Tag Archives: wroxham

Embarrassing moment in Loch Fyne

Uncategorized, , ,
River Bure near Horning, at about 3.10pm on a late November afternoon.

Managed to fit in a load of supermarket shopping and a visit to three banks before Dave and Julia arrived at 1.30pm on Monday. After lunch we went for a walk round the lesser known parts of the city, taking in Rouen Road, Ber Street, Hall Road, Southwell Road, Trafford Road and Brian Avenue. Obviously there is a good reason why these are lesser known, but we didn’t let that put us off. Dot saw Charlotte and Sophie through a window at 81 Trafford Road and shamelessly accosted them. Sophie is on the brink of motherhood but not quite there.

On the way back we called in at John Lewis and that shop on the hill that sells quality furniture upstairs and coffee downstairs. Some very nice stuff, but you can’t keep buying furniture. It was raining pretty solidly by the time we got home, and there was a lot more of it yesterday, when we had hoped to do a walk near Oxnead. In the event we started at Wroxham Barns for coffee, went on to Oxnead Church, then took a brief walk down to the river with our umbrellas up. Didn’t do the bit behind Oxnead Hall because of mud.

Continued by car to the Gunton Arms, where we had lunch (Lincolnshire Poacher sandwich for me, bagel for Dot and rarebit for the Evetts). Really enjoyable, and the setting of course is excellent. On again to Alby Crafts, where I bought a few small things (I had been tempted by a coat at Wroxham, but resisted it). By this time it was getting dark and we drove home. Later we walked up to Loch Fyne, where I tried to use an out-of-date Gourmet card (via iPhone app), which was rather embarrassing. It seems they haven’t renewed my subscription: I can’t find anything taken off my credit card.

Very tired last night. Still tired this morning, partly because I had to get up at 7.30pm in case the gas man came at 8am. Of course he didn’t. It’s now 11.12am, and I’ve heard nothing. Meanwhile another radiator seems to have bitten the dust, this time in the kitchen. Dot and Julia are out shopping (aaargh), and Dave has gone to the station to get a Motor Sport magazine.

23 May 2008

Uncategorized, , ,

Another picture from Jim and Ann’s visit: this one taken at the new boardwalk by Cockshoot Broad, close to Woodbastwick.

It’s still only 7.45am, but I couldn’t sleep after I woke about 6, though I slept very well till then. Have just finished listening to a conversation between Leonard Cohen and Philip Glass on iTunes, which was excellent – particularly Cohen on the subject of good poets who never get published. Last night I actually managed to win a chess game, though it was on a knife-edge at the end. I don’t know whether I should attribute the victory to the fact that the person I was playing had broken up with his girlfriend half an hour before we began, but I did actually play well, as I had done in the previous two games, both of which I lost. The second one – here on Wednesday night – was particularly annoying because I had a clear win on two occasions. This may have been part of the reason I was so down most of yesterday after barely sleeping on Wednesday night, but things generally seemed to get on top of me.

Dot was out most of the day at a training day for church school inspectors – one of these pointless exercises that administrators love to put on to justify their existence (my words, not hers). If people are already doing an excellent job on a regular basis, why waste time telling them what they already know? I was at home most of the day – which showed signs of becoming really summery – but went to get my prescription pills and to post a letter. A friend came round to discuss the Meditation website: we agreed the front page was pretty awful, but it need someone who knows what they’re doing to alter it. Spoke to David on webcam, and he has installed Twitter for me, largely so that we can see what each other is up to!

In the evening, while I was playing chess, Dot went to a DCC meeting which lasted a very long time: not sorry to have missed it.

Today is the day, of course. I see the consultant at 11.20 to see what state the cancer and I are in, and what should be done about it. More on that story later, as Kirsty Wark would say.

And here it is. We were actually called in early, but then had to sit and wait for a while, which was rather annoying. The good news is that the cancer has not spread out of the prostate. But I now have to make a decision on whether to have radiotherapy, which is long-winded but doesn’t involve cutting into my body; or to have the prostate removed. Both have similar risks as far as incontinence and impotence are concerned. An interesting additional factor is that I have a hernia that could be fixed at the same time if I have an operation. I also have something a bit odd to do with the wall of my bladder, which means I’m having a cystoscopy some time soon to check on it. Nothing to do with the prostate, apparently.

After getting the news from Mr Sethia, the consultant, Dot and I had a long chat with one of the specialist nurses, which clarified one or two issues. We then decided to go to Wroxham Barns to pick up the framed pictures for Vicky. We also had a baguette and ginger beer in the restaurant, all of which was very pleasant. A kind of muted celebration.

21 May 2008

Uncategorized, , , ,

We eventually reached Caddington at 8pm after a very easy journey (Dot driving). The children had just gone to bed, so we had to creep in radioactively and keep quiet till they settled. The next day was David’s 36th birthday, which we celebrated with present-opening at breakfast and a barbecue at lunchtime, plus fun for the rest of the day largely featuring David’s new Wii fitness board – his present from us. Very impressed by it, especially as I did an excellent ski jump. (Don’t ask.) I was no good at anything else, though.

The picture above is Amy playing in the garden with Nana (out of picture). In the afternoon Oliver was at a party in St Albans. Weather was quite good, though not good enough to eat the barbecue outside.

Home in the evening, with Dot driving most of the way again: another fairly easy journey. On Monday she was at Thurton school doing a church school inspection: I caught up with this and that and then drove to Wroxham Barns with some pictures to be framed and stopped off at Wroxham Broad. I’d forgotten how unexciting it was: the public are restricted to a small pay-and-display car park from which you can see only part of the Broad and none of the marina. The sun was quite warm, and I hung around for about 20 minutes, then came home. Earlier I had a healing session with a friend of a friend, which was quite relaxing, but this was rather spoilt by the evening’s chess game, which I played very well and then lost again in time trouble. Left me rather down, and I didn’t sleep well. I have another game tonight and tomorrow night – both at home. What I need is a noisy crowd cheering me on.

Yesterday we took our friend Stephanie out to lunch at Cafe Rouge, which was tasty and good fun. And in the evening our usual friends came round for the usual Tuesday meal – sans David and Bridget, who are on holiday in Sussex and who rang me just beforehand. All very concerned about my wellbeing. The weather is teetering towards summer without any real sign of it wanting to commit itself.