Another day at our Mundesley beach hotel and I show the kids how to use stilts before buying a new video camera and taking pictures as the rail strike gathers pace, the TV journalists are still up in arms over the suppression of the IRA film and experts examining the 747 wreckage have yet to conclude the cause of the crash
A better night, but awoken at 6.30am by the combined din of three children playing boisterously in the room next door – ours of course. Morning drinks arrive nicely on time and we get down to breakfast by 8.30am for our usual selection. Della behaves quite well and we all get something to eat. The night had been wet, but it had cleared up this morning as I stepped outside to take the morning air. I then tried to raise the Dixons service organisation, Mastercare, but tried in vain both at Ipswich and Bedford, and only got the telephone engaged and ringing tones without any reply. Fortunately, the Great Yarmouth branch took details of my warranty claim and undertook to inform the Cambridge branch of my situation. I can now take the unit in there for repair after our holiday. We then set off for a day in Norwich as it had started to rain again. This was after some time for the children in the nursery when I showed them all how to use stilts by chasing the children around! In Norwich, I took Daniel and the girls went by themselves. We first visited Dixons and bought a new compact video set – a JVC set – that combines camera and recorder in one unit. We shall use our Sony as a static unit now and be able to edit and copy using the two recorders.
Then on to look at a couple of antique shops and I was very impressed with 4 butler’s trays and a carriage table in one of them, but they were expensive and already sold. Lunch as a snack and time for Daniel and I to look at our new video and then back to the rendezvous café to meet the girls for afternoon tea. Home then, but rather late at 4.30 to meet Daniel’s friend Jonathan, who did not seem to have turned up anyway. Debbie took a swim in the pool with Daniel guarding her and I studied the JVC video users guide and continued to do so after we moved into the television room for some children’s films. Both on the hotel television and on Daniel’s personal radio afterwards, I followed the test match today. After England scored 595 for 5 to pull 250 ahead, the Australians lost 5 wickets for 37 to make defeat a near certainty tomorrow, unless the weather intervened. Poor Diana is ill today with a sore throat and a heavy period, but just manages to eat dinner and watch television with me tonight. More rain today and more forecast. News today of the sacking of more railway guards and more go on strike as a protest. London and Glasgow commuter services have been badly disrupted. On key routes in southern London 80% of guards were out and half of services were lost overall and 90% in parts of the suburban services. Experts examining the Japanese jumbo are still undecided on the cause. The cockpit voice recorder gave the last 30 minutes of the crews voices as they struggled without hydraulics to control the plane. The latest theory is that external pressures (such as debris) may have caused the damage. More explosions in the Lebanon as it sinks into chaos with reprisals between ‘Christians’ and ‘Moslems’. Bombs and further trouble also in Northern Ireland. The BBC has confirmed that security vetting takes place, but denies that MI5 are involved. TV journalists are still up in arms over the IRA film. As the temperature rises at GCHQ there is talk of the TUC calling a general strike.