After attending the Colin Facey boating auction, I took the family for a snack at The Horning Tea Shoppe, watching international Rugby Union and League matches with Great Britain beating the All Blacks.
Steve and Mary Bloom both getting jobs and Jim Bird agrees to do some dog training together
I had set the alarm radio to wake me up this morning but had inadvertently turned the sound down so that it was Sam and the seagulls that woke me in the end! A shorter walk than usual and then out with Sam in the back of the Land Rover to Horning Ferry. There Colin Facey had arranged the first of what was planned as a monthly series of boat auctions. It was a fine but chilly and dull day and attendance was reasonable but there was not a great deal of money around and few of the boats were sold. I had successfully bid for a sailing dinghy, but they would not sell it to me as it had failed to reach its reserve. This came as a disappointment in view of the auctioneer saying it was close and would ask the owner if my bid was acceptable. Just bought a few buckets and a lugsail and spars.
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Diana and the girls packed up quite early and came to find me at the auction, so I took them for a snack at The Horning Tea Shoppe. Back in early afternoon, rather disillusioned with the event feeling that the over-use of reserve prices tends to spoil auctions. Then spent some time watching international Rugby Union and League matches and took satisfaction in seeing Great Britain beat the All Blacks and France beat Australia. For once the physical Antipodean tactics was overcome by Gaulic skill and enterprise. I had time before dusk to take Sam across the stubble fields and was pleased to see him quartering so well even if there was no game to find.
Shopping in the village and then back for a tea of bread and sardines with apple pie and ice cream to follow. A few domestic and paperwork chores this evening and then some telephone calls to friends. It was good to hear that Steven Bloom's new job had worked well for him. He has had two pay increases and a promotion to production manager at his Kings Lynn firm. Mary Bloom has also got a job as technical author and so their family circumstance has much improved. I arranged with Jim Bird for us to do some dog training together tomorrow morning and will look forward to it. Late to bed but happy at my plans.