A visit to run-down Great Yarmouth with the children on a cool and dull day, thankfully dry. This afternoon with Diana for a drive to St Bennetts Abbey with Sam for some hunting and retrieving practice, as he flushed hares.
This evening fishing off my frontage. Bosnian Serb forces are surrounding Sarajevo but last-minute attempts are in train under Dr Owen's aegis for all three sides to negotiate and arrange a cease-fire meanwhile.
Another cool and dull day but at least the rain showers stayed away. Out early with Sam and then I made the decision to take the family to Great Yarmouth for the morning and most of the afternoon. We left Sam behind and I was to regret this as we found the seafront quiet and stretches of sand empty and accessible at each end where dogs could be exercised.
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We made use of a cafe for some morning drinks and then started at Pleasurebeach where, with the use of a voucher, we bought one child an "all-day wristband" for £10 and had the other one given free. I left the girls with Diana for an hour or so and took a walk along the front to the harbour entrance. The nearly desolate camping areas were quite an eye-opener with the sand having drifted up to promenade level and over the pavement in places. The camping spaces still occupied had old caravans let on a weekly basis to poorer families.
It was interesting to hear today that Great Yarmouth now qualifies for "Assisted Area Status" under EEC criteria of jobless and economic debilitation and it shows. Together with the girls for lunch and they had a few more rides. What a poor and scruffy sight most of the visitors make as the girls wear no make up and loose jumpers and jackets with jeans below. One ray of sunshine in the form of a young brunette model being photographed on each ride in turn for some publicity shots. Wearing just a tee-shirt and her bra and briefs, she was a picture and could easily get somebody into a lot of trouble!
Time then to take the family home and give some time to Sam in compensation. After tea, Diana joined me as we drove to St Bennett's Abbey and then gave Sam some hunting and retrieving practice. He retrieved the dummies quite well but became very excited by the presence of hares. He pointed and flushed three, unfortunately running in and chasing them in the process, but with each one found, I dropped him earlier and earlier with my whistle.
I did some fishing off of my water frontage this evening; catching five or six roach and missing a pike on a live-baiting line as I reacted too slowly and missed the opportunity to strike. Bosnian Serb forces are surrounding Sarajevo but last-minute attempts are in train under Dr Owen's aegis for all three sides to negotiate and arrange a cease-fire meanwhile.