HMS Invincible based in the Adriatic Sea during Operation Grapple, supporting UNPROFOR in Bosnia
HMS Invincible based in the Adriatic Sea during Operation Grapple, supporting UNPROFOR in Bosnia

As the weather continued mild, seeing the children off to the school bus stop and then more time training Sam as Nigel cancels shooting and applying for my Firearms Certificate variation.

Out with the children for tea again - this time at The Happy Eater in Croxton and then the evening with Sam again at Cromwell Kennels, Bury, where he did reasonably well at his obedience class.

Britain is going to send another battalion of 650 men to Bosnia

The weather continued mild again but was increasingly windy. Awake at 6.30am, half an hour early for the alarm again, and called Daniel and Della ready for breakfast together. Then out with Sam briefly to make him comfortable before meeting up with the girls at the bus stop to see them off with him. Della, in particular, was pleased to see Sam and petted him quite happily.

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Over to the meadow to do some waterwork and retrieving which he did quite well. His quartering was not too bad either. Some time in my office, making out my application form for varying my Firearms Certificate after making several telephone calls to the firearms officer. My own lunch today of pilchards and salad after I had heard from Nigel who cancelled our planned session pigeon shooting and this after I took the trouble to confirm it was still convenient this morning! I drove out to look at the Brook Farm rape field opposite but failed to spot many pigeons or the flight line and then went over to Molesworth where I ran Sam across the game fields in set-a-side to try out his pointing.

He pointed a rabbit nicely and had a few other false starts and ran well and under control which was promising but he then faltered on some dummy retrieves when they were placed near likely spots. Now he is experiencing the real thing, he is balking at dummies when they are placed near ground and winged game scent which is understandable if annoying. Out with the children for tea again - this time at The Happy Eater in Croxton - and then the evening with Sam again at Cromwell Kennels, Bury, where he did reasonably well at his obedience class.

He walked well to heel but was a little ragged on his stays and presents but he was back to his nibbling and grumbling habits. The news is of the continuing wrangle over the quest for more troops for Bosnia and it now seems that Britain is going to send another battalion of 650 men even if there are none forthcoming from other countries.