Very strong winds today – and heavy rain. The Wensum is extremely high. The picture is of a spot near the Bure at Coltishall, taken when we were staying at the Norfolk Mead Hotel in November, in much calmer weather.

January has been exceptionally unsettled, though reasonably mild. On Tuesday I went with Dot to her church school inspection at Hilgay, near Downham Market. I had originally intended to walk in the Fens, but there was a lot of rain on the way, and although it stopped around lunchtime, the mud remained – and the forecast led me to believe that more rain was coming (though it wasn’t). So I contented myself with parking at Denver Sluice – a remarkable spot where several rivers or cuts meet, and eating my sandwich before venturing out to take a few photographs.

I then drove down to Ten Mile Bank and continued down the narrow road to the west of the river as far as Littleport. The Fens give the impression of being sparsely inhabited, but this is an illusion. Almost everywhere the road widened or there was a place to park, there was also a house of some kind – often quite impressive and usually with its row of protective trees. Sometimes the road was on the top of the bank and you could look down on to the Ouse; sometimes it was below the bank and probably below the surface level of the river. Some new houses were being built along there – not the place I would want to live, with the constant risk of flooding.

I drove back along the A10 and stopped in a layby to read, then back to the Little Chef near Downham Market, where I intended to use the facilities – only to find it was shut. So I drove back to a turning to West Dereham and went for a short walk, then parked a layby just outside Hilgay, with a view of the River Wissey and its line of forlorn-looking boats.

There is something seductive about the Fens – I think it’s the openness and maybe the feeling that you’re just outside civilisation.

On the way home we drove through Necton and down to Watton so that Dot would know the route when she travelled from one school to another next Monday. Since then, however, one school has cancelled. Still, it was a route I hadn’t travelled before – so worth doing.

Today we picked up the MX5, which had been scratched and dented by someone when it was parked outside our house. We also find that one of our guests has broken a tap in the bathroom and left the water running, which is a little annoying. I’ve stopped the water running, but not sure I can fix the tap.

Because Dot had my car yesterday I walked to the chiropractor and back into the city to do various chores – a total of just over four miles. Nothing exceptional in that, except that I was carrying a box of suspension files for the last mile and a bit. Pretty tired when I got home. Dot is now writing her report, and then we shall go to Park Farm for lunch.

Oh, and I should mention that England have won a cricket match – not against Australia, of course, but New Zealand. Only just, and after a valiant attempt to lose, but nevertheless a win.