Val and Peter Ball are …….

Today was an important day for retail stores. The first day after Christmas that stores were open and had sales on.

Val and I went into Norwich to stretch our legs and browse. We really weren’t looking to buy anything other than rather good garlic bulbs at a Chinese store we frequent.

The garlic was 65p per bulb and excellent. We wandered in and out of several stores, had coffee in Marks and Spencer but didn’t spend a penny.

Val and I finished our stint at the King’s Centre at 2pm. It was a worthwhile but tiring time. I spent most of my time on the front door meeting and greeting incoming people. They came from all walks of life and it was a worthwhile experience.

Val and I will be helping out on Christmas Day as part of Norwich open Christmas.

See

Norwich Open Christmas – Home https://share.google/cY7USB2aYD09lERHZ

I’ll be doing the welcome at the door and Val will be helping plate up food….A very responsible job.

We aim to feed around 4-500 people. We are also able to let them choose clothing from our clothes bank. We have noticed in past years that homeless people tend to take few items but will choose a thick jumper, a good coat where people who come who have somewhere will take several bags of clothes. We do have some presents for children who come but normally there aren’t many. Some homeless come with their dogs. When they leave we give them a bundle of food to take away. Generally dried and tinned food.

We’ll have our Christmas dinner tonight and our Christmas at home later in the day when we’re done🙂

Many years ago I was at St John’s College in Cambridge with David. We were both members of the choir and boarded at the school attached to the college on Grange road. David’s family lived in Papworth Everard.

David and I were close and on the odd weekend when we had a day off David invited me to come and spend the day with his family. His father was the vicar of the local church.

We drifted apart and didn’t see each other until the summer of 1991 when Doctor George Guest retired from the role of director of music at St John’s.

Since then we re established our relationship. In 1991 we re established the Choir Association with a small team of which David was a part. We had regular meetings and quickly started what we called “The London Lunch” which was initially held on any Friday the 13th…. and eventually was established in Dec as near to David’s birthday as possible. This year it was 12th Dec which no one was able to attend….

Bob and I slept in the same bed last night. We both miss Val. Its a strange feeling being in the house alone. I feel quite lonely. That’s not a new emotion for me, I’ve been there before; I can handle it, I just don’t like it.

I read today that people who keep a journal/diary are much less likely to suffer from dementia. 

As you may know over a long time I’ve tried to keep this blog going. I don’t find it easy keeping a diary. Lol, my life isn’t that interesting. I have several blogs on blogger. see https://peter-ball.blogspot.com/

We are thinking about our friend Susan in Seattle who is undergoing treatment for cancer. Our hopes are with her.

Val has gone to York to see Lizzie and the family. Lizzie recently had an accident and broke her ankle which has stopped her, James and William coming down to Norfolk to see us and the rest of the family. I’m here to keep an eye on Bob 🙂

This Christmas day I will be doing social work helping to give a good day to people who are less fortunate, homeless people, lonely people and others

I will be on the door of the kings centre welcoming people between 10.00 and 14.00

After Val and I had visited the houses of parliament we found a restaurant for lunch then walked to Tate Britain.

The Tate is on the embankment and is very different to its partner Tate Modern. I took a few pictures. We had a good visit and will be back