12May1997

12 May 97
My dear folks

I started the day with the firm intention of doing a number of pressing chores, none of which has been accomplished. Even so I have been very busy & have chalked up several small victories as well as some mini defeats. I set out on my bicycle through the showers early in the day for Tottenham Court Road to obtain some extra back-up tapes for my computer as well as a couple of items of software I wanted. These required much searching out but I eventually secured them all & returned through further showers clutching my booty.

One item of software proved a winner. I’d already tried a demo version & been much impressed. The second, acquired on the advice of the salesman, proved a £40 flop. So I phoned the shop in high dudgeon to register my dismay. The salesman, to his credit, merely invited me to exchange the product for another. Out with the bike again & back into town through further showers. You’ll be getting the drift! In short, the later product is exactly what I wanted & already Dan (the brand name of the new computer) is staggering under a shelf-load of applications & utilities that I’ve been installing all weekend. Okay, that’s quite enough of computers for today. You can take as read the usual stops at the health food shop, fruit shop & bank.

I’m racking my brains to see what else I can put to my credit but can only come up with a few miserly phone calls & a minor tidy up. Not a lot of souls out of purgatory today – not on my account at least. You’ll have gathered that it’s been a rhythmic melody of sunshine & showers – with more in store. (Judging by the clouds over Portugal, you’ll have had much of the same Jones. [Thank you for your fax & your news])

It was the same story when I went walking with cousin Judy at Cliveden yest. We did a long tour of the property (down the river & back through the woods) thrusting the golf umbrella in the face of the occasional squalls & talking of weighty things. Down the bottom of the property we discovered a parking lot where visitors were charged a mere £2 a head as opposed to the £4.50 imposed on us at the main entrance (1km away). In future, we decided, we’d park & walk to the house & spend our savings at the tea-room. It’s a super tea room where we spent our money anyhow. Indeed we were its first clients of the day. We both of us needed the outing & the exercise & returned rather the better for wear.

Herman invited me down to the basement in the evening for a drink & a chat. His partner, Stef, had suggested that her folks from Italy might stay in our flat in July while I’m away – & wondered what I might charge for this service. I readily agreed and named a fee. Stef found my proposed charge steep but descended into blushes & stammers (so to speak) when I asked her how much she thought was appropriate. She confessed herself to be a bad negotiator. Herman promptly halved the proposed amount & I agreed immediately. That threw Stef into another confusion lest I was now undercharging her – while Herman & I sealed the agreement with another glass of excellent Budweiser beer (the Czech original, not the American take off!)

You will note that we did not seal it with champagne – for such a seal on the deal between former ministers Hague & Howard over the so-called dream team for the Tory leadership didn’t last the night. The two gentlemen were noticed to be taking great pains to avoid each other at the most recent Tory gathering. Quite fascinating to watch. But sufficient unto the day.

Blessings
T