7April1997

My dear folks,

My computer keyboard scraped on the glass desktop as I pulled it towards me & Mave, who’s been kipping in the afternoon sunshine, shot up with all alarms ringing. The sound clearly registered in the “red alert” bit of his brain. Having established that all is well, he has resumed his slumbers. Clearly, no harm done.

The Grand National, disrupted on Saturday, is happening as I write. Lots of people are talking on the telly about king & country & the importance of showing the IRA what for. True British grit, one trainer insisted, adding mysteriously that many people had come from nowhere to see the race. Viewers were left to make of this what they might. If I only knew now what we’ll all know shortly, I could retire next week.

It’s the most perfect day. It’s been quite a useful one too. I did the usual grocery & bread runs this a.m. & dropped in on cousin Judy to return a scarf & fetch some computer magazines that I’d left for her house mates to peruse. I’m not sure where the rest of the day has gone other than the usual phone calls & correspondence. And I did spend two hours sorting out problems I’d had getting material on to the Internet & updating my website. It’s only a single page & I’ve replaced the awful graphic of the view with an equally awful one of the cottage (but it refuses to display itself.) There’s a lot more work ahead but meanwhile – for the nerds among you -- the page url is: http//dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/avenue/ac864/
I spent an hour registering the site with the main search engines so that other viewers can reach it. Will be most interested to see what response I get, if any.

Still on the technology front, I was pissed off to receive junk fax mail on my (unlisted) fax line from people trying their luck with some kind of scanner. One lot were estate agents to whom I faxed back pages of nothingness as a hint. Another lot were a bunch of scammers allegedly carrying out a survey on people’s views about joining a single currency. Please fax back, they requested, on a number which would have cost a pound a minute, most of it going straight into their pockets. That, no doubt, would have been the end of the survey. I didn’t both to send them my views, although I did wonder how many fools had. I resent cold faxing as much as I resent cold calling!

On the other hand, I’ve lots of welcome faxes to thank you for Jones & Mum and Cathy! Jones I do hope that your weather’s a mite improved. Cathy, I saw Mavis curled up in the corner with a pen, trying to get a note off to Anita without attracting my attention. Will be interested so see what he had to say. I’m going to take a cup of coffee on to the balcony and listen to the evening news in the warmth of a spring afternoon while I’m watering the flowers.

My fixer has just dropped around to give me an estimate for repainting the newly vacated flat downstairs. The new tenants are hoping to come around tonight to sign and seal the lease. Re your query Mum, agents charge 10% of the annual rental plus 17.5% VAT for finding tenants. If your flat is bringing in a typical £750 a month, that’s as close as damnit to £900. And they will seek a slightly reduced payment for renewing the lease each year. Easy money! It’s no wonder they all drive BMWs & take lots of holidays. If you want the agents to “mind” the flat as well, you’re talking 15% plus VAT plus charges. The moral is not to use agents if at all possible.