I was going to make this the first of my three pre-prepared blogs but that is going to have to wait briefly. Sadness on Friday as I, along with others, attended Tony Jubb’s funeral and what a well attended event it was although there were a few too many for the rather small St Faiths crematorium to comfortably hold. The service conducted by the Canon Ivan Bailey was interwoven with solemnity and levity. Tony’s humour would well appreciate the playing of Flanders and Swann’s classic “The Gasman cometh” – I’d never seen it as a funeral song before but somehow it was very fitting.
We have also held another planning meeting for the event and received the raffle tickets from the printers (available via stu.wilson100@btinternet.com @ £1 per ticket with wonderful prizes) which makes it all seem very close which actually it is. I’ve also got to grips with issuing a press release about the event which is a new skill for me and probably one I could improve on. If you work in the press and feel that you might like a copy of the release please let me know at stu.wilson100 etc (see above). One of the highlights will be the Albion and in case you’re interested in how it’s arriving it can be seen transitting Wroxham enroute to Coltishall on August 25th. Getting under Wroxham Bridge is one of the highlights of its journey and not an easy job.
I’m still feeling unwell but nothing too unusual there as I’ve got long-term problems but you have to work through them and keep going. The river helps – its peace and graciousness always calms. Having said that it is well up at the moment; I heard today that it has risen 2 feet in the last 24 hours so we hope that the sedate old lady stays within her bounds and doesn’t go walkabout. I think that the time for rain has passed and it would now be good to see a summer !
On top of everything else my car has broken down – hopefully not terminally. I work 60 miles away and need it – living in North Norfolk can unfortunately be a little awkward and even scary without a car thanks to the demise of the bus in this public transport desert. Now if I was a wherryman I wouldn’t have that concern – during the week I would live on the job and when off duty would moor near to home – oh for easier and in only someways better days.
I’m going to conclude with a question; when is a tapestry not a tapestry? The answer is when it is an embroidery and I should know as I’ve been getting the two very different things confused for months. The lovely members of the Aylsham Evening WI are doing an embroidered illustrated map of the Navigation as part of our celebrations and their own 90th birthday. It will be presented to the town of Aylsham and will live (mostly) in the town’s heritage centre. I am pleased to announce that I now know the difference. I stand suitably chastised in certain quarters.
Burgh Mill on the Navigation today
