We set off for Great Yarmouth after a wet and stormy night, calling in at my parents for a nice visit before arriving at our intended hotel to find the rooms arrangements unsatisfactory until we complained and were put next door. I took a long walk on my own, the others watching TV, and then heard the news today of our football ‘fans’ being escorted home after fighting in Europe which bodes ill for lifting our football ban. The South African courts rule for freedom for once
A wet and stormy night, with thunder, lightning and torrential rain. Nevertheless, we laid in a while before breakfast and heard stories on the radio of flooding on the Thames and in the Midlands. Breakfast of wheat flakes and then out to feed the doves and talk to Pete, the gardener. I had noticed some graffiti on our fence ‘THFC’, but on closer inspection it seems it was an old inscription shown up by the rain. I still asked Pete to creosote over it whilst we are away. Final instructions about looking after the birds and then the long process of helping with the packing of our bags and suitcases, loading of the car, and locking up the house and putting the alarm on.
The car journey was a bit fraught with the girls playing up and arguing in the back seat, but I eventually solved it by putting Debbie in the front. Arrived at my Mum & Dad’s home in Stanton at 11.30am and they give us coffee, sausage roll and cakes, which refreshed us and settled the kids greatly. They seemed in good spirits, glad to see the children, but there did seem to me some underlying dispute over whether they should stay there or move into a specially adapted bungalow. We left at 12.30pm and found the remainder of the drive traffic-free until we got to Yarmouth. To the Burlington/Palm Court Hotel and straight into a controversy over our rooms, which should have been a family suite of adjoining rooms, but were just one room to sleep 5! Much ado until, all set to leave and find another hotel, we were offered two twin rooms adjacent in the Palm Court, which solved the problem. Settled in, then took the children to the beach amusements in the hour or so we had before the children’s tea. Later we let Daniel join us for dinner and then, as Di and Dan watched TV, I took a walk along the length of the front, seeing the lights, arcades, amusements and much activity by the holiday makers. News today was of 60 Manchester United fans returning home from Holland under police escort. This weekend’s so called ‘friendly’ matches, involving British teams in continental Europe, led to many violent incidents with so called ‘football fans’ fighting on the ferries and in the streets. It seems to be likely to extend the European football ban for British teams for another 2 to 3 years at least. A South African court ruled that the government had exceeded its powers with 2 key emergency regulations and that all people detained are being held illegally. It may be that they make more regulations quickly, but for now freedom and justice prevails. The Queen takes the lighthouse in her stride and the Princess of Wales gets photographed sunbathing, diving and swimming in her bikini during their holiday in Majorca, guests of the King of Spain.