And I'm usually left with the feeling of wanting to give each part of the day more time. It happened yesterday. After an early morning of writing, writing writing the following came into my head:
"They crossed over the border the hour before dawn
Moving in lines through the day."
Not quite sure why I added that song lyric but we crossed over the border between Hethersett and Wymondham. Wanted desperately to go to the Ex-Servicemen's Club for a display of memorabilia connected to the building when it was the Regal Cinema. It was also a tribute to Les King who ran the Regal for many many years and Michael Armstrong - a film fan par excellence.
Met a trio of very interesting characters as will be shown by my photos. They didn't say much and apparently they aren't great conversationalists. I must say hello, however, to the Benjafields who apparently read my blog avidly (surely they have something better to do with their time). They were manning front of the house (see what I did there with the cinema reference) when we entered. So hello to them and I hope they enjoy this blog.
Sadly our time there was all too short. I did have time to see displays to two of my absolute heroes - the actor James (Jimmy) Stewart and comedian Richard Hearne who will be remembered by those of us of a certain age as Mr Pastry. More about both of them in a later blog.
We then hurried down to Becket's Chapel for a photographic exhibition which I enjoyed. I was surprised at the amount of monochrome photos on display. Black and white is obviously the new colour and is making a come back. I have to say I have dallied with black and white recently and very shortly will inflict some on you. Would like to have stayed longer at the chapel but other things called.
Came out of Becket's Chapel just as a car was pulling up to speak to a couple we knew. The driver said with an American accent.
"I think we may be lost. I'm looking for the A140 to Long Stratton," he said.
You try explaining to a stranger how to get to Long Stratton from Wymondham when you want to keep them on the main roads. We assume they didn't have Sat Nav. Either that or they were researching for a book and television series entitled "Norfolk towns I have been lost in."
Next stop was to watch grandson play football and then into Norwich for a small matter of chips and mushy peas on the market, sweets from the sweetie shop and the Norwich v Watford match at Carrow Road.
Now we were told that we wouldn't be let in without proof of a negative COVID test or proof of being double jabbed. So we got there early and there were no checks at all. Norwich lost again (so what's new I hear you ask)?
Rounded off the day with pizza slices at Saporita - one of the best, if not the best small restaurants in Norwich. It's getting more and more difficult to get a table as it gains popularity.
Phew what a full day with not a moment wasted.
Incidentally that song quote earlier was the opening lines of Roads to Moscow by Al Stewart which really has no relevance to anything but as this is my blog I'm not apologising for that!
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Very very occasionally (and I really do mean very very occasionally) I read my horoscope in one of the tacky newspapers. They usually seem to be written by Russell Grant who must be an amazing person, able to see the future for so many people.
Anyway a recent column told me that somebody close to me had been hiding a secret, which they would now disclose leading me to take a course of action that would change the way I looked at things.
I'm a Libran (that's Libran and not Librarian), but so is my wife. So basically according to Mr Grant we have both been keeping secrets from each other, which we are both now going to divulge and act on. Maybe a case of "after you darling." "No after you."
The problem for me with horoscopes, apart from the fact that they are a load of old rubbish, is that they apply to millions of people. I believe that there are about 68 million people in the UK. There are 12 star signs and that means somewhere around 5.7 million people per star sign. That's a helluva lot of secrets that are going to be divulged.
Every day according to the likes of Russell Grant, 5.7 million people could be suffering/enjoying a new relationship or could come into money or need to re-assess their lives. Of course the advice has to be deliberately woolly. He couldn't say "today you will win the lottery." If he said that 5.7 million people (less of course as some of those will be under the gambling age) would expect to have a windfall and probably 99% of them would find the prediction wrong and the horoscopes just false made up nonsense.
That's not to say that I don't believe in astrology. I believe there is definitely something in birth charts, the alinement of planets etc etc. But that's because every chart is different and doesn't apply to another 5.7 million people.
Many years ago I had my birth chart put together by a Norwich astrologer Pete Green. I have no doubt mentioned this in previous blogs and probably included just what was said. Peter tragically died recently in a house fire in Wymondham. Apparently a couple of years ago he appeared on the ITV quiz show The Chase and that episode is being shown again this coming Monday.
* * *
Finally a plug for an event taking place today. If you live around Hethersett/Wymondham or the surrounding area why not pop along to Ladybelt Country Park at East Carleton.
There's an ice house in the grounds and today between 11 am and 4 pm you can find out the role it played in food production in Victorian Times. Food and drink will also be available. Only sorry I won't be able to make it myself as I'm off to Norwich for my last Heritage event of this year's run and I will report back on that in tomorrow's blog.