Tag Archives: cake and compline

Hoping for inspiration from wall paintings

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Looking at the wall paintings, prior to writing. Anna Metcalfe is obscured behind Lucy.
Looking at the wall paintings, prior to writing. Anna Metcalfe is obscured behind Lucy.

Quite relieved because I’ve just sorted out the problem of YouTube going silent. Followed advice on the net and it came back. Anyway… the weather is autumnal, Dot is at Thorpe High School and I am waiting till it stops raining so that I can go up and pay some cheques in.

Last time I posted we were about to go for compline and cake at Judy’s. That went very well: good to have such a nice group of friends. Only Claire didn’t make it. The rest of the week consisted mainly of catching up with a huge list of to-do items, none of which are of much interest. We did have our hair cut on Wednesday (postponed from Tuesday), but that was only moderately exciting.

On Friday we had a delicious meal at Cafe Rouge with Angela and Rodney. It was the city’s firework night; so it was a bit of a struggle getting up there. Several roads were barricaded off (even for pedestrians), and there was a persistent drizzle. The restaurant was packed when we arrived, but it emptied shortly afterwards, presumably with people going to the fireworks or to the theatre, where there was apparently an appearance by a Strictly Come Dancing star, to use the word loosely.

Angela and Rodney were late because they were in a long queue to get in the car park at Chapelfield, but they arrived halfway through our initial glass of champagne. Excellent food and very good service by a smiley Polish waitress. Had a good chat about Auntie Ethel’s remaining money and what to do with it. Angela is very conscientious and efficient. Afterwards they came back for coffee.

On Saturday I braved heavy rain to go out to Mundesley for w PHS writing workshop run by Anna Metcalfe from UEA (organised by Lucy). Fortunately the rain stopped by the time we had to go up to the church to look at the wall paintings on which our writing would be based. Eventually the sun came out, and Anne ran a good session. I was impressed. There were eight of us in all, including Diana George and Naomi.

Meanwhile Dot was watching Norwich beat Swansea 1-0; so that was all good. Neither of us was very hungry; so we had a teacake before walking up to St Andrew’s Hall in the evening for The Dream of Gerontius by Elgar, performed by the Norwich Philharmonic, with Paul Henderson one of the basses. Made you realise what a genius Handel was, but the performance was excellent. I liked the contralto soloist in the role of an angel, but Dot didn’t. Afterwards we went to the Hendersons for a drink and nibbles. Got to bed a bit late.

After the Remembrance service on Sunday I discovered that Howard was intending to step down as churchwarden. Apparently I had been suggested as a possible successor, but Dot has forbidden it. It is in fact no temptation at all – and anyway, they may not ask me. The problem is, no-one wants to do it. Ho hum.

We went to see Jessie in the afternoon and had mince pies. She is very good at mince pies. I had three.

Idyllic evening at Wells

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Nearing Wells beach. East Hills in the background.
Nearing Wells beach. East Hills in the background.

Norwich City have just gone 1-0 up against West Ham and then been pegged back to 1-1. It’s half time. Dot has just finished doing some sorting in the garage, I’ve pruned the roses in the front and we’ve both been into the city to purchase a white board that will stick on the wall (for p4c). On the way we met Mairead, who was about to go to London for an overnight celebration of Freddie’s 13th birthday, and Martin and Lena, who are about to go to Thailand on holiday following the death of Lena’s mother in St Petersburg.

Death is in the air: June Wallace has died, and we will be heading to Ipswich for her funeral on Wednesday. Ethel’s funeral last Wednesday went off very well. It was sunny, and the little church at Bracon Ash looked beautiful. The vicar was excellent, and I read a poem written by Dot’s mum. David came up from Caddington and was able to stay for the reception at Park Farm Hotel in Hethersett. The Hendersons also came but left Park Farm before the food after they realised there were plenty of people there (Angela had worried there would be too few). Spoke to most people, especially Donna and Andy and Ian and Tina Limmer.

Not many more  people turned up the following day for the Archant summer tea party at Dunston Hall: probably about 50, against more than 100 for the average Christmas dinner (now discontinued). The food was nice, and I sat at a round table that included Julie Bedson, Frances Pearce, three printers and the new CEO, Jeff Henry, a Scot who is very easy to talk to. Frances Dyer and Ann Gilliam (formerly Walsh) were at the next table with Terry Reeve, but that about made up the total of those I knew well enough to talk to. No EDP subs at all.

Lot of eating this week: Cake and Compline on Monday at Claire Carrington’s, and cake and fish and chips for Dot and me at Wells yesterday. The cake followed our purchase of a Godfrey Sayers painting at the quayside gallery, and the fish and chips (shared) followed a subsequent walk from the town to the beach. The tide was very high, and the sea was calm. Bubbles of gas or air were rising to the surface by the boardwalk on the main beach, and we watched the sun glinting off fishing vessels returning to harbour. Pretty idyllic really. (Final score 2-2.)