Wolds Diary: Week that starts with growing my own ends on a sombre note

I acquired a small cold frame this week and have put some delicate plants in to move on when I’m sure the weather does not intend to revert to winter again. This year I have decided to plant what I will eat, otherwise I only end up giving the produce away.

On the Tuesday I was very busy. It started off by going to the Goole Ladies Luncheon Club at a wonderful location in a marquee at North Airmyn Grange. I had been booked to speak to them in November but their original speaker had gone down with tonsillitis so they asked if I was available.

I managed to find a way around the closed, collapsed bridge over the railway on the way there and arrived early. I found a wonderful transport café just down the road, where I had a cup of coffee. I love transport cafes; they usually have good plain food at an excellent price without any fancy trimmings. This one, I discovered, had been built in 1949, the year I was born.

At the luncheon, I had a delicious lunch in great company. I was part of a group of ladies and we all became a George Clooney admiration society for the duration of the meal. The talk went well and I enjoyed the afternoon.

No sooner had I got back and walked the dogs, I was off again, this time up to Stamford Bridge to speak at the village hall there. Stamford Bridge has such an important history, and the door to the hall has a motif of crossed axes on it to commemorate the battle in 1066. To celebrate the 950th anniversary of this, Stuart Nettleship has written a Battle Cantata, which will be performed later in the year by at least four choirs, including one from Norway. The Pocklington Singers are one of those and we are rehearsing the music which I am thoroughly enjoying.

I gave my talk and they were a lovely group too, and laughed rather a lot.

I was off the next day to speak again, this time it was down to Brough, to the Methodist Ladies Group at the church there. I was, as usual, rather early and saw the Brownies were in the room where we were to be so I headed off to the supermarket just down the road and did some shopping to fill in the time.

Back at the church I recognized some faces from a talk I’d given a while ago just down the road. The ladies hoped I didn’t think they were stalking me but they wanted to have another laugh so came along.

The next day I started tackling the lawns, between other tasks I had to do. My handyman has been working on the kitchen and also helped me with clearing out the accumulated rubbish from my garage. I am a dreadful hoarder, and by Friday the car was loaded up and off to the tip we went.

I managed to do the other lawns on the Friday, and then had a chat with my neighbours about some bricks I was hoping to find a home for and they wanted. I showed them where they were and they agreed to collect them the next day.

On Saturday, I took the dogs out, unloaded some shopping - including four cucumber plants - and then I was off to the cricket ground.

It was a warm if slightly windy day and the match was exciting, and as a scorer I was kept very busy.

I did get a bit worried when the total looked as if it was going to exceed the 359 runs catered for on the scoring sheet, but the team declared at the 40th over, much to my relief.

After the match finished I joined my team in a celebratory drink before heading home.

Sadly, I learned the next day that my friend, whom I had been sitting with while his wife needed to go out, had passed away peacefully in hospital. I am glad that his suffering is now over. I was very fortunate to have known him. He will be sadly missed by a great many people.