Spent the first three days of the week with Jennie C, who made one of her occasional visits to Norwich. The weather forecast had not been good, but as so often happens, it proved to be wrong. She arrived at about 1.30pm on Monday, and after lunch we took her to Caistor St Edmund for a walk round the Roman town. Because it had been so dry, you could see the outline of the streets in the grass, which made it a bit different. Afterwards, we walked up to the Saxon burial site on the hill.
Tuesday turned out very warm and sunny: we took Jennie for our second visit to Pensthorpe this year, and it was even better than last time, with many little chicks on offer – especially impressive were the avocets (featured in the EDP the same day) and the cranes. Jennie was a little disturbed by the geese and ducks who uninhibitedly tried to persuade us to share a sandwich with them. Later we went on to Blakeney, where we had full afternoon tea at the Blakeney Hotel. As a result I was not at all hungry in the evening, which was just as well, as we did not do enough jacket potatoes for the Tuesday Group, who turned out in unexpectedly large numbers. Jennie joined in the after-meal activities with some enthusiasm. A good evening.
On Wednesday I drove Jennie into town because she couldn’t manage the hill (angina), and she met Dot and Anne R, who had walked up. Not sure what happened after that, but Dot ended up with a new jacket. I was catching up with stuff at home. Maybe writing a sermon – or was that yesterday? Jennie left after an evening meal, and Dot and I flopped out on the sofa.
Yesterday was an odd day, when I suspect there was a brief increase in the strength of gravity, and I found it hard to drag myself into doing anything much. Started by taking Dot to the dentist, and then I went to the bank while she went and got a blood test. Not much happened after that, except on the computer. Checked bank statement, made some payments… Still not sure if I’ve paid my Barclaycard bill, because the site went down when I’d almost finished. Very annoying. It rained quite a bit too. My aunt Kathleen meanwhile has been diagnosed with lung cancer and probably has only two or three months to live.
Busy, busy. That may be why I feel heavy and listless. Have just been to Carrow Road with Dot to book tickets for the Swansea match for David, Oliver and myself. Only a mile and a-half there and back, and I feel exhausted. Am having my ears syringed shortly, but somehow I suspect that may not have any effect on the exhaustion. Haven’t been sleeping too well and have been having rather unsettling dreams, which is very unusual for me. Weather is still fairly warm, but not without some cloud and rain.
My eye test on Thursday went well: seeing is not a problem, and no new glasses necessary. No explanation as to why I have this burning sensation in my eyes in the evenings sometimes. Jennie arrived on Thursday afternoon: first time we’ve seen her for a while. Her arrival was somewhat marred by an event in the city shortly before her arrival: Dot was stung by a wasp. She was a bit worried at first because of Roger’s anaphylactic near-death experience, but was reassured by a pharmacist. However, the sting did become infected and turned quite unpleasant: swollen arm, very hot, very itchy. Had a bad night and went to see a nurse practitioner on Friday morning, just after I left for Coventry with Phil to take Andrew out on his birthday. Periodic phone calls revealed that she was not at all a happy bunny, and so it was fortunate that Jennie was there to keep an eye on her. The area of infection spread up her arm, and in the evening she called the emergency number, only to be reassured that the penicillin would not have kicked in yet. So a second sleepless night followed, and it was not until Saturday that the infection stopped spreading. It has still not quite subsided, and she is still taking the pills.
Meanwhile, Phil and I had a difficult drive to Coventry, having to take a diversion to avoid a huge hold-up on the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon – my least favourite stretch of road in the country and yet another example of short-sighted planning by the highway authorities. It’s the place where all the traffic going from the east to the Midlands and from London to the North-East has to share a two-lane dual carriageway. Who would have guessed that wasn’t enough road space? Not the highway planners, of course.
Andrew, however, was very well, and we took him for an excellent meal to Friday’s before driving to Corley Rocks, which we reached successfully despite Andrew’s directions or, in one case, because of them. One of Andrew’s favourite spots, it’s a bit tired but has potential. Unfortunately its potential is unlikely to be realised. The journey home was much easier.
On Saturday Dot and I took Jennie for a drive round north Norfolk. Jennie had a bad foot and Dot was still feeling groggy and very uncomfortable, so the ride was about the only option. We started by having a look at Paston Church, then lunched at the Ship in Mundesley (excellent again, with the waitress taking an interest in Dot’s arm and providing a welcome bag of ice. I had fish and chips again, and the other two had an imaginative starter followed by something sweet. We went on to Blakeney, where we decided we were not hungry or thirsty enough to take in any more and headed for home, just as it started to rain hard. Went via Holt and across country to Aylsham. Interesting. On Sunday we all went to church and tried out Nicholas’s new liturgy. Jennie returned home in the afternoon.
Annette at Oxburgh Hall
Monday was a beautiful warm and sunny day, and I drove to Oxburgh Hall to reconnoitre for the art/poetry Paston workshop in early September. I met Annette there, and we spoke to the NT’s top woman on site, who was very helpful. Annette and I had lunch in the cafe, which was a cut above, then looked at the nearby church. All fascinating stuff, and useful insofar as we now have a clearer idea of what we’re doing. Not clear, but clearer. Quite a pleasant journey there and back on the Watton road.
Tuesday started rainy for the visit of Pat and Barry Clayton and a couple of their friends. Pat was a college friend of Dot’s, and it was a very long time since we’d seen her. After an expansive cold lunch the rain had stopped (as forecast) and we all walked round the riverside path to the Playhouse, and then back down Elm Hill and through the Cathedral. A pleasant enough stroll, but again I felt very tired at the end. They left at about 6pm to return to their holiday address in the Harleston area, and Dot and I went to Vicky’s for Tuesday group. Tried to pick up Harriet, but she was in considerable pain in her legs, and Dot stayed with her while she rang the doctor. Also called in on the way back: the doctor hadn’t yet arrived, but she was resting and feeling a bit better.
Have finished reading a book by someone who visited the highest points of all the counties in the UK. Not nearly as good as it might have been, unfortunately. Now I’m on to Robert Holdstock’s Avilion, sequel to the wonderful Mythago Wood. Now he is a good writer. Even David Gemmell says so (on the cover).
