I had thought of getting up early and driving into the centre of Cambridge to have a wander round, take some shots and have lunch. I have not been there since the summer of 1973, and all I can remember is that my grandparents took me to a basement restaurant for lunch, I and I demanded to have sausage and chips, as did the whole week they took me on a railtour of East Anglia.
Instead today, I would drive back up the long and winding road through Beccles, Bungay, Diss and to Bury. And maybe look at a few more churches on the way.
Instead of getting up at the crack of dawn until daylight and the blackbirds in what counts as a back garden at the cradle of Jelltex, aka my parent’s house. There is radio shows to listen to, blogs to write and have breakfast, and now that Jools had brought my coffee pot up, I could have a cup of fresh coffee with breakfast. I like tea, but in the morning, only coffee really works.
There is some tidying up to be done, more junk mail to be returned as not known at this address, then at half eleven, have lunch of toast and marmalade, and then begin the journey back south.
It was warm and damp, a gentle drizzle was falling and trees all along the road were turning to red and gold. The years gets older as the days shorten further. The harvest moon is now waning, last night it was so bright it seemed almost daylight when I went to bed.
On the way down, I stop at a church in Wortham. I say in, but really, I followed the signs to the church out of the village and down a narrow lane to a crossroads, where just visible in a gap in the hedge was the lych gate. I walk up the tree-lined grassy path to the church, and I meet a couple having lunch on a bench beside the porch. The woman says this is the best view in Suffolk, looking back towards the gate and into the sun. It is special for sure.
It clearly was fairly high, with a few scattered icons, but best of all were some fabulously carved pew ends, finely carved with figures with quotes from the bible underneath. Fabulous.I got back in the car, meaning to call in at another church on the way, but I missed the turning, so press on. At least being a Sunday, the roads were fairly empty, so I could have put my foot down, but as I had plenty of time, I cruise at 60, listening to Roddy Doyle on Radio 6, about the music that shaped his life. It was a fascinating listen, and he has excellent taste in music.
Mum was in bed, and asleep, or snoozing. She said the chair she had been sitting in was uncomfortable. So I plump up her pillows, and she said that was better.
As this is the fourth day in a row I have visited, she has down nothing other than slowly get better, and most of the time all I have done is eat, sleep and travel back and forth to Papworth. So, talk was difficult, but we soldier on for 45 minutes or so. She is very tired, and by three she was falling asleep, so I say I will go. She is not quite well enough to say whether she was going to be transferred in the morning, that might be postponed until the day after. But we shall see.
I walk back to the car, gird my loins and drive off to the A428 to drive back to Lowestoft.
I have the radio on, Alexi Sayle sitting in for Jervis, so there is a lot of talking between songs, most of it imaginary, but still it is entertaining. And the sun had come out too, traffic was even lighter, so I made very good time indeed.
Back on the 143, there was hardly no traffic beyond Diss so I could cruise along at 60 with the late afternoon sun lit the countryside up.
Once back home, I prepare and cook dinner, chicken goujons and fried potatoes. Not as nice as the ones I make at home, needless to say. England were playing again, beating Lithuania 1-0 whilst playing their B team as qualification had been confirmed on Thursday.
I think another evening of TV and blog writing lay ahead.
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