Walking Sam on a day of high wind and heavy rainfall and suffering as a consequence. Viewing houses for acquisition and homing on one in Monarch Road. Daniel got stranded with car problems and we rescued him again.
Norwich City just missed out against Inter Milan, and I enjoyed an evening game of snooker with Nigel. The House of Commons to adopt the "compromise" solution on Sunday opening.
The fronts of a vigorous depression were racing across the country overnight and again today which gave rise to a situation of heavy rainfall and high wind. I wrapped up in my rubber waterproofs to get out with Sam first thing and kept dry but did not have a very good time with him. I tried him too hard on the water retrieves and lost a dummy and was then not vigilant enough as he came upon a covey of pheasants and flushed them before I had noticed!
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At least his obedience was good, but I must keep up on him in this respect. Home for coffee and then out to Eaton Socon to look at a couple of properties before lunch. I took the trouble to go and see Hugh Morris and his property in Eaton Ford but found it in poor condition and too hampered by access problems for development. At least I had given the parents of one of Della's school friends a chance which might help repair relations with her mother.
The more straightforward mid-terraced house in Monarch Road seemed better value for money and in good condition and so I will be getting a valuation and making an offer for this. Back for lunch and then I was just settling down for an afternoon's football when Daniel telephoned having got stranded in St Neots with car problems. Diana and I turned out to get another car to him and he sorted himself out later.
Back to the football, it was disappointing to see Norwich City get eliminated from the European competition as the result of a single first-leg goal deficit even though they outplayed Inter Milan almost completely in this match. They just lacked the final ball or class of striker that the larger team could afford. Out with Sam for a better session of retrieves from shallow water. I will now avoid getting him out of his depth and swimming for a few days to build up his confidence for later.
I then spent some time interpreting and printing out my weather faxes and write my journal before driving over for a drink and game of snooker with Nigel. I was hoping that he may have got organised with the purchase of my computer system but, although he said it had been ordered with a cheque today, I am expecting a delay for cheque clearance even if he had actually done it.
The bad news this evening was the decision of The House of Commons to adopt the "compromise" solution on Sunday opening; allowing small shops to open at will and the larger ones for up to six hours each Sunday. In fact, it is close to complete deregulation and will damage the traditional role of Sunday in England. I am mourning the loss and would have preferred the "Keep Sunday Special" option and hope that The House of Lords will stop this deregulation becoming law.