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Dull trip to St Ives for the antique auction after briefing the builders and collecting Daniel to buy his calculator and take him to the dentist. Time also with my ducks and the doves, as the latter settle in much better and then agreeing tiling options with Diana
A reasonable night, then up, dressed and to breakfast in the lounge. Quickly to the bathroom to miss the rush and then out to feed the doves. I popped the dove feeding table up close to the new doves and they began to hop to and fro the dovecote for the first time, managing to avoid fluttering to the ground. I stayed on to see Mr Cheeseborough and give my instructions about the quarry tiles for the boiler plinths and also to see the kitchen fitters to ask them to secure the sink so that the plumber could start work on joining up the water supply. Then off to St Ives to arrive a few minutes late for the auction at 10.00am. A slow affair and made more disappointing by the oak table I was interested in being too popular, with a husband & wife bidding team. In the end I let them have it; a heavy, barley twist, gate leg table, for £270. I did manage to pick up a 1920s swivel mahogany office chair of good quality for £105 and it will make a comfortable seat for my office.
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Another cold day in full and successful engagement with the builders and architect before some family time in front of a log fire as the Maltese hijacking of the Egyptian airliner ends in tragedy and deaths but the Royal Family are out and about at charity events
Another restless night worrying about the builder’s progress and the problem of convincing Cheeseborough to install the second boiler early. Eventually asleep after waking Di and seeking mutual solace in the normal way. Heavily asleep by my normal waking time after this indulgence and slowly down to breakfast to find the family having finished theirs. Quickly washed and dressed and over to open the windows for the decorator to paint. Then I went up into the loft and disassembled the ball valve to the cistern and found that the ballcock was fine, but that there was no washer at all in the valve! Back to the house and out to the doves, where I found the new doves quite helplessly fluttering down to the ground, unable to return to the dovecote. They did this several times later during the day, but gradually getting stronger in flight. The problem is that they have been reared in a confined shed and then lost many of their tail feathers on the wire mesh that I retained them with. Then the ducks and back to Di for our trip to St Neots.
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Awake to the sound of a noisy cow stranded outside our house before a family day out swimming and antique searching in St Ives as the Malta airliner hijack comes to a violent end in Egypt on a day of even more widespread violence elsewhere
A much better night’s sleep and, because the lounge was full of children, I opted for my bedroom to catch up on yesterday’s journal and then the vacant bathroom to wash, shave and dress. Down to a breakfast of toast and apple juice and a quick look at the Sunday Times before gathering together my tools and going across to the other side of the building to fit some more security bolts. As I did so I heard an almighty moo-ing and disquiet amongst the young bullocks grazing in the field opposite and then, looking to see what was disturbing them, I could see that one was on our side of the river and standing at bay outside No.39! Downstairs and out for a closer look, when I could see that the cow was wet and must have slipped into the river and waded out this side. Jim and his son were looking out of the window and had shouted down that they had phoned the police for help. Together with Daniel, Gary, Eric the retired policeman, Jim & son; we drove the errant beast down the towpath and the police held up the traffic whilst we herded it back into the field. So much for the excitement of the day. Back then to the house, stepping it out in the cold misty weather.
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Taking the builders to task for delays on a cold and damp day before enjoying a day in St Ives and welcoming Daniel’s friend Gary Skinner to stay for the night as the murderer of Leoni Keating is now charged
A restless start to the night thinking of the jobs that the builders had still to do and the delays that seems to be inevitable in the work’s completion. I resolve to write down a schedule of outstanding jobs and criticisms in preparation for the progress meeting with the architect on Monday. On waking up, I do just that before my normal routine of breakfast, washing and shaving. I then take a shower and wash my hair to brighten things up. Dressed quickly so as to catch the builders as they load some more things up and I think they might not be working again. In fact they do have one man putting up guttering and another cleaning up but, when I see Mr Cheeseborough whilst feeding the doves and ducks, I make for him and launch into my criticisms. No carpenter today to face a mounting backlog of work, no plasterer to tidy up the kitchen and start the utility room, no doors up to keep out the damp, dust and intruders etc. He starts off by taking the comments lightly, but soon realises I am upset and to be taken seriously. He was taking me and the job a bit too lightly and this will restore the balance for our meeting, when we want progress.