David A Broad
A personal story
More than 40 years, told day by day
This month mild and misty November was the mildest in Norfolk, since record began and elsewhere on record since 1665 but the extremes of weather also led to horrific floods and storms in Italy.
I celebrated my 48th year and have seldom been happier with my shooting, dog training and football pastimes and close relationships.
I was pigeon shooting both at Molesworth and closer at hand on Mill Meadow, winning a famous "Cause Celebre" with Cambs. Firearms Department over a licensing issue.
My dog Sam had to compete with many more powerful distractions again this month as I did little more than build up his obedience and social skills and some good retrieves of duck and moorhen.
I exposed him to his first exposure to a driven shoot and the Bury obedience class was improving him in that respect when I can get to it.
My love affair with Wiggly was off the scale as we met often for meals out, theatre and cinema visits and recovered from seasonal colds. I showered her with clothes, household items, gifts and care as she recovered from her condition.
Diana was attending her own classes and events with a short stay at the Henlow Grange Health Farm at my expense and the girls were hosting friends with Debbie taking on more cooking and chores.
I take both girls and their friends to the Kimbolton fireworks display and spend another fortune on them. I was still accompanying them to the bus stop and supervising their homework and chores whilst Daniel was now working and buying his own things.
Though mostly in the background, I advised as Ross McKay was expelled from the Liberal Democrat Town Council Group locally.
Nationally, the month's news starts with the end of the damaging Prince of Wales newspaper book feature and David Mellor is pilloried for his amorous affairs
The government stumbles on as the second year's School League-Tables are published amidst widespread criticism.
The Tory Vice-Chairman resigns after a series of xenophobic Europe remarks and Chancellor Kenneth Clarke admits to Euro-Budget underestimates.
The government climbed down over the Post Office sell-off on the eve of the Queen's Speech and the first draw for the National Lottery takes place with the resultant publicity.
There were many misgivings but will one day be proved to support national sport and other things.
NATO-sanctioned Allied air strikes take place on a Serbian airfield as a political gesture that soon backfired as the Serbs then advanced on the Moslem "Safe Haven" of Bisach and 160 British and Dutch soldiers were detained.
The US Republicans give Democrats a drubbing in the mid-term elections and win majorities in both Houses of Congress.
On the sporting scene, Daimon Hill takes hope from winning the Japanese Grand Prix but loses the championship after a controversial collision with Michael Schumacker.
Ron Atkinson is the latest of three Premier League football managers to lose their jobs after Mike Walker of Everton and Ossie Ardilles of Spurs.
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This month was the mildest November in Norfolk, since record began. The anticyclone centred over the North Sea has meant icy weather for Eastern Europe but milder climes for us.
The drive from Paxton to Norfolk to see Wroxham Builders just finishing stripping off the last of the old thatch and then to see Norwich City beat Notts County in the league cup with Jim
Diana stayed home today until lunch time, and I went through my normal routine until I was ready to get off to Norfolk.
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Another hopeless attempt at pigeon shooting, and time listening to the Budget Day speech and to the Bedford Arms for dinner with Wiggly today, ending up in her flat
I had hoped to get straight over to Mill Meadow this morning but it was foggy before I went to bed and foggier still when I woke up.
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The day started with me taking the girls to the school bus stop and then forming my Mill Island Pigeon hide after bales of straw had been delivered.
Off to the Peterborough cinema to see the great film, "Corrina, Corrina" starring Whoopi Goldberg.
A sound night's sleep that only ended with Diana bringing me my morning tea.
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Walk with Sam to the end of the bungalows in Crabbet’s Marsh. then home to Paxton after collecting Wiggly's car and dropping her off.
160 British and Dutch peacekeeping troops are being detained by the Serbs who claim that the move followed a misunderstanding.
I slept remarkably well after my recent exertions and having got the better of my cold. So did Wiggly but I did not think that I was going to be able to get her up to help me, fearing the morning's arrangements were going to be again down to me.
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Winterton walk with Wiggly and Sam then watching Norwich City achieve a late 2-1 victory over Leicester City Football before taking Wiggly to see "Me and My Girl" at the Theatre Royal.
I survived the night with my cold quite well and was beginning to get on top of it but still had quite a lay in before getting going.
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