Tag Archives: pastor

Two good walks in excellent weather

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,
Halfway through the Sunday walk, Dot, Julia and Dave pause to take in the sun on the path near Wells quay

Have just survived the annual Blakeney weekend with nothing more than an annoying cough and fuzzy head. No real reason for this, because we had a very good time in excellent weather.

It started a day early, really, after I dropped Dot at the hospital for her annual check-up (following a mix-up over appointment time) and drove out to Paston to see Lucy and pick up the costumes she’d borrowed from Dragon Hall (later returned there). Lucy wasn’t too bad, but is about to leave for a couple of weeks away with her brother and sister up north. She wants to buy a house in Mundesley, but the complications of it all are taking their toll.

While I was with her the nurse arrived and waxed eloquent on the appalling slow driving that constantly held her up. Clearly a top nurse, and she did the job well too. I left while she was still in action and drove to the Kelling area to try to find the start to a walk I’d planned. This proved strangely elusive, and I was feeling rather faint from lack of food (possibly) so I stopped for a bap and tea at a garden centre (you can tell how desperate I was) before heading home.

Dot and I intended to look again for the walk start on our way to Blakeney the next day, but we were held up by a series of slow-moving vehicles and in the end went straight to the hotel, arriving in rain. But we were not dismayed: the forecast was good. So we paid our usual visit to the Blakeney Hotel’s upstairs lounge for scone and tea – bizarrely, Lucy was there with a friend. For an ill person, she doesn’t half get around.

I had been told by Sharon – physiotherapist and tide expert – that there were some very high tides due, so Dot, Dave and I walked down to the quay after evening meal, but it was too early. Very inconsiderate tide-plannning by whoever is in charge of that. The next morning were were away from Blakeney before it repeated itself. We parked in the layby just outside Holt and walked through by the Spout Hills path, where we encountered some enthusiastic bracken-cutters. We declined an offer to join them and continued into the town, where we found some excellent but very expensive furniture and had coffee etc at Byfords, as you do.

I fetched the car and picked the others up in town to proceed to the start of the walk, which I had now tracked down on a map and turned out to be about a quarter of a mile from the garden centre I had visited the day before. Very pleasant five miles-plus, walking downhill off Kelling Heath, crossing the coast road at Kelling and reaching the shingle beach by the Quag. Julia, in open sandals, had trouble with the shingle, but we persevered until we reached Weybourne, where we walked up into the town and had lunch at BunTeas (get it?).

BunTea (or Zoie, to give her her real name) proved extremely loquacious. We stayed awhile, then proceed up the road and then by a narrow and rather overgrown path up Telegraph Hill to the railway line. Quite a steep climb in places, but from the line an easy stroll back to the car.

When we stopped in Cley so that the Vigorous Three could look at some shops, I discovered that I had lost the hotel key. After getting a substitute one from the hotel I retraced our steps (the lay-by, the start of the walk, Byfords) without success. I was about to give up when, back at the hotel, I made a last, in-depth search of the car and found the key beside the driver’s seat. It had apparently fallen through a hole in my gilet pocket that I didn’t know was there.

The next day’s walk came courtesy of Dave: it was one they had done previously on their own and took us from Holkham (following the obligatory drink) along the beach to Wells, which was extremely crowded around the famous beach hut area. From there we walked into town along the straight path, pausing for breath at one point on a sunny bench – it was a warm and bright day – and then finding a tiny garden cafe just off the main street, where we had a rather refined lunch.

After considering briefly whether to catch the Coasthopper back to Holkham, we decided to walk it. After a longish stretch on the road we reached a wide, straight  and level path into the Holkham estate, crossing back to near our starting point. Unbelievably the other three had the energy left to look round Adnams’ shop. I found walking across the road to retrieve the car much less exhausting. We ended with an ice cream / lollipop at the cafe.

We then made an attempt to drive through the estate as we had done many times before, but were stopped by  a security man who said this was no longer permitted. Instead we circumnavigated the estate on country roads, establishing that the place is indeed massive.

We all went to bed fairly early. The hotel more or less shut down at about 9pm, but it is still pleasant enough, with good food and comfortable rooms. Next day the others had to leave for home (or in some cases Aylesbury) after breakfast, so we were away quickly too, calling in at Holt to buy two rather nice lamps from Bakers and Larners – Dot negotiating a discount rather impressively.

We were home at lunchtime, and both of us pretty tired. Dot organised her lamps, of course, and I unpacked, but after that we did a lot of sitting down, savouring the twin delights of Vettel dropping out of the British Grand Prix while in the lead (recorded)  and Serena Williams being knocked out of  Wimbledon by Sabina Lisicki (live). Laura Robson could have got through to the next round, but she made a hash of it.

The women, not the drugs

Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,
Dot in the grounds of the UEA during a recent walk. Can’t explain the sun.

Not a week that will trouble my top ten. For some reason I was feeling down at the start of it, and this was exacerbated when I got a good position in my chess game on Monday and, needing only a draw for a team win, proceeded to lose concentration completely and go under very quickly in a pawns-and-bishop ending.

The week “ended” with a visit to the doctor yesterday. My blood pressure has gone down – thanks to my daily walks – but he still thinks I need another pill, as well as some work on my arm/shoulder, which has been giving me trouble. At the moment I am resisting the additional pill (I didn’t take it this morning) but he thinks I’m taking it, which is not the best situation. He is working on statistics, which I don’t have the greatest faith in.

I also messed up Thursday, when I could have gone to see the new Archbishop at the Forum and/or the Cathedral, followed by Sam S playing with his band, The Upgrade, at the Waterfront in the evening. Both opportunities were squandered in typical fashion. Instead, I got a mysterious call from A Ethel’s number in the evening while Dot was at a governors’ meeting, and when I tried to ring back (the call ended after a couple of rings) it just rang and rang. After consulting with Angela, I went with Dot (who had just got home) to see what the problem was and found Ethel sitting on a chair in her petticoat, with the apparently broken phone in her hands and saying she hadn’t rung us. So that was fine. No, it really was.

In other news, I have managed to complete a flyer for the Dragon Hall day, barring a few minor additional bits of information. On Monday I went with Rob to the Norfolk Record Office for a progress meeting for the autumn exhibition there, and that went quite well. Lucy couldn’t go as she is in a bad way with another infection and a bad prognosis from her doctor.

My nephew Sam stayed with us for a couple of nights, but spent most of the time with his parents, of course, organising the purchase of a new laptop for Joy and a new gaming computer for Phil. It was Phil’s birthday on Tuesday: he is 61. I got him a CD he requested, some wine and a rather esoteric book about remote islands which took my fancy in Waterstones.

I’ve finished a biography of Leonard Cohen – I’m Your Man, by Sylvie Simmons – which was beautifully written and compulsive, as well as telling me various things about LC that I didn’t know. I had an idea about the number of women, but not the quantity of drugs. That’s where I went wrong.

I e-mailed the UEA lecturer who spoke to us about translation and attached my “translation” of the Lord’s Prayer from Aramaic. She asked me to do a guest blog on it, which can’t be bad.

Natural break … Just had our hair cut, and this evening we are participating in a Quiz and Chips Night as part of the Roger Mason-Liz French-George-and-Fiona team. Jude is setting the questions, so it should be interesting.

Walking in the city

Uncategorized, ,
Dot and Barbara discuss the next Philosophy4Children session

Another longish walk today, as the air gradually gets colder and the weather people warn us of a weekend of snow and ice. Dot really wanted to walk on the beach, but was dissuaded by tales of bitter winds retailed by her aunt Jess who, at North Walsham, is more than halfway there. To the coast, I mean.

So instead we walked into the city, had lunch at the Forget-me-Not Cafe (pâté and toast) and then proceeded to the bank to pay in a cheque, then on to St John Maddermarket, where we happend to meet Kevin Maddams driving a van – a coincidence made sharper by the fact that I had a cheque for him from St Augustine’s (for a Developing Consciousness ad in his magazine, Outline).

After a spot of reminiscing Dot and I proceeded up the hill to Pottergate and on thence by an unusual but interesting route to The Avenues, where I put a cheque for St Luke’s through Nik Vitkovitch’s door. By this time Dot was showing signs of tiredness, so we made for Unthank Road, and a bus home. About four miles’ walking in all.

For those worrying about my eye (see last post) I can reveal that the sore has miraculously vanished, or dropped off, as we light sleepers tend to put it. Meanwhile Dot is in the midst of Philosophy work. Last Sunday she and Barbara drove to Dudley, stayed the night and then put on a session for a local primary school, from which the feedback was uniformly brilliant. They got back to Norwich at around 7pm on Monday, and by tracking them I had managed to cook them a meal which was almost on time.

Barbara stayed the night, and the next day they were off again, this time to Thurton (a bit nearer home) for one of a series of sessions there. Our weekend with the Coomes will extend to Monday because they are meeting in North London to do another session at a school in Leyton. I will probably leave for Norwich earlier in the day and then pick Dot up from Metfield in the evening, snow permitting.

I have been slightly less mobile, managing only a trip to Paston to look at Pater Stibbons’ new (supplementary) Paston website and learn how to work it. Lucy took notes which she was going to send me but hasn’t yet, perhaps mainly because she has been to Papworth today for a technical medical problem. Instead her daughter Naomi has been in touch, asking if we know anyone who could accommodate a friend at UEA. I passed it on to Nicholas to announce at church on Sunday.

At a smaller-than-usual Tuesday Group I assayed toad in the hole, which was very well received. I quite liked it myself. Meanwhile I have written to Maureen Basford, keeper of the Harlestone burial records, giving her more details of the Archer family. She seemed interested. I must get back into looking at my family history and sorting out what I’ve discovered, which I believe is quite a lot more than I remember.

I should also mention that I have now responded to all the Christmas messages I can find, be they small remarks on cards or parts of much longer and more detailed epistles (with pictures, in some cases). I am also participating with Joy McCall in a tanka series, which is not so full of liquid as you might imagine.

Enthusiastic and full of ideas

Uncategorized, , , ,
Poor quality picture of top quality girl: Amy in tea cosy and glasses

A couple of visits to the surgery in the last couple of days: the first to see Dr Hampsheir to test my blood pressure, which was up a bit but not too much; the second for an all-purpose blood test. Awaiting results with unbated breath, in a similar way to my awaiting  a dry day – knowing that such things exist but are unlikely to happen any time soon.

Yesterday it teemed down while Rob picked me up and transported me (with Lucy) to the Norfolk Record Office for a meeting with Dr Alban about our planned Paston exhibition there at the end of next year. That went very well, with all parties enthusiastic and full of ideas (no, it doesn’t sound like me, does it?) Tomorrow I am meeting Natasha Harlow to discuss Dragon Hall.

Still raining today (despite misleading patches of blue sky) when I took Dot up to purchase her iPhone 5. This took well over two hours, partly because the guy serving us did not know an awful lot about switching from one phone contract to another, then because we couldn’t open Dot’s old phone to get the old sim card out and find out what the model was, then because Dot couldn’t remember her Apple password …. well, you get the picture. The whole process involved most of the people in the Apple shop at some time or another, but we did eventually emerge into the early evening, where it was – yes, you guessed. It was raining. We picked up a bus outside Debenhams.

This gave Dot a relatively short time before she had to go out again to a governors’ meeting at Little Plumstead. If I were to say she was calm and relaxed, I would be lying. She does seem to have been very busy again this week. But at least she has an iPhone5, and before she went out I managed to switch on her contacts.

Bob Brolly and the birthday party

Uncategorized, , , , ,
Katy Wakely with her mother and brother at her 40+ birthday party in Ditchingham village hall

Yes, it is still raining. Funny you should ask. Not surprising, since April is the cruellest month. While I was staying dry by not going out the other day, however, I did make an interesting discovery in the family tree area.

For a long time I had been wondering why my father’s parents were living in Mansfield before they moved to Norwich, since his mother was born in Sheffield, and his father’s family was long established in the area immediately to the west of Peterborough (Yaxley, Normans Cross, Folkesworth…). Then I discovered when looking at newly online records that my grandmother’s parents were not from the Sheffield area: one was born in Shirebrook and the other in Kneesall. What do these two small places have in common? They are near Mansfield. What could be more natural that the newly married couple should go and live either with or near the wife’s parents’ relatives? Well, it makes sense to me.

Meanwhile, back in the 21st century, we had the church annual meeting and dinner at St Luke’s last Tuesday, while Dot was in Thames Ditton, preparing for a philosophy session. Good meal, but a longish “farewell” to John and Jean Easton, who weren’t really going anywhere, but were stepping down from several church posts because they had reached the age of 70. Took Ian and returned with both Ian and Tim Mace, managing to return the jacket TM had left at our house several weeks previously.

On Wednesday a remarkable event that turned out badly for me. I went to the doctor’s surgery to get my blood pressure checked, and arrived a quarter of an hour early, intending to go to the loo and then sit quietly, breathing deeply, until I was called into the surgery about half an hour later if I was lucky. Wouldn’t you know that I was called when I was in the loo, which obviously pushed my blood pressure up, or at least stopped it going down. Very annoying. I am now on another pill, which may be irritating my stomach. I’ve had a couple of bad nights. We shall see. What was remarkable? Being called into the surgery a quarter of an hour early. Almost unheard-of.

Despite the weather I did take part in the Reading the Past in the Landscape walk at Paston on Saturday, which was just as well, since the guy leading it didn’t know the path back from the edge of the cliff. I felt almost useful. Also climbed Stow windmill, which was nice, though greyness restricted the view. Refreshments were at Lucy’s.   The confusion over St Peter Hungate has not been totally resolved, but it’s heading in the right direction. I’ve left Rob sorting out the publicity with Lucy, which seems like a plan, as the Murrays would say.

In the evening we took the Greens to Ditchingham village hall for the 40+ party of Katy Wakeley, who is the granddaughter of our former church member, Maud Lincoln, and sometimes comes to church with her mother Chris. Like Maud, Katy is mainly in a wheelchair: she has ME very badly. She got out of it to cut her cake on this occasion. Chris and Ray were also there with Phyllis, and there was some dancing to an Irish band led by Bob Brolly, which is his real name. He also broadcasts on Midlands radio. They weren’t bad, actually. I don’t know if I mentioned this, but it was raining. Hard. All evening. Bob Brolly asked me to lead the men in singing Happy Birthday. Strangely, I was not at all nervous about this. Times change.

The party food was excellent, but for some reason my stomach reacted badly to it and I was awake for much of the night. After communion this morning I didn’t feel up to going to Fakenham for Caroline’s party, so I made my excuses and stayed home. Dot is busy working on her DSSO visits for the current term.