16 March

A sociable few days! After a characteristically depressing yewf court on Thursday, I met the neighbours from early Smith Towers days at our familiar pub and Indian restaurant. Not all the old crew, however: we had arranged to meet so we could raise a glass in the direction of Chris, who is no longer with us, having died last year of metastatic liver cancer. His widow Jane is presumably still ensconced in Kincardineshire. Imogen was also not in the party, since she was spending the night at a London hospital where her mother was touch-and-go after heart surgery. But despite the unhappy surround, we had a great time, and enjoyed each other's company - well, I did, at least...

On Friday, we met Barbara in Rye, where she hadn't been before. We are great Rye fans, as regular readers know, and need little persuading to go down there. Lunch was a bit underwhelming - we went to a pub we've used before, but probably won't use again, then after a stroll, dropped in at Simon the Pieman for tea and scones (largely to dodge a shower). A better experience than the pub, it has to be said.

Back home, we had a visit from Margaret and John on Saturday for lunch, bearing the welcome news of Anna and Richard's engagement. Richard has beaten his paternal grandfather's record (Dad was six weeks short of 38 when he and Mum married); unless Richard gets the finger out, he'll be contemplating a wedding breakfast combined with a big four-oh party! M&J brought with them hellebores and genealogy: the former are planted, and I've been correcting and adding to the latter.

Yesterday was a fine day, so I spent a good while in the garden, planting the hellebores aforesaid and dealing with some seedlings. I sowed some blue pansies last back end, and moved the seedlings into slightly roomier quarters a good while ago. Well, I have at last potted them up, so hope to have them ready for hanging baskets etc when the time comes. I've potted up a surprisingly good germination of gerberas, so shall probably be looking for homes for them ere long. The rudbeckias have been very mixed in their germination. Of the red ones, not a sausage, and the red and yellow ones have fared scarcely better. On the other hand, seed saved from the orange ones last year has done very well, and a bought packet of 'Marmalade' ditto. Of the bidens seeds, three have germinated so far, and the petunias are almost as shy. There is one lobelia seedling, but I see from the packet that they require indirect light. Starts again.

I looped round via the framer's place on the way to court, to collect a couple of SmithDs. One I'm relatively happy with; the framing of the other rather emphasises what I dislike about it. I wish I could get it righter more of the time. More of a problem was that the framer's chocolate labrador was in the garden when I arrived. Definitely of the love-you-to-death persuasion, she decorated my suit and shirt with numerous muddy pawprints before I could get her by the collar. Fortunately, Mr Framer had a brush at the ready, so I was able to deal with the worst of it. Hardens my resolve to resist lobbying for livestock - goldfish aside.