I haven’t been able to write anything here for a while because I’ve been ill – terrible stomach pains, vomiting etc. I think it was probably food poisoning. Things were OK while I was in the wilds, cooking for myself. Since I’ve been here though, I’ve been having to eat with the villagers – or eat the food they bring me – and their standards of hygiene just aren’t up to 21^st-century standards. But why should they be? They’ve never heard of bacterium.

Anyway, I’m feeling a little bit better now, and hopefully my system will get used to the bugs. At least I can boil my water before I drink it, and try to ensure anything I eat is cooked right through.

I’m still weak, and very tired, so I’m not going to try writing for too long. I thought I ought to explain what my position here is. Samuel, who is the verger, or churchwarden, or whatever the title is (he’s never actually said it, and assumes I know) had taken one look at me, and my obviously different clothing, and had assumed I was the new priest. By the time I realised what had happened, it was a bit late to try to track back and explain.

Anyway, it means I’ve got a house, and some respect here, and people excuse my strange accent and the problems I have understanding what they’re saying, because they assume I’m a foreigner. Oh yes, and they feed me too.

I’ll explain what I’m doing about trying to fulfil a priestly role when I next get the energy to write.