Not much movement this week, except for Dot, who drove to Northampton and back for p4c on Sunday and Monday. To be accurate she stayed in Market Harborough at a friend of Barbara’s on the Sunday. Her journey both ways was very slow, but on the plus side Barbara didn’t have food poisoning as she did in Wimbledon.
Before Dot left we had lunch with the Knox-Whittets at Heydon: a lovely meal of leak and chicken pie (among other things). There was some discussion about the next Chronicle episode, and we agreed a date to meet after I’ve sorted out the narrative a bit more more. I’ve spent most of the week getting round to it, but have been pre-empted by filing an income tax return; writing an unexpected article for Parish Pump on Prisons Week and a sermon for Sunday; visiting Bracon Ash to photograph the church and grave for Keith and Mary Chapman at Kingston; and two visits to the cinema.
After Dot left, the remaining five of us (James and Ann; Rob and Penny; and me) went for a walk into the estate. The sun was beautiful and although we walked only a short distance, we got a close-up of some cattle and the big house, and good views of two herons and a barn owl.
Everest was a good film, which we saw in iMax for £28.50. Dot had to rush out as the film was starting when we discovered that our 3D glasses were not the same as iMax ones. Really! Anyway the effects were very good indeed, though it was predictably hard to tell who was who once they had their mountain gear on, especially when the weather turned bad. Felt sorry for the climb leader, who (SPOILER ALERT) would have survived if he hadn’t been surrounded by idiots.
Two days later we were back in the cinema for an 11am Silver Cinema showing of Spooks: the Greater Good. This cost us £6, with a cup of tea thrown in. Well, not exactly thrown. It would be hard to recommend this film too highly. It was brilliant in every way if you like spy stories. No spoiler alert this time.
Today I went to the chemist to pick up some pills and discovered that the owner, a really nice guy called David Hamblin, had decided to retire, and it was his last day. We’ve always got on really well, and we swapped e-mail addresses. He lives in Claxton. Back at home Dot painted part of the wall by the stairs, and then we had our hair cut. This was followed swiftly by her exit to Little Plumstead for a governors’ meeting, which means we’re having a late supper. Probably very late, as there were about 30 items on the agenda. Ridiculous? Indeed.
There was a super-moon on Sunday night, but I missed it. I woke up at 1.30am and it was behind the trees. I nearly got up and went out, but didn’t. I woke up at 4.30am and it was in the sky but behind clouds, and when it poked through it was neither very big nor orange. Nor eclipsed. Dot didn’t see it either. She had forgotten about it.