A poignant month commemorating the birth and passing of my late Dad whilst also celebrating my own 47th Birthday. The annual Remembrance Day Service on the 11th was all the more poignant for that.
A wintry month with heavy rains, floods and then snow and ice. A made couple of trips to Horning to properly winterise boat and property and there found the flood water up very high again. Problems with Nigel over our Cambridge Street plans, as I took this all in hand myself. I was getting very good exercise, but my Cholesterol level remained far too high which puts me at serious risk of having heart disease later in life.
I spent much of the month working on the children's trust investments and trying to find the third property for the portfolio. Just a little practical work for me trimming internal doors at The Hayling View. More progress with Sam as he gets steadier whilst learning to discern and make three concurrent retrieves and a training visit to Jim in Wymondham with his dog Ben.
Watching many films and enjoying meals out with Diana and the family. Debbie managed to miss the influenza but Della, Daniel and Diana all went down very ill with it. Daniel was particularly affected by his bout of 'flu but had a good month corresponding with his girlfriends and seeing Dawn.
John Major was getting personally involved in trying to solve the problems of Northern Ireland but was also seen to be have been heavy-handed encouraging the new Child Support Agency as it attempted to squeeze more child support payments out of their middle-class supporters.
Then there was their struggle to get the Rail Privatisation Bill through the House of Lords from which it was sent back twice before being passed as a constitutional crisis loomed. The James Bulger murder trial ended today with guilty verdicts the result for the two eleven-year-old boys that had murdered the three-year-old.
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The weather really broke during this month of November and became wintery. It started so dull and with a lack of sunshine as the last of the leaves were falling and then turned brighter as a wind from Central Europe took the day-time temperatures colder and colder. A break for heavy rain and floods and then the colder weather returned bringing snow and ice before it turned mild and wet again for the last week.
It was a month of people problems as I returned to Paxton and had to keep chivvying along the gardener who gives up at the first sign of cold or rain. I had to work with him to get the top dressing down on the lawn, the rubbish shredded, and the compost bins charged and working. I was also experiencing trouble with the management at Fountain Forestry as they tried to charge me the commercial rate for my deer stalking before I had to make a fuss and they relented.
I found Nigel elusive and difficult to pin down over our plans for Cambridge Street and so ended up running back and forwards to get the plans ready myself. I met with Andy Carmichael of the HDC Planning Department who was fortunately amenable to our plans for converting Nos 50-52 Cambridge Street. into four flats. Perhaps I am beginning to show my irritation with Nigel, as he subsequently failed to invite me for his annual bonfire night party.
I treated myself to a few things in this month of my 47th Birthday. A new Kammo Kodiak camouflage stalking jacket, a new computer and hardware software upgrades and then the latest health screen tests at The Evelyn Hospital. My health is holding up very well, my weight being down and I was getting very good exercise but my Cholesterol level remained far too high which puts me at serious risk of having heart disease later in life.
Of course, it was also the month for commemorating my old Dad's life of first his birthday and then of his passing by refreshing the flowers on his grave. This being anniversary of my late father's birthday, I was still having trouble with the memorial masons as they fail to answer my requests for a price to install one for Mum. The annual Remembrance Day Service during this month was all the more poignant for that.
A made couple of trips to Horning to properly winterise boat and property and there found the flood water was up very high again and Mrs Vincent concerned about it. Mrs Burton had been contacting Doris and all her relatives as her health declined until she went over the top and needed psychiatric help.
I spent much of the month working on the children's trust investments and trying to find the third property for the portfolio. Just a little practical work for me trimming internal doors at The Hayling View..
More progress with Sam as he gets steadier whilst learning to discern and make three concurrent retrieves and obeying hand signals to differentiate them. He had his moments in barking at and mouthing the other dogs and handlers at the training class until a trainer helped me take him in hand. As a result of being stricter, he daily gets better in heel-walking and obedience but still had a bad day, chasing three hares whilst my guard was down. Beginning to find trouble with him in making water retrieves out of his depth and I hope that it is his being a youngster with the cold weather and water temperatures putting him off rather than lack of spirit. An early start on one cold day saw us go for a training visit to Jim in Wymondham with his dog Ben.
Some time with the family, managing to see films "Mr Wonderful", "Hocus Pocus" and "The Piano" in Peterborough and "Dave" and "Man with No Face" in Bedford; films which Diana and (for those classified 12) the girls enjoyed. Family outing to see St Neots Christmas Lights turned on in festival spirit and lunches in "A.J.'s" and "The Little Chef" and then a special meal with Diana at Godmanchester's "Chinese Bridge Restaurant". Debbie managed to miss the influenza but Della, Daniel and Diana all went down very ill with it.
Poor Della looked as if she was very ill with asthmatic breathing troubles as well but she soon recovered. Dr Newby of Little Paxton was the duty doctor for St Neots Surgery and he visited and then diagnosed a throat infection but no asthma.It has been a very nasty strain reportedly from Bejing. Della still managed to do her "Town Crier" act, using our dinner bell and a costume made by Diana and then she wrote a speech all about Sam for delivery next month.
Daniel was quite badly affected by his bout of 'flu and had a day off work accordingly but he otherwise had a good month corresponding with his girlfriends and seeing Dawn. He made the effort to work on his M.G. and was rewarded with it passing the M.O.T. so that he could use it again. Debbie had an overnight stay with Tabatha and survived her school revision and test quite well.
We had mixed reports from her parents evening as she comes across as being quiet and lacking confidence but we think that this is to do with her being picked on by the other children and excluded from their circle. Out with Diana and the girls later to the St Neots Market Square fair for which and Radio Chiltern was conducting a live broadcast for the Christmas Lights
Elsewhere the news is of John Major getting personally involved in trying to solve the problems of Northern Ireland and falling out with the Ulster Unionists in the process. He has been having meetings with the Irish Republic on the future of Ulster which was bad enough but then details of secret meetings with Sein Fein leaked out and put him even more serious odour. They are also fielding the repercussions of the heavy-handed approach of their new Child Support Agency as it attempts to squeeze more child support payments out of their middle-class supporters.
Then there was their struggle to get the Rail Privatisation Bill through the House of Lords from which it was sent back twice before being passed as a constitutional crisis loomed. The appalling incident of the Daily Mirror invading the privacy of The Princess of Wales by publishing photographs of her working out at a private gymnasium. This incident was to prove the final straw that broke her confidence to appear in public.
Sadder still the multiple deaths of American tourists in a Kent coach crash. Sporting disaster as both England and Scotland join Wales and Northern Ireland in being eliminated from The World Cup but England beat the Kiwis in their Rugby Union Test Match and Norwich eliminated Bayern Munich. The James Bulger murder trial ended today with guilty verdicts the result for the two eleven-year-old boys that had murdered the three-year-old.
Locally, the decrepit wooden footbridge over the Paper Mill Sluice was replaced with a smart new heavy-duty teak one at last. But still a month of more sadness and people problems than joy as we look forward to a better December with Christmas to brighten the gloom.