Celebrating Della's Birthday and also the 10th Anniversary of my newly-found affluence with a bouncy castle and swimming session for her guests on a hot, sunny and humid day.
Later off to Harlow for the afternoon's GSP Club training session where Sam did very well retrieving, send away, go-back, sit, stay, and jumping.
Pete Sampras beat Goran Ivanisevic in the battle of the big serves in the Wimbledon Men’s single final and Daiman Hill was second to race winning Benneton driver Michael Schumacher in the Grande Prix
This was a notable anniversary. First it was it Della's 10th Birthday and a particularly poignant one in view of her accident a couple of years ago; a different outcome of which would have cast a very different light on today.
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Then it was also the 10th anniversary of the very day I sold my company Comart and realised the two and a half million pounds which has secured our future and so underwritten and changed our lives.
It was just Della's birthday that was celebrated and this with a splendid party for eighteen guests that was universally described as the best they had ever been to. A bouncy castle arrived early and this, plus the swimming pool, a party tea and range of games kept them all happy and occupied. The hot, sunny and humid weather continued but this did not spoil their fun in view of the pool.
I walked Sam early and then sat in the coolness of my office with the double doors open and made some progress in updating my journal which had been overlooked these last few days. A quick lunch out with the family (and Daniel's friends!) and then it was time to drive off with Sam to Harlow for the afternoon's GSP Club training session. Poor Jim got delayed by a huge accident tailback on the M11 and Julie called me via my mobile so that I could pass on his apologies for being late.
In fact, what with the televised French Grand Prix and Wimbledon, there were not many dogs there and for once there were an excess of trainers. This led indirectly to a conflict as one allocated to our group fell out with Martin Sullivan over training methods and stomped off! How discourteous and petty people are for even if one disagrees with another's point of view, one should be tolerant and accept their training guidance for the duration of the lesson at least.
I find that each trainer has his or her own contribution to bring and that, by listening to all of them and adopting the best combination of ideas for handler and gun dog, you are best placed to learn most. I was personally pleased that Martin took us to some nearby woods where we practised a range of techniques with our dogs in the relative cool.
Then back to the normal training field for some water work and, in all, Sam did very well in the work which consisted of retrieving, send away, go-back, sit, stay, jumping. My only trouble with him was his exuberance as he growled and challenged other similar and older dogs. Back home in mid-evening once the party guests had left and a tea of party left-overs.
The men's final was played at Wimbledon this afternoon but was a dull affair ending in under two hours. With the men's game these days consisting of rocket serves as "aces" it was the two biggest exponents of this playing as Pete Sampras beat Goran Ivanisevic in the battle of the big serves and inevitable tie breaks they led to.
Nigel Mansell, still formally the word champion from last season's finish, made his comeback to Formula One racing at the French Grand Prix but suffered transmission problems with his Williams car and had to drop out of the race whilst lying third. Team-mate Daiman Hill was second to race winning Benneton driver Michael Schumacher whose team seemed to plan and execute their pit stops better and win on tactics.