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Trip to Cambridge to return my old video camera for repair before time with Daniel working in the garden and tending the ducks and doves on a pleasant if cool day as Tory support in the Polls drops to the lowest level for over three years
Awake after a better night and to my morning paper for some time. Out to the doves, who feed hungrily, and the ducks, who lay five eggs, which is a slight improvement on yesterday. I speak to Pete the gardener and update him on my plans for the gardens. Off then by car with the family to Cambridge, where we take my Canon video camera back to Dixons to get it repaired and then, after lunch, off with Daniel to buy a Furguson Videostar recorder. Home via Biggleswade, where I buy more vine eyes and coated wire and then home so that Daniel and I could commission it. An evening spent between the time conflicts of copying our early 1984 video tapes and putting up the wires for our second climbing wisteria plant. Eventually, darkness ends the scope for the latter and I have a good evening session preserving our tapes for generations to come. No friends for Daniel to play with today and so he is happy to help me for once.
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A productive shopping trip to Jordon & Addington’s garden centre for more plants and equipment and then the rest of the day working and planting in my new riverside garden as the New Zealanders arrest two French agents as their government is in denial about sinking the rainbow Warrior and the killed boy’s father is remanded in custody for a week despite his family’s loss and Bishop Tutu’s son is arrested for voicing his views about the arrest of schoolchildren
Another poor night as first it was too warm and then Della made a nigh time appearance when we were well asleep. Awake to my morning tea and, there being no papers today, time to catch up on my journal. Down to a light breakfast again and, after washing and shaving, out to feed the doves and ducks. I gave up the new position for the bird table and, as soon as I had moved it back, the doves swooped down to feed hungrily – what creatures of habit they are! Four eggs from the ducks again. Out then by Diana’s car and alone to Eaton Socon for my two errands. First to Jubilee Hall and the antique fair, but nothing that I couldn’t live without. On to Jordon & Addington’s Garden Centre with my shopping list and a good two hours assembling my purchases. To help me, I bought some stout but flexible gloves, new secateurs, a pruning saw, some Abrex for the tree wounds, vine eyes and plastic coated wire and smoke for the moles and weed killer for the nettles. Then the plants – five fine standard roses, 2 buddleia davidiipurple knight, 4 hypericum calycinum, and the climbers – a boston ivy and 2 wisteria floribunda.
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Day taking an interest in the gardens as Debbie digs holes with a friend and Daniel rides dinghies with his before an evening sorting out videos and being amazed by how much better our modern JVC is compared with our Canon bought for £1400 a year ago as the dead boy’s father is charged with armed robbery which prompts a retaliatory attack by youths on a police car with a woman knocked unconscious whilst more facts emerge about the doomed Manchester aircraft.
A good night’s sleep, but still a bit groggy today over the recent change of air and nightly problems with Della. Tea in bed as usual and then to get washed and dressed fairly early as no paper arrived today. Breakfast of toast and honey, feeding Della with part of it and making sure she ate it rather than throwing it on the floor. I have returned to a lighter diet again as my weight has reached 13 stone 11 lbs and I wish to get back under 13 ½ st. at least. Out to the doves, where I find the bright sunny morning is balanced by those cool s/westerly winds that sweep across the riverside garden, now it is much more open again. I move the dove feeding tray into a more central position, but they have yet to take to it. Up by ladder to the dovecote, where I note that the doves are making no new attempts to breed. Either they were put off by the past starvation of their young, or the long passing of spring. Now that the holidays are over, I will try to feed them well and regularly and try to bring them back to it. In and to the lounge to read more of shrubs and gardening and to plan some more planting. Out later to do the ducks and only four eggs today.
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Leaving our hotel after a poor night with Della and then a visit to video Sam and Francis’s new house in Aylsham before lunch at a Little Chef and then our next visit to my parents at Stanton and home to see my new landscaped riverside garden, pay in £80K of cheques received amongst a deal of mail and messages to sort out. This as the police killing of a 5-year-old boy John Shorthouse by ‘accident’ during a house search and as a guard helps 200 people to safety during a train fire when single-manning of trains is on the agenda.
A poor night and awoken by Daniella at least three times before the morning. Our morning drinks and breakfast as usual and then I tip both waitresses, the nanny and housekeeper £2 each. We then prepare to leave – I pay the bill and Diana packs, whilst the nanny looks after the girls and I read the FT in the lounge. Others are leaving today and Debbie and Daniel say goodbye to the friends they have made. We were startled to hear from the manager that Mount Charlotte Hotels had sold the Hotel Continental to private interests and we hope the character will be preserved to enable us to return next year. We load up the Jaguar and set off, stopping for two full tanks of petrol on the way as our final contribution to the Mundesley economy.