I had a lovely day with visits from friends and relations - never more than four at any time. Lovely gifts as well - one of which brought a tear to my eye and which I will tell you about in a few day's time once I have taken various things in. All will be explained in the nearness of time.
Mid morning we took the bus into Norwich and had coffee at a tiny cafe close to the old Norfolk and Norwich Hospital which is now apartments. Then, after a bit of shopping, had an excellent lunch at the Ber Street Kitchen where they not only have all day breakfasts but also all day lunches.
There is quite a connection with my family and Ber Street and again I will write about that at a later date.
Much of the day was also spent with the grandchildren. I remember having my 60th birthday when Elliot was just over one month old. Now he's playing football for Norwich City Academy.
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I am currently reading the historic novel Tombland by C. J Sansom. It's the latest in his series about hunchback Tudor lawyer Matthew Shardlake. I have read the entire series. At times they can be rather convoluted and confusing but the historical details are excellent
Tombland is centred around Norwich and Kett's Rebellion and so Hethersett and the Flowerdew family are mentioned on many occasions.
Actually it's my second attempt to read it. I got about halfway last time and gave up as the action seemed to happen very slowly. But this time I am enjoying it more but will be glad to get to the point I left off last time so I can experience some new action. Last time I read the paperback but this time it's on my Kindle.
As Shardlake moves towards Norwich (a two day journey on horseback from London) he mentions the surnames of three of the most powerful families - one of whom is the Stewards. So perhaps I come from Norfolk royalty after all!
Incidentally the Tombland area of Norwich is not so named because of any connection with tombs or cemeteries. The name comes from two Old English words meaning open ground or empty space. The open ground in question was used as Norwich's market place and hub of commercial activity.
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I have just finished watching the four-part drama Us which is based on a book by David Nicholls. This is the kind of gentle book about human relationships that I would have loved to have written. That's not to say it made great television, however, but it was adequate and enjoyable although I found the final episode dragged rather and the way they got to the final denouement could have been done much better - but I guess that's nit-picking.
Now I should give you an anorak warning because I'm going to talk about actors' ages. You see the two main characters in Us are played by Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves. In the drama there are flashbacks to when they met and got married. It is likely that they would have been in their early twenties. Allowing for a few years when their daughter died and their son was born by the time we get to the action they would have been in their mid forties as their son is 17. But in real life Hollander is 53 and Saskia Reeves is 59 and without being rude to either that is exactly how old they actually look. So somewhere along the line eight to 15 years have been lost.
This age reality has always intrigued me. Take Sue Nicholls who plays Audrey in Coronation Street. In real life she is 76. Her daughter Gail in the Soap is played by Helen Worth who in real life is 69. That would have meant that Audrey was seven when she had Gail (a physical impossibility).
Then there are actors who shed time over the years. I swear Ken Barlow (William Roache) in Coronation Street was 25 when the soap started in December 1960. That would make him 85 now but I believe in the Soap he is just 80. In real life Roache is 88! So in effect he has shed eight years.
But enough of my anorak life.