Varied Day

This was a pretty varied day with some highs, but also some lows with the funeral of a neighbour at Earlham Crematorium near Norwich. Another sad occasion, although lunch at the King's Head in Hethersett afterwards was as joyous an occasion as could be expected under the circumstances.

Before going to the service I popped down to Woodside School to take some photos for the Press of a cheque presentation to the Hearing Dogs for the Deaf charity. Then, after an afternoon of writing, went to the latest meeting of Hethersett Athletic Football Club of which I am chairman.

We always meet in the excellent facilities of Park Farm Hotel. Quite a difficult meeting tonight as there is a lot happening and so many things to sort out to keep our 14 teams running smoothly. We give competitive football to all ages from six to adult and both sexes and have eight youth teams, one girls team, two ladies teams and three men's sides.

The club has been in existence since 1991 and holds two national FA awards - one of which is for community involvement. I have been chairman for numeorus years and it really is like running a small business and relies on people giving their time freely. Football is just one of my sporting passions and just one of the things I am involved with in the village. I will feature more in subsequent blogs.

I recently wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron in praise of our village and its efforts in the field of well being, fitness, health, sport and the environment. My original letter got passed to the Cabinet Office and today I received a reply congratulating us on our efforts. Unfortunately the letter spelled my surname incorrectly which doesn't give me a great deal of faith in them if they can't get the basics right.

Must mention how much I have enjoyed the BBC's Sherlock series which puts Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in contemporary London. Excellent drama.

They are still banging on about the portrayal of Maragret Thatcher as a confused old lady in the new film The Iron Lady. The only people criticising the film seem to be those that are embarrassed by the portrayal of Alzheimer's Disease. Anything that highlights this horrible illness has to be for the general good. It is not something that can be ignored or swept under the carpet. So let's continue to raise awareness.