Busy times continue, hence the delay in posting this. Dot is now working on her inspection report: she was at Linton infants’ school in Cambridgeshire yesterday, having stayed the night at the Crown Inn, where she was presented with a massive breakfast at 7.30am. Fortunately the school was a very good one, and so the report should not be too hard to write. But it may be her last inspection: the effort is becoming incommensurate with the reward, and the new system of organisation has made it less flexible for inspectors.
While she was away I attended a PCC meeting (Monday night), at which Nicholas’ plans for a new Sunday evening community were discussed and generally approved, and a lengthy meeting of Paston trustees with Peter Stibbons (yesterday afternoon) about a planned Paston DVD. I was also able to talk to him briefly about a copy of my Norfolk poetry book that I had sent to him some time ago (he is also a publisher), and he recommended someone else, who I will try. A slow process.
Dot got back from Cambridgeshire in time for a Tuesday Group at the Archers’ last night. The Group has settled into a fairly constant eight: the Archers, Dot and I, Vicky, Judy, Ian and Harriet. Last night we watched a Rob Bell Nooma video, about bad reasons for attending church (among other things). He does that sort of thing very well.
Before Dot went to Linton on Monday evening we went shopping and I bought some slippers from M&S that turned out to be too small. Yesterday I took them back and changed them, which turned out to be remarkably easy. Later I did some shopping at Morrisons: I had mistimed it somewhat and it was a big rush to get to the Paston meeting, but I did just make it, despite the usual ditherers doing a constant 45mph on the road to North Walsham and even less between NW and Paston.
We had actually been to North Walsham on Sunday too, calling at the cemetery before taking tea and mince pies with Jessie and showing her how to work her new Samsung tablet. To be fair Roger had already shown her, but apparently rather too quickly. Earlier we had been at a Remembrance service at St Augustine’s, where Stuart gave a talk on a parishioner who died in France shortly before the end of the war, having experienced little fighting in the Middle East up to that point. Fascinating stuff, despite being delivered in a less than charismatic way. This was followed by some more of Carrie’s legendary soup, which again gave me heartburn. I mean, soup?! How can that happen?
Incidentally, I have recorded my new song, Woman at the Window, and given a copy to Phil. We may use it on our next Seagull visit.
The previous days had also been much concerned with church, of one sort or another. We had one of our visiting speakers at St Luke’s on Friday and Saturday – this time Cyprian Consiglio, a monk and musician from California. I didn’t hear an awful lot of what he said, but what I heard was extremely interesting, and his guitar-playing was brilliant. Phil, who is much more of a technician than me, was extremely impressed.
Phil was actually organising the volunteers for CC, and I gave him a hand on the Thursday (preparation) and nearly all Friday, when I had a chance to chat to the delightful Archie and Cathy Cameron, from Agape, who record the speaker events. Turns out they were born in the Gorbals, Glasgow, at almost the same time as Dot, and they spoke glowingly of the community there, where they also grew up. Dot’s Mum had also said how kind the people were.
Meanwhile on the Friday Dot was leading a Nafpht conference at Mangreen on Philosophy4Children. She had been extremely nervous and spent loads of time on preparation. She did the morning sessions entirely on her own, and Barbara came in the afternoon. Needless to say, it went very well, and she has got some good feedback, plus a possible booking at a Yarmouth school.
On the Saturday I popped up to St Luke’s at lunchtime to see if Phil needed help, and I assisted in clearing away the tables downstairs. I had intended helping at the end (5pm), but suddenly remembered that Dot and I were due to attend a thanksgiving event for Norwich Youth for Christ, of which she was formerly a trustee. This included a buffet at 6pm, much earlier than I had thought. It was at the Gateway Vineyard church in Nelson Street (formerly Mount Zion) and was very enjoyable. Spent some time talking to Don Guyton about Surrey and related things. The service was pretty far removed from the contemplative approach of CC, but was very well done, including contributions from choir and an excellent worship band. Interesting how they used old songs which I knew from my childhood – but in new settings. Lovely atmosphere. NYFC do a great job.
Way back last Thursday I attended a meeting of Paston trustees without Peter Stibbons, and we went through a lengthy agenda which included attracting new trustees and allocating new roles following the departure of Jo Berry and Lin Pearman for health reasons. I am now the secretary, and managed to produce some minutes which approximated roughly to what was said. Not as easy as it might be, as Lucy is difficult to follow at times.