first car he’s ever bought.

Dot is still not very well. She spent all day in bed yesterday with her sinus infection, and I would have liked her to stay there today, but she insisted on coming with me to North Walsham to put flowers on her mother’s grave. It’s her mother’s birthday today. Now she’s gone to have herself weighed, but that shouldn’t take long. Not that I think it’s a good idea.

I’m playing chess later and could do with a win, as I’m having a very mediocre season. But I’m not tremendously optimistic.

Yesterday I was doing most things at church. I was the only musician (using the word loosely); I also did the sermon and the prayers. In the evening I went to Ambient Wonder, which consisted of a labyrinth (there will be a write-up on it eventually on www.ambientwonder.org).

I have discovered that the name Lenton is very old, going back at least to the Domesday Book in 1086. It probably meant originally two or three pallisaded houses in a forest clearing – from two old English words which gave us “lea” and “town”.

There are two English places called Lenton – one in Lincolnshire, probably Leofa’s tun, but spelt Lenton since 1202. It is south-east of Grantham, near Ingoldsby. The other is a suburb of Nottingham, on the river Leen, which is a corruption of a Celtic word for a river or other waterway. My wild guess is that the Lincolnshire village was founded by someone who came from Lenton in Nottinghamshire. It’s not far away. Just follow the A52.