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Further day on the beach on a wild and windy day flying the kite and swimming with Daniel whilst Debbie plays with her friend Susie as a burst dam in Italy kills 230 plus people, the AIDS virus spreads at 100 per week and a row develops over top peoples pay being increased as schools places are cut back
A good night’s sleep for all and finally woken for our early morning drinks at 6.50am. Down to breakfast where we accomplished our normal routine and then the children play as I read my morning paper and Diana does some shopping. The day fine, but very wild and windy as we soon find when making our way down to the beach. We stop off at the beach café for a snack lunch and then set ourselves up with three wind breaks as well as three deck chairs. We fly the kite until swimming is allowed and then Debbie paddles as Daniel tries surfing and I photograph both. Some large waves chase us up the beach and Daniel manages to master some on his small surf float. At the end of a long afternoon we come back to the Grenville and I am sure our arms are longer after carrying all of our stuff this week. Debbie plays with Susie again until bath time, we put the girls to bed and then take Daniel down to dinner and coffee afterwards. We set the television up in our room for once and watch the evening news. The main news tonight is of a dam bursting in Italy killing at least 250 people.
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Another holiday in The Grenville Hotel, Bude, firstly on the windy beach with Daniel and his kite and then as we invited the Butterfields back for a meal and to hear of their problems for which they might have to sell their house and down-size as the Tory government runs into more trouble for cutting back on DHSS funding and yet increasing civil service pay
Diana was up early again as the baby awoke at 4.00am, but I slept in until our morning drinks arrived on time at 6.50am. Everybody washed, dressed and down to breakfast at 8.00, where we had our normal fare and enjoyed it as usual. Daniel took Debbie down to the swings and Susie and her father joined them, before they spent a good long time in the nursery with the resident nanny. Eventually, Susie left and Debbie swam in the hotel pool with Daniel, even though it was quite cold and windy out. I then walked into Bude to get a paper whilst Diana used the hotel laundry room to catch up on some washing. By then it was lunchtime and so we went to a restaurant for lunch, intending to go to the Natural History Museum afterwards, but it was closed – as Thursday is half-day closing. After, we set off for the beach, loaded to the gunwales with play things, surfboard, swimming things, camera etc, but found both swimming beaches flying the red flag and only Middle beach flying the chequers for surfing. We erected two wind breaks against the wind and then Daniel and I assembled the kite for the first time. It worked well and, after a few attempts, we got the hang of the dual controls and were performing stunts; figure of eight, circles (8 in each direction in a single go) and the best trick of all (unintentionally) was to wrap the tail around a man’s neck on the promenade of Crooklets beach, which caused us much mirth and made him retire hastily!
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Another day in the poor Grenville Hotel, whose staff rightly feel that it has lost its family atmosphere due to price rises that put off families and discount deals for coaches full of old people as Sterling rises to an 18month high and Live Aid raises £40m
Early awake as Diana brings Della into the bed before being kicked out again to the hall where she normally sleeps. This after being woken at 3.00am as she had to go to the toilet and locked herself out. I then lay awake for two hours worrying about the state of this hotel. A good breakfast and then I take the girls (Debbie and her friend Susie) down to the swings and let them play until the nanny opened the nursery at 9.30am. I popped into the room and fetched my ½ lb of dairy fudge and shared it with them and Daniel. As I chatted to the staff member tending the pool I heard more of the hotel’s troubles. He felt that the pool was too little utilised for its expense, that the coach parties were losing the hotel its family atmosphere and that they ought to be limited to months outside July and August. It seems a family from Scotland last week, who had come each year since 1977, would not come again. Their teenage daughters were bored as there were no other youngsters and the discotheques etc were no longer run.
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Another holiday in Bude, sunbathing, swimming and even surfing with Daniel and the hotel service improves as Reagan is diagnosed with cancer and the Lords pass The Local Government Bill which will mark their demise in my view
Awake as Diana goes out to the toilet and then I lay for an hour waiting for our morning drinks. I had ordered them for 7.00, but had to phone again at 7.15 and then 7.30 when they did not arrive. Eventually I received my tea at 7.40, the chocolate at 7.50 and coffee at 8.10am! By this time I had made a formal complaint and asked for a meeting with the manager for when he arrived. A pity these problems should plague The Grenville, with its well-appointed rooms, good facilities, and excellent position overlooking the bay and harbour. Down to a breakfast, which is by now routine, and then ready to leave for a coastal drive. First to chat to the manager, who apologises for our problems and undertakes to avoid it happening again. Off we go along the steep and bendy Cornish roads and we stop for our 11’ses at a farmhouse who serve us coffee, scones, jam and clotted cream; and the children fruit juices and crisps, which we all enjoy. On to Tintagel and, after walking through the town and seeing all of the shops, we ascend the cliffs to Arthur’s Castle and rest in the sun and fresh air of the inner ward of the mainland port.