Worrying news of Nigel's shooting incident being the subject of TV news broadcasts and his subsequent arrest at a time when I was planning to spend it alone. Once Nigel was back, I had a good chat with him and helped him unwind and agreed that I would stay overnight, Wiggly and Diana to say so who both took the news badly but I had decided that I would be apart from them for a day or two.
A lay in after a sound night, interrupted only by getting some medicine for Wiggly's cough and sore throat.
The builders arrived this morning to resume the work on the loft room. They interrupted our morning cuddle and put Wiggly off but I soldiered on and had my wicked way rather selfishly and felt guilty afterwards!
A walk with Sam, some breakfast and, after catching up on telephone messages and calls, updated this last week's journal from our joint recollections of this hectic period.
I did some work on my computer today and then, it getting late, we loaded up the car and opted to go shopping on the way back. Wiggly had an evening's rehearsals in Cambridge to go to and the journey had to be organised accordingly.
We had planned for me to stay at her house in Eynesbury for a couple of days but I thought about it and could not see a way for me to stay there without Sam suffering and my car being outside her house all the while.
When we stopped for a Little Chef tea and I told her this news, she was not best pleased and joined Diana in wanting me to declare my intentions for the future. I was sad and thoughtful as we drove the last leg to Cambridge and then was late getting her there to boot.
I dropped her off and, had just gone around the corner, when Wiggly telephoned and asked me to contact Nigel who was in some sort of trouble and the subject of TV news broadcasts having been involved in a shooting incident.
I called Ashley and then the Huntingdon police station and found out that he was being held there with his 24-hour review time expiring at 10.45pm. I drove on to Hail Weston House and was met at the gate by Nigel's girlfriend, Sue, and a police guard who were expecting me and let me through.
I interviewed Sue first who was with Nigel in the house at the time of the shooting. It seemed that the new alarm sensors had detected intruders in the vicinity of the equipment shed from which a motorised mower was stolen, and Nigel had gone down to intercept them and shot one of them in the balls with a 4-10!
According to Sue, he had been defending himself as the intruder ran towards him with a monkey wrench. Ashley was there but could not add anything and had a couple of friends for company.
In fact, I was rather worried by his superficial feelings on the matter and felt that he was taking the whole thing remarkably lightly.
A tense evening of telephone calls until eventually Lynn Smith, Nigel's wife from whom he is separated, heard that he was available for collection and came down from Grafham, to get him and bring him to Hail Weston.
It was awkward having Nigel's wife and girlfriend around at the same time and upsetting for both of them. The police custody officer had only allowed his wife to see him and Sue felt left out.
Once Nigel was back, I had a good chat with him and helped him unwind and then, once Lynn had left, I agreed with Nigel that I would stay overnight. I called Wiggly and Diana to say so who both took the news badly but I had decided that I would be alone for a day or two.