Debbie and Della enjoying paddling at MundesleyRed Arrows at Cromer Carnival
Red Arrows at Cromer Carnival

Sunnier day today for our visit to Cromer carnival where we unexpectedly find Sam Weller and his new wife Francis and arrange to meet them later when we enjoy the Red Devils and Red Arrows displays before back to the hotel and some swimming and fun with the children before watching the news on the hotel TV. Green Peace have re-floated their Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand and are accusing the French of sinking it and the railway chaos is growing.

We awake to a fine and sunny day, without a cloud in the sky, which makes a pleasant change for once. Still awoke at 6.30 and had a 45 min wait for our morning drinks and I resolve to change our call to half an hour earlier from tonight. We negotiate breakfast, even though a full restaurant meant that we had to wait an exasperatingly long time for the baby’s meal. Della was very good today and started it by quietly cuddling me in bed and bringing her cardboard picture books for reading. A little time in the nursery and then all off by car for a day trip to Cromer for the carnival. We park near to the church and spend the morning shopping mostly. I find time to visit the Cromer museum, which features a fishing cottage rather like that of Wick. Then we go down to the beach under the pier and the children enjoy a bit of sand digging and paddling in the waves. Diana continues to suffer with her throat, but one side is better and she manages to sit and watch the children play. I get us some crisps and cans of drink as a lunch time snack and then we set off along the coast to the carnival site. A fine display programme featured the Red Devils parachute team, but we were in time to see the Red Arrows formation flying team. The children also enjoy the bouncy things and particularly the ball pond, where I manage to get some good shots of them. The biggest surprise was to meet Sam (Roger) Weller and his new wife, Francis, with their two children, whilst walking around Cromer.

They are living in the area and are moving into a new house near Norwich next Saturday. We met them by arrangement at the carnival and, after chatting and watching the Red Arrows, had some afternoon tea together in the refreshment tent. We are to drop in on them on our way home on Saturday to see their new house and see them again. Home to the hotel then and, on a fine and still, late afternoon, I go swimming in the hotel pool with Daniel and Debbie. The hotel have been heating the water with new supplies of oil and this, with the improved weather, meant that it was a far warmer experience than before and we all enjoyed it. Diana stayed in the children’s sand pit with Della however. As the children ate high tea, I played back this holiday’s video recording efforts. I still have a little to learn, but they are quite good and the ease of use was a revelation. I then took a walk down to the sea and around this side of Mundesley on a still and pleasant evening. I was impressed by some of the houses built at the turn of the century and also by the nearby stables that seems to have housed some donkeys or ponies – perhaps for beach rides. I was surprised by the number of houses up for sale at the moment and Diana wonders whether it is holiday home owners selling because of this year’s weather. Then a better dinner than I’d anticipated, interrupted during coffee by a screaming Della, necessitating Debbie to call up Di to sort her out. She worries that Della has caught her tonsillitis, but I do not think so, but we shall see. I watch the news tonight in the television lounge. Main story is a rather far-fetched report that the Russians are using tracer chemicals on the American Embassy cars in Moscow to aid surveillance and that the American’s believe it is a health hazard.  It could be a manoeuvre to overshadow the forthcoming summit talks and ongoing arms negotiations. The Green Peace ship – the Rainbow Warrior, is refloated in New Zealand and speculation about French involvement in its sinking continues to grow. Railway chaos reigns and will grow. The weather forecast is for rain overnight and then sun.