Goodbye to Chris (RN)

I woke feeling much better today although I still have a headache and don't feel quite right. After a shower I dealt with writing some letters and dealing with emails and booking my car in for a service next week. . Richard C came round at 12 noon with Chris M who is off to Diego Garcia. We walked to the Lord Nelson for lunch where we had a pint each and a bar snack. Chris is off to command the naval forces in the British Indian Ocean Territory and will be away for a year. We had a really lovely lunch and this will be the last timw the three of us will be together until June when Chris comes back on leave. The pub was quite full - mainly with pensioners (we felt the youngest there) - and Roger was clearly missing Sara who would normally be serving on a Friday lunchtime. In fact Sara, who had been to Fordingbridge to have "her colours done" came in just as we were finishing lunch - she helped finish off the "healthy" bowls of chips. We had some good laughs Chris will be missed. This afternoon I drove into Salisbury to have a tyre replaced. The cost of the new tyre for a Merc. was staggering and I realised just how lucky I've been in the passed to have it paid for by the Company. Fortunately all the other three tyres were fine and don't need replacing. Tonight Sara went back to Fordingbridge to do one of her Vie parties. Tom played with his Weii and watched the Wales v. France rugby upstairs while Mary and I watched The Odd Couple, Porridge and Fawlty Towers. Sara arrived home at around 11.40 p.m.