Sunny Hunstanton

... although this is a picture (click to enlarge) of Wells Next The Sea, where Linda and I idled away a pleasant day, having caught The Coasthopper bus. Spent a lovely thirty minutes eating lunch in the peaceful square, not quite so peaceful as normal due to the setting up of the fair ready for the carnival at the weekend.

Weather was kind to us during our few days in a caravan in Hunstanton and we walked a lot... in fact the car didn't move all the time we were there. Did the usual fantasising about our premium bonds coming up and spending some on our own caravan. Returned to find son John on the PC with pizza in hand. He then managed to down a beef chow mein when I popped out for a chinese takeaway.

Have decided to change the Punto... beginning to cost a bit each year. Can't decide between a Fiat Panda 1.2 Dynamic Eco (cute and gets good write up, but not so good value for money, poor dealer support and could I live with the name?), a Suzuki Splash GLS (also cute, better dealers and more reliable, but more expensive) or a Hyundai i10 (not so cute, but great value for money and a five year warranty). Frugal is the by-word since I only use the car for about 3,000 miles a year pottering around town when I have to. Guess I'll end up with a Fiat, I usually do. But not sure if my sons will play pitch and putt with me any more. I give them a lift and they'd be seen in a car called a Panda.

Less than two weeks to go before I float down the aisle with my daughter Becky, to throw (oops, give) her away to Barry. All's on schedule... except I haven't written my speech. Generally leave it to the last minute in spite of the panic this creates for everyone else. Can focus better that way. Got a preview of the dress yesterday... absolutely stunning! My daughter looked like a very elegant princess. Can't show a picture just in case Baz reads this post before the big day.

Only had one visit to the allotment, being yesterday evening. The feathered fiends have survived the attentions of miscellaneous grandchildren while we were away. Before going on holiday, when I was caught by a sudden rainstorm, I'd observed that most of the rainwater from the shed roof wasn't making it to the water butts. Had fitted a rain diverter, which of course doesn't direct all the rainwater. Doh! So fitted some more downpipe with the aid of two right angle joints I bought in the afternoon. Works perfectly, should have more rainwater than I can cope with. Since the three water butts I've got are at different heights (sure there was a plan somewhere in my subconscious when I put them up) I can overflow one into the other. Photo to follow when it's all done, but I hate to think how much the whole thing has cost me. The now defunct diverter cost £13, and the two joints were £9. I daren't add up all the other stuff I've put up to catch the rainwater, let alone all the bits I didn't use when vacillating about whether to fit the butts to the left or the right of the shed.

Started the long haul of beating the grass into submission (in spite of being away for only four days!), so before I did anything I spent twenty minutes strimming. Both plots look like they need a short back and sides. I'm thinking when I get a few spare moments (am I mad, the last time I got some of that was in 1968) I may start the project of taking up my raised beds and converting to a more traditional style of allotment.