David A Broad
A personal story
More than 40 years, told day by day
I improved my Paxton routine by running Sam before breakfast and then some trouble getting all my tools and things together and then coping with the gardener. I
found the River Bure over the Wroxham car park and then found much of Ropes Hill Dyke and its properties under water due to the tidal surge causing Norfolk floods.
The news full of violence and deaths due to the gun antics of drug barons in London and the Tory Chancellor of the Exchequer remains determined to put VAT on fuel
Awake a little earlier after leaving the curtains open overnight and I therefore managed to walk Sam before breakfast which was a true accomplishment. Then to my office after to take advantage of the extra time to clear my desk and get up to date with bill-paying and administration. Diana was going out for the day but did my packing before she went and so I could then get on.
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On another cold and frosty morning after exercising Sam and walking the girls to the school bus stop, the drive to St Ives to get my Theoben air rifle fixed and then completed another working day. Arsenal beat the Dutch cup-holders 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig 3-0 in the first leg of their tie.
Another in the series of cold and frosty mornings but I was out early enough to exercise Sam and still be able to join the girls at the bus stop to wave them off. Daniel and Diana passed us there as well as she dropped off her Fiesta at Hunts Motors for a service and MOT and he collected her afterwards. Some time with the gardener after returning from a long run and I confess to being rather irritated with Bill. He is not getting on with the work and keeps bringing me problems instead of solutions. Today he could not start the shredder having let it deteriorate without getting it fixed.
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Visiting Cambridge to meet Di’s parents on another bright and sunny but very cold day and shopping for hats and a scarf for me as well as a pair of Zeiss 8x56 binoculars.
Some time on the mail and updating my journal and then I watched the Norwich City beat Bayern Munich in the football match on TV.
It was another bright and sunny day but very cold at each end of it. I wrapped up well to go out with the dog this morning and took him around the gravel pits. Interesting to see the spiralling clouds of steam wherever he had been to the toilet! A letter of thanks from Jim Bird on my return, still delighted to have been invited along to Scotland with Ben and promising help with Sam's training. Not much time to rest as I had to go straight off to Cambridge with Diana to go shopping and meet her parents.
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Back to our Paxton routine haranguing Daniel over his car problems and poor care of Sam.
Then alarmed to hear of the extent of the flooding in Horning which has flooded many neighbouring properties.
Then off to Peterborough for relaxation to see the film, "Rising Sun". before back to Kimbolton Prep, for Della's parents evening
Another sound and deep night's sleep and reluctant to wake up for the new day. Out with Sam after a breakfast haranguing Daniel over his car problems and a good walk with the dog before the rain came down and we hurried home. He is quite obedient these days and is calming down considerably. A succession of telephone calls to arrange things that had arisen during my absence and was rather alarmed to hear of the extent of the flooding in Horning which has flooded my neighbour’s property and, with it, many of the other houses in the village.
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Diana's 45th Birthday ‘enjoyed, in a very crowded fine if cold London queuing for breakfast and admission to Madame Tussauds. The new feature of a historical ride was welcome but brief and trivial in its aim of trying to capture "The Spirit of London.
A good night's sleep, catching up on some of the rest that I needed. Time for Diana to open her cards and presents and she did quite well. Down to breakfast with the tourists after a lay in and found it crowded with a queue that we had to join. I always think that it is uncivilised to queue for a meal when you have booked your room and breakfast. Then, to make matters worse, they only "had us down" for two breakfasts and I had to sort that out with the reception afterwards otherwise we would have been charged extra!
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To the London Hilton hotel after cleaning the car in Paxton and hosting Daniel’s friends from U.E.A plus Gary for lunch on the eve of Diana's Birthday. Then by taxi to Tottenham Court Road/St Giles Circus for a meal before our theatre performance of "Grease"
There was no time to spare today as we had just the morning to prepare for our celebratory trip to London. A little lay in as I was so tired and then out with Sam after breakfast for a good run. Then not much time to clean out the car. I had to tidy and then vacuum the inside before I could sponge the outside with shampoo, rinse off with a hose and then leather the bodywork. It had looked just like a rally car, covered in mud, but returned to its new self and suitable for a family trip to London.
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