Tag Archives: liverpool

No time to catch breath

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Heather and some other guy
Heather and some guy

Forget what I’ve said about busy weeks in the past. This week just never stopped. On Tuesday Dot was in Liverpool, philosophising very successfully. In the morning I went to the Archant coffee morning and exchanged photos with Brian and Robin. Meanwhile the Hendersons borrowed out permit while they went to Buckingham Palace (on a tour). In the afternoon I was up in the Forum with Rob, Peter, and Karen, discussing the bid for our forthcoming project and becoming more and more doubtful that we would be able to complete the work in time. Afterwards I stayed in the city (bought birthday card and book for Oliver) until the launch of a book at Mandells Gallery: Searle on Norfolk School etchings, published by Susan Currran’s company.

Earlier in the day I had almost sorted out the saga of the MX5, and the photographer came and took pictures at 7pm. The next morning I rang the insurance company to find they had at last done something quickly and had looked at the pictures and agreed the car was repairable. However their nearest approved repairer was in Halesworth (unbelievable).  I agreed to go along with this: said repairer was due to ring me back, but instead they rang Dot’s mobile (unbelievable). She was at Aldborough, delivering more philosophy, but managed to give me their number. I rang back and we fixed a time for them to pick the car up: Thursday the 10th!! (unbelievable) It’s a good job we have another car.

When the man from British Gas came to overhaul our system the following day, he pointed out that one of the tyres on the MX5 was flat! This was a new tyre, and it couldn’t have been affected by the accident. So another problem to sort out. On the plus side, he seems to have done a very good job on the radiators, though there is  weird trickling sound…

While he was working Liz Day came round for a cup of tea and in-depth discussion. All discussions with Liz are in depth. Later Dot went to the funeral directors with Rodney and Angel and took a couple of hours to sort out details of the funeral, before returning home just in time for Linda to cut our hair. Later we went to Morrisons to stock up on food for two lots of visitors.

On Friday I delivered the Paston magazines to Rob’s at North Walsham and then picked up Dot’s pills from the chemist. In the afternoon I called to see poet Joy and her husband Andy, where I had a cup of tea and pleasant talk. Before I left Nick from the printer happened to call round and I was able to tell him how everyone at Paston had admired the mags. At some time that day I believe I had a longish talk with a lady at Coventry about Andrew, during which I agreed to represent him in any discussion about what was best for him.

In the evening our neighbours Bob and Mary and Des and Chris came round for drinks and nibbles, and we demolished four bottles of red wine between us, though I feel that neither Dot nor I had a sixth of the total. Pleasant evening, ending at 11.40, when Des and Chris went home.

Yesterday, with the weather pretty chilly (as it is today) Heather and Simon came for lunch, but not before I had walked to Morrisons and got some last-minute food. Had a really nice time with them, and we ended by walking up with them to the Jeff Koons exhibition at the Castle, which ends today. On the whole, it was better than I thought it would be. Later Anne called round for tea and talk.

Today started with my leading the service, preaching and writing the prayers for Dot, who is feeling a bit under the weather. Afterwards she drove home while I went to a PV at Mandells Gallery by Kate Coleman and chatted with Martin Laurance (and Kate). To be honest, I’m not feeling 100% either, but thought I’d go to the Seagull tonight to round the week off! Dot is staying at home.

Scraping the barrel

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More fireworks. You can't beat a good firework.
More fireworks. You can’t beat a good firework.

I’ve just been to Morrison’s to get some mushrooms and tea, and have noted that Dot is on her way back from Liverpool, though I haven’t heard from her. She and Barbara have been delivering some philosophy to some staff at St Helens; they’ve been doing it all day, and now Dot has to drive back. According to the app, she’s now in Swincliffe Crescent, Cleckheaton, which doesn’t seem to make sense. Ah, well.

Earlier today I visited the doctor again and got in to see him only 35 minutes late. Apparently there is nothing wrong with me. My ultrasound scan revealed only a slight fattiness in the liver (no real problem), and the urology people have not got back to my GP, so that can’t be anything urgent. Or it’s so weird they can’t believe it. I suspect the former.

Quite cold today (and yesterday), but a vast improvement on the weekend, which was almost constant rain, just right (not) for the visit of David, Oliver and Amy. We got the table tennis table out again; so that was all good. But we stayed indoors on Saturday morning, and in the afternoon, during a brief break in the wetness, Dot, David and Oliver went to see Norwich draw 3-3 with Brighton while I spent an hour in Hobbycraft with Amy. She was very careful and wouldn’t let me spend any money on her, but she ended up with a white Christmassy branch / tree, some snow, some lights and some other stuff, which we manoeuvred home.

In the evening we all went with Philip and Anne to Prezzo’s, where we discovered that our favourite waitress was on her last shift and was moving to Nando’s. May have to give that a try.

On Sunday we had to scrape the barrel to get a service together. Ruth was supposed to be leading, but she was in Wales. Then Howard was supposed to be leading and preaching, but he was in London with a family crisis. Phil was in Bristol, and Dot was looking after our family; so I ended up leading and playing the guitar, and Anna did a lectio divina in the sermon slot. Add two unsuspecting readers, and it went quite well.

Our family departed just after 2pm, and the journey back seemed to go reasonably quickly. It was still raining, but Dot and I both decided to go to Soul Circus at the Cathedral with Judy. David and Bridget were there, and it was enjoyable, though I think it could be improved.

Last night I got the bus to attend a Science and Faith lecture at Holy Trinity, where I encountered Peter Bussey and Rod Kibble. It was a very good talk on the mystical experiences that people with epilepsy sometimes had: the speaker was excellent, relaxed and witty and not afraid to use the three words “I don’t know” when he didn’t. Thought-provoking. Annoyingly I forgot to take my phone; so my two-mile walk home did not register on my Moves app.

Going back in time, we had a coffee and compline at Claire’s on the Tuesday and a haircut on Wednesday – just in time for Dot to make it to orchestra rehearsal. An unexpected bonus.

Ann and Jim meet Paul

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Ann ventures into the Yare, enticed by a dreadful compulsion
Ann ventures into the Yare, enticed by a dreadful compulsion

My cousin Ann and her husband Jim from Liverpool have been with us since Monday. They arrived at about 1pm, roughly ten hours before Dot got back from her successful P4C visit to Essex and Kent. I’ve been feeling pretty mediocre, but no problem in carrying on – not that we’ve done much. They seem very happy to do a minimal amount, but perhaps that’s not surprising , as they’re 75 and 87 respectively. Suits me! I have booked a urology consultation at Cromer in November.

On Tuesday we went round to see Paul, but he was out; so we drove on to Earlham Park, where we had an ice cream after sitting by the river bank. Ann actually paddled in the Yare  for a while, as she can’t resist water, apparently. The situation would have been idyllic had it not been for a number of rather ugly dogs and their owners frolicking in the vicinity.

Later I walked down to the Rivergarden pub at Thorpe for the launch of Trevor Nuthall’s new history of Thorpe St Andrew. He gave a nice talk, and the book turns out to have a lot of information on Thorpe Hall, a former Paston seat – which is what I had hoped. Also present were EDP photographer Denise Bradley, unbelievably a grandmother now, and Nick Williams from St Peter Hungate. Among others.

On Wednesday all four of us walked up to the Castle, hoping to see the Birds exhibition, only to discover that it had just finished. So we looked round generally, had a light lunch and bumped into Caroline and her two brothers. Some drama as a woman collapsed in the cafe. I overheard a member of staff observe that the person dealing with it had two speeds: stop and slow. It did seem to be a long time before she was dealt with.

Dot left early to do some work at home, and I took Ann and Jim round the pretty way over the Julian Bridge – “pretty” being a totally inapt description of the approaches to it, which are still in a disgusting state.

Yesterday we did manage to find Paul in – I had phoned to fix an appointment the day before, but he didn’t respond to our ringing the bell and knocking until I phoned him from outside, and he still claimed not to be able to see us from the bedroom window. However, once he came down we had a good chat for about 45 minutes; so it was worth while.

Earlier we had gone with Dot to Whitlingham, where we had a short walk and then a snack from the cafe. It was very hot again, but once more the setting was spoiled by a huge number of dogs, many of them just as ugly as the ones at Earlham.  Dot walked part of the way home as part of her exercise, and the rest of us continued to Paul’s.

In the evening we went to Oaklands for a carvery, which was a bit of a curate’s egg. Possibly 5pm is not a good time to catch the food right. Coincidentally (or not) I had diarrhoea during the evening, but that could have been a plum that had gone off. I also wrote most of my sermon for Sunday.

Today I went for a blood test, and experienced a world record, in that it was early. That just never happens. Dot then went to give Sam and Jessica Vesey some P4C experience as part of their home schooling: I was due to go to the UEA with Rob, but Karen was unwell; so it was postponed. Instead I took Ann and Jim for a ride on the route they will have to take to reach the A11 tomorrow and then dropped them in the city. They still have not found their way home. Dot is in the city with Anne. I am due to go to Halesworth this evening to read some poetry.

13 May 2008

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This my cousin Ann and her husband Jim, who are staying with us for a few days. The weather has turned slightly cooler today, though it’s still pleasant enough, and dry. Jim and Ann (Rumsby), who are from Liverpool, are in the city at the moment. Ann is my father’s eldest brother’s second daughter. The family left England for Africa in 1948, when I was three.

Jim and Ann arrived on Sunday, and yesterday we went to see a mutual aunt – not entirely successful as a visit, but successfully completed. I also got some more information about my grandfather and grandmother, though I’m not sure how accurate it was. In the evening I was supposed to play chess, but the guy I was playing had double-booked, so I returned home and we all watched Out of Africa, which Dot had bought on DVD partly because Jim and Ann had spent many years in Africa. We’d all seen it before but forgotten most of it. I’d certainly forgotten what an excellent film it is. In the morning I had given Jim and Ann a walking tout of the city, during which the picture above was taken – on Riverside. Have already sent several pictures to her youngest daughter, Dawn, who is very interested in family history.

This morning Phil and Joy came round for tea / coffee, and the man has just been to service the alarm.

David was very ill over the weekend with a painful kidney stone but is now much better. This morning he went for a CT scan and was told the stone was just above the bladder, and he will probably have more pain before it goes through. But at least he’s sure what it is and knows what’s happening. Still not at all nice, though. He’s relatively pain-free at the moment.

I have a date with my consultant on Friday week, after he gets the results of my two tests. On Sunday I was prayed for in church using oil, which felt very good. Nice Pentecost service, well led by Howard.