Relaxing morning reading and then a trip to Huntingdon and to visit Buckden Marina to arrange repairs to “The Lady” before home to my accounts, and my reading of the Great Ouse Recreation Plan

A fair lay in and groggy from deep sleep and slow to wake this morning. After a regular toast and fruit juice breakfast, I returned to bed to read Samuel Pepys diaries for late 1664 and finish off The Times papers we had missed from being away. Eventually up at 10.00 to let out the ducks and also allow our part-time maid – Joan – to get in to do some housework. Off with the family to Huntingdon and lunch at the Wimpy bar and stopping to bring me copies of the Huntingdon District Council’s Great Ouse Valley Surveys and Recreation Plans which give me several ideas on spending my future time. Also to drop in after on Buckden Marina and check that they are ready to conduct the repairs to ‘The Lady’ if the boat is brought in next Saturday.

The afternoon resting and reading the Recreation Plan. Also tending a smoky bonfire and setting The Lady’s batteries to charge. The weather still bitterly cold but sunny and dry enough to allow me to dry out the duck house and change the straw. Early evening to my desk and a good job completed as I make up my household accounts and write Diana a cheque. An interesting programme on television has Jack Hargreaves on ‘Out of Town’ describing how huge modern combine harvesters and bailers clear the fields of corn in record time and how this ‘progress’ is changing the country scenes and economy. A relaxing evening completing my reading of the Ouse Valley Recreation Plan then to bed. I did not do very much these last few days to advance the Comart Business Plan; but I am now settled on courses of action to dispose of the business and spend my time on more natural and local history and country pursuits and also try to develop Daniel a little more away from his computer.