David A Broad
A personal story
More than 40 years, told day by day
At a time dominated by international conflict and floods closer to home, I started the month finishing one of two October trips to Caithness and ended it coming back from yet another vacation in Norfolk.
There were floods swelling the stream near Harlow during Sam's victorious training session at the start of the month which was a warning of what was to follow. The worse floods since 1912 back home in Horning following a rain deluge.
This, whilst conflict took place internationally with two serious IRA bombings as dissident tanks and heavy artillery were shelling the Russian Parliament building, setting it on fire. All this, as the full pollution effect of the Gulf War starts to evolve revealing the chemical contamination.
The UK loses out to Germany over the siting of the E.E.C. central bank as Margaret Thatcher plagues John Major by leaking of her memoirs on the eve of the Conservative Party Conference.
I enjoy another great sporting holiday with Nigel and Jim at my Caithness plantation where I shot a prize 13-point Imperial Stag as a victorious Sam wins his trial and begins to be useful. A great month of family fun featuring a weekend away at the London Hilton with Diana for her 45th Birthday, whilst still enjoying many other cinema and meal outings besides.
More effort spent on administration and investment management this month, but I still found time to buy a nice pair of 8x56 Zeiss stalking binoculars and managed to put my Theoben Rapide-7 pneumatic air rifle to rights. I also expended effort upgrading my navigational charts for The Paxton Princess.
My friend Steven Bloom gets his promotion and his wife Mary also got work to give them much-needed security after their long spells of unemployment. Sporting success also Norwich City win a famous victory against Bayern Munich in Germany.
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Training Sam with Jim and his dog Ben and visiting his family homes and relatives and driving home to find Halloween ruined in Ulster where the latest atrocity involved two masked gun-men bursting into a pub and shouting "Trick-or-Treat" before killing seven people and seriously injuring nine others with machine guns.
I had today set the radio alarm so that, not only did it switch on at the right time, but that the volume was set so that I could actually hear it! This was just as well as I was tired and needed the call. I ran Sam across the stubble fields again for his morning walk but, the wood pigeons getting up in droves earlier and disturbing the game, he quartered well but there was nothing to find. The task of packing up and loading up then became something of a rush as I also had to see to the boat, the house next door and all else.
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After attending the Colin Facey boating auction, I took the family for a snack at The Horning Tea Shoppe, watching international Rugby Union and League matches with Great Britain beating the All Blacks.
Steve and Mary Bloom both getting jobs and Jim Bird agrees to do some dog training together
I had set the alarm radio to wake me up this morning but had inadvertently turned the sound down so that it was Sam and the seagulls that woke me in the end! A shorter walk than usual and then out with Sam in the back of the Land Rover to Horning Ferry. There Colin Facey had arranged the first of what was planned as a monthly series of boat auctions. It was a fine but chilly and dull day and attendance was reasonable but there was not a great deal of money around and few of the boats were sold. I had successfully bid for a sailing dinghy, but they would not sell it to me as it had failed to reach its reserve. This came as a disappointment in view of the auctioneer saying it was close and would ask the owner if my bid was acceptable. Just bought a few buckets and a lugsail and spars.
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After an early walk with Sam, then to Stalham early enough this morning for a haircut and then to Norwich and to The Theatre Royale to see the matinee performance of Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen from Veronna", the cinema being full.
Two documentaries, one on the plight of giraffe now that Western "civilisation" interferes with the water use and supply in Africa and another about the toxic agents released in the Gulf War.
Later to bed than of late and more reluctant to get up as a result. A good walk with Sam once I was ready and I had him quartering the stubble field and trying to point properly - even if it was a false point and the game had flown away! Back for a rest and Diana joined me as yesterday but, unlike then, we made a move and got to Stalham in time for me to get my hair cut. Lunch at our favourite cafe in that town and then, stopping off at Horning to unload Diana's shopping and let Sam off, before driving on to Norwich hoping to see the film "Secret Garden".
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A good training day for Sam as we walked around Horning and stopped off at Horning Tea Shoppe for morning drinks and snacks. Shopping at Latham’s in Potter Heigham and off to Norwich for Debbie’s skin treatment as it rained for much of the day.
Margaret Thatcher’s memoirs confirm her Downing Street rule was a process of domineering dictate and the Sein Fein President, Gerry Adams, has angered all and sundry by helping to carry the coffin of the I.R.A. bomber
I had planned a haircut for today, but it was not to be for, when we arrived in Stalham at 12.15, we found that the barbers had already closed at noon for its early closing day. The day started with me just beating the alarm radio by waking before it turned on. I still had to wash and shave but got out in time to prevent Sam fouling his run. In fact, he had a good day of obedience and co-operation and was rewarded by spending much of the day in the car with us. As I walked him around Horning this morning, we were met by Alan Giddings who stopped in his mini and chatted for a while. He told me that both he and David were currently working on extending the buildings in Wroxham Barns where the petting farm idea had really taken off.
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Most of the spent in Norwich again after firstly quartering Sam across the fields again and flushing a covey of partridges. I collected Doris Vincent's photographs of the floods, and after lunch at McDonalds and upon finding the cinema full, we dropped the girls off for a similar time at the roller-skating rink.
Some tea for the children and then I took Diana to The Wroxham Hotel for dinner, The Riverside Restaurant being damaged in the floods, but the floodwaters of Horning were now continuing their slow but steady decline
For the second day we had to spend most of our time in Norwich as, not only did Mann Egerton need the extra day to get the hose and fit it, but also it was the day to collect my de-humidifier from Bonds. First, I had Sam to walk and I took him across the fields again and gave him some good exercise in quartering. Of course, he got out of control again and flushed a covey of partridges before I could stop him! He also saw his friend from the big house again but passing traffic put paid to any chance of a play together.
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