My birthday weekend: the picture shows my two cakes, my two grandchildren and my son and daughter-in-law, concentrating hard on the matter in hand. Plus the back of Dot’s head.This was just after they arrived, early Saturday afternoon, and we had cakes, tea, and present-opening. I got lots of books, which is just right for me, plus a couple of DVDs – a film (from Dot) and In the Shadow of the Moon (from David) – which looks at the people who’ve been to the moon and has other features too. He also got me a book on how to build a spaceship, so he might be trying to tell me something. In the evening we had roast beef and pink champagne, which was delicious.

On the Sunday we all went to West Runton and made use of Fred’s caravan. First we had lunch there, then went down through the village to the beach and had a great time with the children in the rock pools and watching the tide come in. It was a beautiful day – blue skies and warm – and I took lots of good pictures. Unfortunately I did have a problem which may or may not have been a urine infection. It seemed to improve a little during the day, and in the end I took the first of two antibiotic tablets that I had been oversubscribed, followed by the second one this morning, when I felt quite a lot better, though I had slept badly.

Yesterday was not a good day for motor vehicles. First Dot nearly hit a car when emerging from Aspland Road with David as a passenger (Vicky and I were ahead with the children). Disaster narrowly averted. Then, or possibly just before, Phil had a crash at the Puppet Theatre roundabout. He was going straight ahead in the outside lane when a woman in the left-hand lane decided to turn right and hit him in the side. She was an American, lost and with left-hand drive, but no excuse. Happily another driver stopped and offered to be an independent witness. He also took pictures, I believe. Phil rather shaken and faced with a wait before his car is roadworthy.

Then just as David and Vicky were packing to go home at about 7.15pm, their car keys got locked in the car. They called the RAC, who came very quickly but took two and a half hours to break in and retrieve the keys. Apparently he could have done it quicker but didn’t want to damage the paintwork. Impressive security, though. At first the children watched proceedings, but eventually they went to bed and to sleep, which raised a problem when the keys were eventually retrieved at about 10.15pm. To go or stay? They decided to go, and left just before 10.30pm, with two sleepy children carried down from their beds. We got a text message at 1am to say they were home safely and the car was unpacked.

I now await sarcasm from certain quarters not a million miles removed from Nottingham about my use of a caravan, but of course there is a world of difference between a static caravan and one that is cluttering up the roads. That’s my story, anyway.