Strangely warm. Have just walked back from the city after lunch with Keiron at Costa Coffee in London Street, and I was actually reminded of Ontario. K has just gone to a three-day week at Archant and is not happy: I cannot say more. On the bright side, he is producing three books: a biography of an East End Jewish fixer (David Lidvitinov, possibly); a bumper book of dinosaurs for teenage readers; and (as editor) translated poetry by a medieval Hebrew poet from Norwich. Quite a range. He is also ecstatically happy (though in sleep debt) about his family: Rowan, Isla and Lottie.
Earlier I went with Dot and Anne to the pitch-and-putt at Mousehold, leaving them to swing clubs while I walked home through Mousehold and over St James Hill. Felt quite fit, which is nice.
Last night we had an unusual evening at Elvira’s, celebrating her birthday (on the 12th) and although she didn’t know it, our wedding anniversary. We had expected a few people from church, and indeed Phil, Nicholas and Debbie H were present, but so were several others we didn’t know – mainly from her Spanish class. Peruvian soup and bread, plus cake and banoffee pie, with wine and tea. Interesting evening, with Nicholas being questioned about his book and one of the other guests (Dawn) apparently receiving messages from beyond – at some earlier date – aimed at preventing her emigrating.
Slightly different ambience for our dinner at the Greenacres’ in Wymondham last Saturday, though death was not far away. Our host, David, had just survived a heart attack, and the mother of another guest, Denise, had passed on within the previous few days. Surprisingly pleasant in the circumstances. Denise’s husband Tim sort of knew Dot from the education world, and David’s wife Sheila is a head teacher I have done some work for.
Earlier in the day I had been working hard on a Paston walk I was leading on Sunday, and the pace did not let up on the day itself. It began with Howard leading a church service. As we hadn’t been there for a couple of weeks, several people wanted to talk to us, so I was late getting away and didn’t get to Paston until just after 1.30pm – the start time. Lurched into it a bit and got a date wrong, but they turned out to be a nice group (of about 8), and everything went well after that, though two of them lived in Paston and had more local knowledge than I did.
At Edingthorpe Church we were joined by Dot, who had followed me out at a more leisurely pace in the MX5, and we continued to Bromholm Abbey, where we had permission to look round for the first time. By then it was getting very late, and after dropping two members (to be picked up) we started back along the sea front, but a stiff wind was keeping the tide in, and it was clearly going to be hit-or-miss whether we would be able to walk up the beach as far as the gas site. To be safe, we went in to the road and walked along that back to the church. Happily the refreshment providers had stayed on to revive us after our 6½ miles. Satisfying, but very tiring, and Dot and I were both struggling to keep our eyes open as we drove home. There was a compline at 6.30, but we were just too tired to wait. Couldn’t compline.
Monday was Kathleen’s funeral at Earlham Crematorium. Ten family members – Paul, Josephine, Dot, me, Joe, Pat, Stephen and wife, Mark and wife – plus about a dozen from Park Church. Paul gave his usual forthright talk, which included some interesting stuff about Kathleen’s life. The service was led by the Park pastor, and we had refreshments afterwards at Park. One or two blasts from the past – Neville and Ann Barber, Ada Wurr (wife of David) and others. David is apparently permanently ill with brain damage after contracting an infection following a biopsy for prostate cancer: I felt very ill after both my biopsies – is this a hidden danger that no-one mentions? David still has the cancer, but it’s very slow-growing. Not a happy state of affairs – I can count myself fortunate.
Still working hard on paper (things like church finances, for instance) on Tuesday, and we had a very small Tuesday Group – just Carrie and Harriet. It went surprisingly well, with Harriet unusually talkative. Matt is still lodging with us but was out that night. He has had his bike stolen, but is not sure whether it was from here or from the pizza shop. Meanwhile from Cape Cod Barbara has booked a house in Devon for our big reunion next August. Some pretty strange e-mails are going back and forth.