PUT PUT GOLF

SATURDAY 12th FEBRUARY

  Robert was due to go to a cereal sampling session this morning, but got a call around 9.00am to say he had been double booked and was given a new date.  I returned to bed and had a lie in until about 10.30am. (We had consumed  quite a sizeable amount of Heineken last night!). The day was completely overcast without a trace of blue in the sky and the temperature had fallen about 15 degrees from yesterday's 35.  I then went with the lad to Epping round to Doug's house where Nick was playing basketball with Narni (a German friend of the family) in the back garden, and Jane was watching Jingles roaming the fenced in porch area. Nick's first basketball game that morning for the school had been cancelled when they arrived at the ground at 8.00am, but he was still clad in his basket ball gear, giving it his all against his much taller opponent!

  I had purchased a card for Doug and the Blanchard family and signed it "From Adam & Bridie and the Komorowski Family", but had picked up an envelope with it that was fractionally smaller than the card.  I didn't discover this until after I had addressed the envelope.  I explained all this when I gave the envelope and card to Doug after expressing my condolences.  Doug said he understood that Bridie might be coming and I told him that this was the case although I was still awaiting final confirmation.  He asked me about my trip and recalled that I had told him of my plans a couple of years ago and asked where else I was planning to go.  I told him of my itinery and he asked me if my friend was on the trip with me.  I told him I was still waiting to hear from Jim on that score, upon which he asked if that was the same Jim that had come to Robert's wedding.  I told him it was, but I was still waiting to see how things panned out on that score.

  Uncle Al showed up asking "Douglas" how he was keeping and having been assured that he was doing alright, proceeded to talk with Nick, Jane, Rob and myself exuding bonhomie all round.  He expressed his admiration for the fight Robin had put up for four years in fighting her cancer, and then having ascertained how many copies of a photo Doug wanted for the funeral, left to go to see a mate who was to print them up.

  We had planned to take Nick to the beach today, but the weather dictated otherwise.  Nick said he would like to go to Put Put Golf, so that is what we did.

  It wasn't cheap, setting me back £42 for the three of us to play two 18 hole courses.  Robert came second and last as did Nick, which I'm glad to say left Grand-Ad as the victor in both rounds!  Afterwards Nick celebrated with a hot dog and a packet of crisps.

One of the attendants kindly offered to take a picture of all three of us together.

About this time it started raining, and it progressively got heavier until it was belting down by the time we left Epping for Oakhurst.  Reilly was fairly soaked but delighted to see me and at first tried to jump all over me, but somehow I managed to exert my authority over him, however briefly, and got him to lie down.  As I type this with dusk falling, it is still raing.