David A Broad
A personal story
More than 40 years, told day by day
The day working at home in my office with Sam for company as Diana disapproves. He had performed well and obediently across planted fields in Yelling and across the river in Paxton.
I picked up a message from Sally and went over to key in the canvassing results in Eaton Ford so far. The day was milder than of late and dry as well and this would have been a good day were it not for the row with Diana.
I had a very productive and satisfying day that was then totally overshadowed by Diana's reaction to it. The mistake that I had made was to invite Sam into my office for an hour or two whilst she was out where he entered by the double doors and then sat and lay contentedly on a blanket spread for that purpose. This was too much for Diana who accused me of lying about not bringing him into the house and then going back on my promise to take her to America every year!
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The journey home, trying to reassure a depressed Jim and then a better training session at home as Sam was either tired or had reflected upon the events of the last three days and had gained in steadiness and experience.
A nice evening meal with the children good and cooperative and the whole family in a good mood and then a complete evening catching up on this last few days journal
A good night's sleep for us three and I was the first awake again to use the bathroom and get dressed. Breakfast and then out with Jim and Ben for a walk along the road in a strong and cold wind before in to pack and clean and tidy up the cottage. Then the rain bucketed down and we had that weather for the journey back.
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Training at Holkham Hall and Park grounds after sharp frost overnight, running our dogs through stubble fields and through woods and cover but far too many rabbits which distracted our young dogs.
All off to the local pub for a fine lunch, rest and long chat with the keeper of 40 years service there. This evening, we bought supplies and made our own tea and rested rather than drinking and socialising with the other handlers for this had not been a very edifying day
Another comfortable night, if short after more late-night philosophy, and the dogs continued to settle well. We were fortunate to be able to gain access to Holkham Hall & Park for the day's training and had the head keeper to help us and join us for lunch. He was an interesting character and had been employed there for over forty years. They do not put out reared stock and only have wild pheasants.
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Sam was improving in a full day of dog training with others performing well at retrieving dummies and birds but exhibited his normal failing of crunching the birds by mouthing them.
A gale was blowing with cold and rain the other aspects to cope with but Jim became disillusioned after his dog misbehaved and he got two bootfuls of water from straying out of his depth
Sam benefited enormously from an important experience of humanisation later which, being kept outside, he normally lacks
Today was wet, windy and very cold but this did not stop us training all day with a full schedule. We all slept well, and Jimmy was not too affected by my snoring though we did stay awake very late putting the world to rights! It was a better day for Sam after the aggression of yesterday and he did some good retrieves upon both dummies and birds.
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This was a wet and windy month turning cold later and more floods as the snow melted. A relatively healthy month but a telling bi-annual visit to my dentist, trips to Horning commissioning the security alarm at Harnser and struggling to overcome parking problems to get the planning consent for my property develop Cambridge Street.
A busy and significant month training Sam, taking him for a dog-training break in Brancaster with GSP club colleagues. I helped Daniel change his car for a fast and expensive Rover 825i saloon, helped Debbie nurse her perceived complexion and skin problems and saw Della make progress in re-growing her eyelashes and taking an interest in lighting and tending my fires.
Poor Diana had been suffering health problems as well. My visit to the Boat Show this month had been an interesting show for me as I took the opportunity to review computer navigation systems in a month where I had upgraded my own and Daniel's computers considerably to allow more of my MAC applications to be transferred.
It had been another month of political problems for John Major's government with his ‘back to basics’ campaign thwarted by a Minister’s sex scandal and with the Tory flagship Westminster Council being condemned by the District Auditor of gerrymandering with tax-payers money.
The Queen broke her wrist in a riding fall and her son, The Prince of Wales, was attacked with a blank-shooting pistol at the start of an incident-packed tour to Australia. Two sad deaths with the passing of Manchester United legend, Sir Matt Busby, and radio presenter, Brian Redhead.
Mike Walker leaves from Norwich City for Everton and Dixie Deehan takes. A big earthquake in the San Fernando area of Los Angeles measuring Richter 6.6 and lead to much loss of life and material damage
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An early start leaving Paxton via Wymondham to collect Jim and his dog Ben before driving on to Brancaster for the Pointer Club training session with Martin Sullivan.
Diana seemed to be suffering with what amounted to something of a black-out from the stress today, but her hairdressing appointment snapped her out of it
Up early with Diana and then a quick breakfast and walk with Sam before setting off on the journey that started my dog-training break. I was suitably early to Wymondham to collect Jim and could therefore stay and chat to his family a while and have a cup of tea before the final leg of the journey. Sam and Ben soon settled down in the back and the journey to Brancaster went well so that we arrived early at 10.15am.
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