Tag Archives: garage

Return of the black car

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The railway carriage in which Edith Cavell's body was brought back to England, together with the unknown soldier.
The railway carriage in which Edith Cavell’s body was brought back to England, together with the unknown soldier.

At last our MX5 arrived back this morning, and it seems in good nick, though we haven’t driven it anywhere yet. We got a call from the garage just after 8am, and after trying to persuade them to deliver it this afternoon, we settled for as early as possible – around 10am. It eventually arrived at 10.30am, by which time Dot had left for the Archant coffee morning. After signing a few documents and paying some money I followed her up and arrived around 10.50am, to find Maryta and Paul, and Tricia and Brian already there, with the Limmers following soon after. A very large gathering altogether, and we booked for the Christmas lunch in the canteen.

The Hendersons came back for tea/coffee, and on the way home I picked up our new cordless vacuum cleaner from Doddle in the station (a drop-off shop). I am developing a cold-type thing, which is getting irritating – sparked off by dust from the garage clear-out, I think. Got tired out walking home yesterday and had to lie down. Slept for over an hour.

We had been to Jamie’s to meet Audrey and Bent for lunch, which was excellent: steak frites and a blackberry and apply pavlova. Afterwards we said goodbye to Audrey and Bent (who are buying a caravan at Beeston Regis) outside Jarrolds, paid in some cheques, visited the Forum for an architecture exhibition in which Roger’s redesign of Jessie’s bathroom features, popped in to a mini-display about Edith Cavell in a railway carriage parked outside, bought some birthday cards in Jarrolds and walked home.

Not much happened earlier in the week except for the garage clear-out, which was pretty tiring and is not yet finished. I have had some interest on freecycle for old tapes and German books, but nothing definite yet. Still, we’ve thrown away a lot of paper and have plans for disposing of more stuff.  But the weather today and yesterday has not been inspiring, with much drizzle and gloom.

I preached on Sunday morning and got good reviews, and on Saturday Dot watched Norwich lose 2-1 to Leicester, thanks to more bad refereeing. The England rugby team also knocked themselves out of the world cup in a predictable kind of way.

Guildhall controversy riddle horror

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Dot at the BBC, with Mary Thrower and Julia Ann Houseago
Dot at the BBC, with Mary Thrower and Julia Ann Houseago

I should probably not have contested the date of completion of the Guildhall during the lunchtime quiz at the CNS Class of 61 reunion event on Sunday. I have now been earmarked as a troublemaker and almost a sore loser, despite the fact that getting the question right would not have given our team anything like the total of the actual winners.

In case you’re surprised that I should have the faintest idea when Norwich Guildhall was finished, or care, the information happens to be part of the Paston Walk round Norwich that I devised some time ago. And it’s 1453, since you ask. However, the quizmaster had 1412, because that’s when the basic structure was completed. However, the windows weren’t put in till 1453, and if you think a house without windows is finished, I invite you to live in one. I tried to remain dignified about it, but my case comes up next week.

Just kidding. It was an excellent day, starting with a tour of the BBC and ending with a tour of said Guildhall (which should have settled the matter, but didn’t). In between we had an excellent lunch at Loch Fyne. We were accompanied by Fred and Sue, who had been intending to stay the devious night but in the end arrived early on the Sunday morning, following a mini-crisis with Sue’s aged mother. And about 34 others, of course.

On Monday, which was a bank holiday, Dot decided to spring-clean the garage. It was a pleasant, sunny day, but everything has gone downhill since then. On the plus side, the garage is much clearer, and I have sorted all my tools out. I have 27 screwdrivers. Dot is well on her way to sorting out her sewing basket (once you get started on this sort of thing … ). On the minus side, there is a massive amount of stuff heading for the tip or the charity shop, it’s raining, and one of my car tyres is looking very flat. I’ve tested it, and it’s about 14 psi. The question is, does it have a puncture, or is it just losing interest?

It’s Julian Week, and I’ve been to three talks at the library – one by Karen Smyth on the literary aspects, one by Sophie Cabot on the world Julian lived in (I thought it was going to be about Norwich, but no) and one today on the link between Julian and T S Eliot – Little Gidding in particular. The guy who gave today’s talk read Little Gidding, which was worth the walk through the rain on its own, but he had some interesting things to say too. Dot managed to get to two of the three, and we’re going to one tomorrow. Eleanor was there today, and Lucy Edwards yesterday.

The talks are in the library – an environment that turned out to be surprisingly loud. Today a man turned up 25 minutes late for a 20-minute talk, which meant he plonked himself down after the talk was supposed to have finished and about three minutes before it actually did. I’m sure he had a good reason for this, as I’m sure the mother did yesterday who thought a talk about a mystic writer was just the thing for her toddler. People are weird.

Returning from yesterday’s evening talk, Dot and I had an impromptu evening meal at Prezzos, which was unexpectedly nice.

We had our hair cut at the second attempt yesterday, and we’ve paid for our holiday in Iona, thankfully organised by Anna. I was astonished to discover that to get from Norwich to Glasgow by air, you have to change at Manchester. That’s like going by train to Brundall and having to change at Trowse.

Dot did the first of a series of P4C sessions at Little Plumstead school on Tuesday, and she had neglected to pick up her blood pressure pills on Saturday. So I was outside the chemist when it opened and took the pills to Little Plumstead. Also a large piece of card that wouldn’t fit in her car.

Heard today that Oliver took two wickets at cricket against another school and ran someone out with a direct hit. Excellent! Meanwhile Amy has been taking part in an athletics meet at Chesham. Good little mover.

Words in the night

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The moon seen through the windmill at Thurne
The moon seen through the windmill at Thurne

It’s just after 4am, and I’m shattered. Haven’t slept for the past two hours. I’ve just finished my antibiotics, and I guess I’m feeling a bit more healthy, but I’m quite down at the moment. I have a very heavy feeling in my abdomen. Today I have to give a talk to some people at Halesworth, and I’m quite nervous about it, because I’m not entirely sure what’s expected. The guy organising it is one of those people who assume you know what he’s thinking. I’ve never met him or any of the people involved.

Yesterday was a bit of a disaster too. I made a bit of a mess of the hymns, Howard hadn’t chosen a reading and various other things weren’t right. The day was somewhat redeemed when Dot and I went out in the afternoon: it was a sunny and warm day (18C), and we started at Billockby, where we visited a ruined church recommended to me by Joy McCall and then went on to Thurne, where we walked from the church and down along the river bank. Stunning, really.

I had a blood test on Friday; no doubt that won’t show anything , which of course is good in a way. On Saturday Dot and I went out to North Walsham in the afternoon, visiting the atrium and the high school, where they were showing some old photographs of the town. Ran into Jessie (among other people, including Brian Gaudette[?] from EN subs) and we went back to hers for tea and biscuits afterwards, accompanied by a friend of hers who turned out to be Richard Batson’s mother-in-law. We all listened to the football. Norwich City managed to throw away a cast-iron win by giving away a penalty.

In the evening Dot and I went to the Cathedral for Night Vision, a Soul Circus event featuring hi-tech sounds and visuals from Robin Vincent and a communion presided over by Suzanne Cooke, who seems to have taken to being a vicar like a natural, which of course she is.

Another Lent event took place at St Luke’s on Wednesday, and I attended while Dot was at orchestra. This was an Ash Wednesday communion, and attracted a surprising number – somewhere around 50, including Howard and Anna, and Anna’s sister Nicola. Had tea afterwards and walked home: at least I can walk a fair distance now without feeling exhausted.

The garage door was fixed on Thursday and looks quite good, though of course the frame now needs painting. Dot is undecided between brown (like the window frames) and green (like the gates). Later we picked up three pictures that have been framed, though we haven’t actually got round to hanging them anywhere yet.

On Tuesday last week we had a meal that was definitely not a Tuesday Group affair. Oh no. However, Bridget, David, Vicky and Claire did come, and we had pancakes. This coming Tuesday I am playing chess in a cup match. Not really looking forward to it, but they were desperate.

Yeats knew a thing or two

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Crocuses in the Rosary
Crocuses in the Rosary

Sunny and relatively mild the last few days. Went to the doctor yesterday and got some antibiotics, but didn’t feel I’d really explained the problem properly. I’m having a blood test on Friday, so that should reveal anything underlying. I get tired very easily.

Before going to the doctor’s I drove Dot to a meeting at Thorpe High School, and she walked from there to pick me up from surgery, arriving only an hour after my appointment but while I was in with the doctor. I had been in the waiting room for almost an hour, which may be a record. After lunch we walked into the city, and she got her feet looked at while I paid in some church cheques at the TSB. Dot then spent some time looking round the shops while I returned home and did some work.

Part of the work was preparing a financial report for the DCC last night. That was well received, but they are easily pleased, I’m happy to say. While waiting for the doctor I wrote a couple of poems, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

Dot and I went to a poetry conversation at the Playhouse on Friday, organised by the UEA.  Adrian Ward and two people from the Seagull were there. There was some interesting stuff, but as usual with such things, one or two people dominated and the talk kept going off at a tangent (“things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” – W B Yeats).

On Saturday, after getting some groceries for Joy and Phil because the latter is ill in bed, we drove to North Walsham for a visit to the cemetery – followed more importantly by a meal with Jessie, attended also by Roger and Liz. Ate far too much, of course, but a very pleasant time. Jessie is having quite a lot of problems with her eyes, probably as a result of an allergy to her most recent drops.

On Sunday the vicar made an appearance, following his recent excursion to Aspen, Colorado, but the congregation was ushered out rather sharpish to make way for a baptism at 1pm, which seemed kind of odd. In the afternoon Dot and I went up to the Rosary with flowers for Mum and Dad’s grave, followed by  a glance at a house on Thorpe Road that had caught Dot’s attention.

We have extracted Dot’s car from the garage, though she collided with one side of it in the process. Now it is in a holding pattern by the roadside, because the replacement people are coming on Thursday with two big vans and need the space. Hence the arrangement mentioned in paragraph two.

Garage gives up ghost

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Hickling Broad recently
Hickling Broad recently

Well, I did make it to Caddington, and very glad I did. We actually went down on the Saturday morning and stayed till teatime, after the children had been picked up by Vicky. Had time for a good chat with both Oliver and Amy, and Oliver showed me what Minecraft was all about. I now sort of understand it. David showed me how to use Evernote, which is more exciting than it sounds.

Dot drove both ways because I still wasn’t feeling good. In fact I’m still not feeling good. I think I’m getting over it and then I suddenly feel quite ill, with a lot of pressure in my abdomen and feeling shaky. Then I have crackling in my head. Paracetamol is quite good. If I weren’t going to see the doctor next Monday, I would probably have been in for an emergency appointment by now.

I’ve been well enough to carry on with most things, though. On Sunday I played guitar and led the prayers. On Monday we had our hair cut, after Dot had taken my glasses into Boots and got a new screw fitted (they fell apart in church on Sunday). And after we’d taken three pictures to be framed and returned the projector to the church hall so that Stuart could use it. On Tuesday I didn’t do much either.

Yesterday Dot and I went to the cinema at midday and saw The Monuments Men, about saving stolen art from the Nazis. Very good, but not brilliant. I would like to have seen Kristin Scott Thomas in the Cate Blanchett role, but then I like to see Kristin Scott Thomas in anything. The minor roles were particularly well played, and our use of the Odeon card enabled us to get two free tickets!

Arriving back from Morrisons in the rain on Tuesday, I opened the garage door, and it convulsed and spewed out some nasty black, oily tubing. I managed to feed it back into the hole it came out of – at the cost of getting very oily hands. Internet research revealed that attempting to mend garage doors can result in death or serious injury (I exaggerate slightly), so I contacted a local firm recommended by Colin Wright. A guy came this morning, and we have ordered a new door, which should be with us by next week. Meanwhile, I can open the current door and get the car out, if I’m very careful.

Now I have to find a plumber to fix the tank in the loft.

Kay has “resigned” from Chronicle – probably temporarily – for personal reasons, and Dot will probably be doing some reading and maybe violin-playing for our next performance. Not till September, probably, when we’re booked into Oxnead Hall for our new still embryonic Oxnead collection. Meanwhile I’ve been working on getting it into some kind of order, which is quite tricky as most of the stuff we’ve written is about one end of the timeline. Yes, Sir Robert.

I’ve also managed to produce (today) a financial report for the DCC on Monday. No news from Howard on transferring the account. Did I mention that Howard and Anna had invited us to go to Iona with them in June? They have. Looking forward to it. It’s going to snow tomorrow, allegedly.

Wind from the north ends warm spell

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View of the Wensum from the Jarrold Bridge while the sun was still warm.

Spots of rain on the window this morning, and now a decidedly cold wind from the north. Our early summer is apparently over. And we have a fuel crisis to go with the cold wind. Or should I say a “fuel crisis”, because it’s entirely created by a stupid announcement from the government that it might be a good idea to stock up in case there was a tanker drivers’ strike. So of course the usual suspects queued at petrol stations to put in £2 worth while those who genuinely needed it for things like travelling were given unwanted deliveries of stress and frustration.

No, this is not the anger of a man with an empty tank, surrounded by closed petrol stations. As it happens, I’m not in dire need at the moment. But I do sometimes despair at how stupidity seems to thrive in this country, at every level.

Nor is a lack of fuel the reason Dot and I took another long bus ride this week – travelling to Cromer in the sun on Thursday for lunch at the Rocket Cafe and a visit to the town museum (travel and museum both free). We did venture briefly on to the beach, but despite the sun the first signs of returning chill were already evident, and although we succumbed to an ice cream, we had to find a warm spot out of the wind to eat it in. The journey was very easy and pleasant, and I suspect more bus trips may be in the offing. We have also renewed our railcards…

We resorted to the car last night, however, for the annual meeting of the Paston Heritage Society, held at the Ship Inn in Mundesley with chips and chippolatas, plus a talk from Dr Richard Hoggett and a few remarks from myself on the future events we have planned. A convivial and quite brief occasion: we were home by 9.15pm. Good to see all the supporters out, and Brigette and Ruth resplendent in something other than medieval dress.

On Tuesday we did a little bit to support Norwich Christian Resource Centre, which is at risk of closing. The Tuesday Group (or six of us) went up to one of their evening events instead of having our usual meal and heard a story of how one woman escaped from the genocide in Rwanda, and the unexpected forgiveness she subsequently felt. We bought her book (Miracle in Kingali), published by Anthony Gray, who had himself been held hostage in China. Strangely I had heard Robin Limmer speak about him quite often: I think he formerly worked for the EDP.

Trying to help CRC again by donating secondhand books, but Joy is coming round this afternoon to see if she wants any of them. Having quite a clearout: our friend Carrie has just collected my big old desk to give to a family of asylum seekers from Egypt, and she has also taken one or two other things, including a camp bed and some bookshelves. Dot has managed – with a little bit of help from me – to lay our old kitchen carpet in the garage and get things much clearer in there for when the grandchildren join us next week.

I was the only St Augustine’s representative at the PCC on Wednesday, which I suspect just about kept it legal, and I put forward a motion (passed unanimously) to enable us to obtain cash from a charity which has been lying dormant for years and use it to pay for hall repairs. Now I just await the minutes to carry it all through. I hope. Dot, incidentally, was at Hopton, helping on behalf of the diocese with shortlisting for a head’s post. She is keeping pretty busy, so I have tentatively arranged some time in Scotland in France, in addition to our Devon holiday later this year.

5 November 2007

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Partly – though perhaps not entirely – because I’ve been feeling lousy, I have not made any progress with novel-writing five days into novel-writing month, and will probably abandon the attempt, concentrating instead on writing a short story for the Fish competition, getting a collection of poems together to submit to a publisher and writing a Christmas drama. So if I’m galvanised into something, it will have been worthwhile, and if David finishes his novel and makes a million I shall bask in reflected glory. I can do basking.

I’ve been feeling vaguely sub-fluish, with a floaty head (no picture, unfortunately), occasional nausea, pains in odd places and particularly severe pains in my lower back. Dot thinks this is to do with my weight, but I am not fooled. Anyway, I am feeling a bit better this evening (she prayed for me before going to Weightwatchers) and will shortly be off to play a tournament chess match, if I can avoid the fireworks.

Yesterday I managed Communion and the church lunch. Read one of my poems in the service – immediately following Rufus Wainwright’s version of the Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah, which is not where you want to be – and all went well. Didn’t do much for the rest of the day, other than catching up on recorded TV programmes. No, I didn’t feel like writing. Norwich CIty came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Ipswich, so Glenn Roeder, our new manager, is clearly the Messiah.

Today we went to Park Farm, then to visit Dot’s cousin R. On emerging form his house we found it had started raining. Chilly too.

Oh, yes – the picture. Another one of our refurbished garage to demonstrate that I do sometimes play cars (and trains) with Oliver, whatever he says. It’s hard on the knees, though.

27 October 2007

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As promised / threatened, here is another picture of the garage, now with floor completely painted and refurbishment complete. Did I say complete? Since this picture was taken a number of improvements have been made, including curtains hiding the big door, rotation of the desk, and a number of items moved from the house to the garage. Still looks pretty good, and I’ve managed to dispose of the Strimmer, the logmaker, the hose and some old magazines on Freecycle. In the end I decided to keep the leaf blower and see how it works on this autumn’s leaves.

My study now also looks several thousand times better (no picture), and I’ve started work on what might become a novel or might not. I’ve also written a couple more poems to go with work by Joan, and I’m quite pleased with them. Fairly quiet week on the whole: the weather has turned a mite chilly. Yesterday our neighbour of 19 years moved out and the house is standing empty, though apparently the new owner is expected any time.

Dot is with her friend Barbara at the moment, and I’ve been catching up with stuff I need to read. I also popped over to the cinema to see if there was anything on worth seeing, but it’s a typical half-term: wall-to-wall rubbish.

Tomorrow evening we travel to Caddington, to return with Oliver the next day. He is staying with us until Thursday, and Dot has a programme scheduled which includes the Dinosaur Park and several aunts. Dot’s cousin came round on Thursday and stayed for a meal.

23 October 2007

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This is Alderfen Broad, where we walked just over a week ago. But this last weekend was even more special: Amy’s third birthday.

We arrived at Caddington about noon, to be greeted by two delightful grandchildren. One of the great things about grandchildren is that they’re always so excited to see you. We shall make the most of this before it wears off. Already they seem quite grown up: Oliver a mature five and Amy an enthusiastic three. She got a giant doll’s house for her birthday from her parents, and we bought her a couple of dolls for it. Oliver also bought her a doll. Amy can’t get enough dolls. She also got a CD player; now both of them have one, which makes things quite noisy, as of course one can’t have it on without the other wanting theirs on.

In the evening we watched England lose to South Africa in the rugby world cup final, which wasn’t altogether surprising, but it was a much closer game than might have been anticipated. Added to Lewis Hamilton losing the world championship the following day, and it wasn’t a great British sporting weekend. Norwich and Spurs also lost.

Julia and Dave came over on the Sunday and we had a second party, with the cake making a reappearance, complete with candles. We left early to organise the evening’s Ambient Wonder event, which went surprisingly well, with about 20 people turning up and a variety of things to do.

Yesterday Dot reorganised the garage, and I cleared out my rooom, which was satisfying. Later I lost a chess game, which wasn’t. Today I have been through lots of old papers that have been lying in my room for a long time. Some interesting stuff and a lot of rubbish, now sorted.

19 October 2007

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The garage is completed, and looking good. The picture was taken about an hour or so before completion, with Colin just having to finish the painting of the floor. Very nice to have it done: Dot can’t wait to get out there and rearrange everything, so further pictures will undoubtedly follow. Hard to contain your excitement, I know. Everything has been painted and tidied up, with strategic wood and shelving installed and a proper door into the boiler room.

While this was going on, I discovered that what seemed a minor problem with my teeth turned into a crown replacement and root canal work, which will cost about as much as the garage. At the moment I have a dressing on the tooth, where it will remain until the fateful day, November 12.

I managed to overcome my excitement by going with Dot to Great Bircham in West Norfolk, where she was carrying out a church school inspection. We stayed overnight in a B & B which was quite nice without being overwhelming, and had dinner on Tuesday night at the King’s Head Hotel opposite. It was absolutely delicious. We had hurried over there in the rain and had to wait about three quarters of an hour before the restaurant opened, but it was worth it: the staff were extremely friendly and helpful, and the chef top-class. I had beautifully done duck breast after a starter of probably the best ceasar salad I’ve ever had. Good wine too.

The following morning our “private” bathroom was invaded by another guest. I was about to contest the word “private” with the owner when she apologised for the other guest not knowing where her own bathroom was and using ours instead.

While Dot was inspecting I did an eight-mile walk taken from the EDP, some of which was on the Peddar’s Way. I hadn’t realised quite how heavy and prolonged the rain had been the night before, and there were a number of tricky points where I had to skirt standing water with the aid of my long pole (first time I’d used it). Halfway point was a tiny village called Fring, with a charming duckpond and a church on a hill. The whole walk was a bit up and down – unusual for Norfolk.

As I’d neglected to take any kind of sustenance, I was pretty rired out by the time I got back to the King’s Head, where I’d parked my car. Had a pint of Adnams (the sort of thing I do only if I’m very thirsty) and plaice and chips with mushy peas in the bar. Could have done with somewhere to clean up and have a bath, but of course there was nowhere available. Went for a short drive and then met Dot at the school around 4.45pm. We drove more or less straight home.

Yesterday I spent most of the day working on my page for Monday, plus putting the finishing touches to some poems, and Dot went down to Gillingham for a fairly brief governors’ meeting while I cooked the meal (which she’d prepared). Today I helped Colin out with unloading his lorry then made sure everything was ready for Ambient Wonder on Sunday. Dot drove out to her aunt’s to get a present for Amy, whose birthday is on Saturday. We head for Caddington tomorrow morning, armed with a pavlova and some wine.