11September1995

London: 11th September 1995
My dear folks,

Oh the happiness! The sweet joy of success, the thrill of it, spilling over in the need to share my excitement. I feel like a lottery winner, like a scientist whose efforts have at long last paid off, who's found his formula after so much toil, so much frustration. And since you have suffered the latter at some length, briefly share my pleasure.

Tonight, I downloaded Netscape Navigator and got it to work. Yes I know that sounds like gobbledegook! It's a computer programme for browsing the Internet. In fact, it's the computer programme for browsing the Internet. There are lots of similar programmes, several I already have, but absolutely nothing in its class, and I've been trying to get it off the Internet for weeks. No matter how I tried, at a dozen different sites, it either declined to download or, when it did, point-blank refused to function. I tried the BBC Networking Club Helpdesk for a solution. I emailed the manufacturers. No luck. Just dead ends!

Then tonight, for no reason I can think of, it arrived and installed itself, with just a little coaxing and without so much as a murmur. I got it up, like the eager owner of a new car, for a quick ride. What a brilliant programme. I took a glance at the news headlines, a tour of the reference books, a peek at the atlases, a sniff at the phone directories and an excursion through main index before giving a thought to my telephone bill.

Now, if only I can download the latest version of the BBC Networking Club conference programme, my joy will be complete. The problem with all these programmes is that they are being constantly developed and updated and made compatible with the latest operating systems. They go out of date faster than an open can of cat food. But that's for tomorrow. Tonight is spelled bliss. Just thought you'd like to know.

12/09/95 18:39

Tuesday evening, as you see. My cup of satisfaction was filled last night when I got the BBC programme as well, not the latest buggy version, but the earlier more reliable one which I had urged the club to make available once again on their computer. But no more computer talk.

It's been clouds & sunshine with the promise of rain....lots of it. I slept late again & then spent the rest of the morning moving myself down into the study. Our long-standing Quinta guests, John & Olive, forced out by prior bookings last month, are spending a fortnight with me in London before returning to Portugal. Their own home down there ought to be completed in November. I had a nap after lunch, then cycled up to Harrow Road, where I dumped a pair of shoes off at the charity shop, before continuing to Kilburn where I visited the Irish bank I patronise out of gratitude for my Irish passport. I remember the time when a pound bought you a Punt & some change. Now it's the other way around. Then I came home and slept for another two hours. So I'm well armed to begin work tonight - the first night of three.