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Rolls Royce Enthusiast Club day trip to Mill Farm, Happisburgh, for a barbeque and beach party in the heat without air-conditioning as diplomatic efforts to free Iranian hostages grow, as does the row about British soldiers number-plates making them vulnerable in Germany with Sein Fein applauding the recent attacks
Awoken this morning with Della on one side, bouncing around, and my morning tea and Diana on the other. The process of getting up, washed, dressed and to the breakfast table, then we loaded up the Rolls Royce and prepared for our day trip to Happisburgh. We had intended to leave at 8.30am, but it was 9.00am before we were ready. Even then, the journey to the farm on the Norfolk coast took us 3 ¼ hrs. We started with the hood down and dressed up in warm clothes (at Diana’s insistence) and then used a number of back roads through the Gransdens to make the slower travel more interesting. Short of Cambridge, we put the roof up to make further progress and quite sweltered with the lack of air-conditioning. It was unfortunate that it had failed before this trip. Then, at Wroxham, we had the hood down again and arrived in style. Mill Farm (named after a windmill that was once there) is nicely situated and the owners were very hospitable and friendly for this Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club outing.
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A full day working on The Lady’s sliding mahogany roof channels and mowing our games lawn after Debbie’s friend Phillipa stayed with us overnight. Diana was shopping today but in pain. The IRA shoot and kill another British soldier abroad, in Ostende, as his car plates give away their identity. Jailed ANC leader Nelson Mandela is admitted to hospital with pneumonia, which frightens the authorities
A good night and then down to a nice fried breakfast, served today in place of tomorrow as we are due to go on our Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club trip then. Little Phillipa was with us last night and was picked up this morning. She is a bit juvenile and shy and it is interesting to see how much they are different at age 9. I went out this morning and continued my work on The Lady. I got Daniel to help me prop up the starboard side of the sliding cockpit roof this time and took off the door channel. I had obviously doubled up on the securing screws last time I worked on it, as it took a long time to undo them all. Lunch and tea at home today, but Diana went to Waitrose to buy some goodies for our picnic tomorrow.
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A very windy day combining a visit to Bedford to spend time with the family and progress my Rolls Royce Corniche repairs with time spent finishing the renovation of The Lady’s sliding canopy. I was also searching for a large-frame bike but will now order a Raleigh via a local dealer. The recently appointed President of Burma, Sein Lwin, now dubbed ‘The Butcher of Rangoon’ is giving up power after his violent response to the widespread looting, petrol bomb attacks, and mass crowd attacks on security forces which have left around 1,000 dead. More relief is being sent to the Sudan and need to be moved from Rangoon to the flooded areas and the nurses are meeting to review action as they seem unconvinced about the government’s change of heart on nursing Sisters re-grading
Very late to bed last night and so was still tired when it was time to get up this morning. Struggled up and to breakfast and then had about an hour to sort my desk out, before it was time to go to Bedford. It was very windy today and it was tussling with my boat cover. It had rained considerably in the night and at least the cover had protected The Lady. After tidying my desk, there was little time to do more and so we all set off for Bedford. I took the Rolls to Alec Norman and Di took the rest of the family, picking up Debbie’s friend, Phillipa, at Barford and then me as well. We parked at the Lurke Street multi-storey car park and then all had morning drinks at Debenhams. I then showed Debbie and Phillipa where the library was and made my own way to bicycle shops to see if there were any 25 inch frame, gentlemens roadster bikes around. No luck in this venture and I think I have decided to order a Raleigh from a local dealer, as my frame size is too rarely available in stock, or as second hand.
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More work on The Lady’s sliding roof, using my new cover to fend off the showers and then hosting a gang of children in our swimming pool on a cooler and fresher day. Mum is now also suffering from Shingles. Iran/UK negotiations over the release of Western hostages are slow and tortuous, the nurses pay row is not helped by all four health minsters being on holiday at the same time and sad funerals on both sides of the Ulster troubles take place. The Sudan is still flooded after the Nile bursts its banks and over 100 are shot dead as violence is also used to try and quell the Burma revolution and anarchy
Slept soundly last night, which was cooler and fresher than of late. Even so, Di could not sleep because she was too hot, as I had nearly closed the French windows. A bit slow to get going and then Gary had joined us for breakfast for the last time this holiday. Read today’s Financial Times, before and after the meal. After big falls in the US and Japan, the stock markets are steadying a little. Then out to start work on the boat, getting Gary to help me peel back the cover. Today, I finished much of the varnishing on the port side of the sliding roof and also prepared the running slot and sliding side door & glued on a hardwood strip as I intended. Had to go into St Neots for a 10mm straight router bit and met Percy Meyer in Fishers whilst there. For two days running he has dropped by to use my photocopier and each time he found me out and the house open and must wonder at my lack of security! I phoned my Dad this morning and asked after my Mum. He had let us know yesterday about her catching shingles, poor thing, which is very painful on one side of her face and eye.