Up early to do my Heronshaw chores and see how happily Debbie left for Kimbolton’s main school after starting there on Monday. A long task loading the Range Rover with tools and domestic belongings before leaving for Norfolk and arriving at Heronshaw around 11am to face an equally long task unloading everything after buying materials for renovating the old garage.
After meeting Jack Edwards at the Black Swan, who had drilled my extension plates, I worked until late cutting away rotted uprights from the old garage and bolting on new pieces of timber until late reading and writing before settling down at 11pm in my sleeping bag. Today was much cooler than of late, with temperatures of 8 to 10°C overnight, as autumn seemed to be upon us.
I was up quite early this morning and so poor Della was too late when she came to see me in bed. My normal routine before breakfast, tending the doves, fish, plants, flower baskets and filters for the pond and pool. The post came and I read it and then looked out of the window and noted how happily Debbie left for school today. She started at the Kimbolton main school this Monday and goes off to catch the bus each day, stopping outside the Law’s house on the way to wave to them! I had a fair job to do loading up the Range Rover with not only the tools and other things than I needed for the coming working section at Heronshaw, but also a job lot of domestic belongings turned out of The Hailing View to store there. I eventually left at 9am (much later than planned) but still managed to arrive at Heronshaw by about 11am.
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It was an equally onerous job unloading all of the bedding, curtains, lamp stands etc. at the other end. Before I started to work proper, I decided to go into Jewson’s and the nearby hardware distributor, and purchase the necessary materials for renovating the old garage. For lunch, I had a couple of pieces of fried plaice from the Chinese fish shop in Wroxham before dropping in at the Black Swan on the way back for a pint of shandy. I found Jack there and greeted him before starting to work on the garage. He had completed the drilling of my extension plates and I was able to start cutting away the lower couple of feet of the rotted uprights from the old garage and bolt on new pieces of timber. I worked until 4.30pm and then went into Wroxham again and bought some weedkiller, lubricating oil and looked for some other materials but could not find them.
I treated myself to a mixed grill at the Riverside Restaurant and bought a copy of the ‘new look’ colour Eastern Daily Press that was available for the first time that day. Back to Heronshaw and another heavy working session. I was able to replace the base of one side of the front of the garage, as well as more of the uprights, and my methods seem to be working. After dark, I sank into one of the new bed chairs that had just been put in the Heronshaw lounge, had a drink of shandy, took a look at the paper and wrote up today’s journal. I eventually settled down to sleep at 11.00pm in my sleeping bag on a Heronshaw bed for the night. Today was much cooler than of late, with temperatures of 8 to 10°C overnight, as autumn seems to be upon us. I had checked with Harlequin and Dad’s Memorial Trophy could be collected the following day and also Mum was available for home visit.