Another sweltering day working on The Lady and my riverside garden access between rests in the shade playing with my daughters and trying to fish before the whole family in the swimming pool later. Escalation of the South African troubles as the country’s most senior labour leader is also detained and John Stalker is suspended whilst pursuing his inquiry into Ulster policing but two tragedies feature. A grave train crash at Darlington and a coaster crashes into Southend Pier, dividing it into two!
Awake to a welcome early morning tea and washed and dressed before breakfast. A cooler morning, with the mist holding back the sunshine for a while and so I went out to clean and sweep the pool and surrounding area. The chlorine level was almost zero after the last two days hectic use of the pool and I had to move to quickly charge the skimmer basked with boost pills. The doves are now joined fully by the two chicks, which come to the table and behave as the others. I then had my morning coffee and biscuits by the pool, before going down to the river and arranging a way through our new plot. I took down the wire fence with tin-snips and then got the upper landing stage from The Lady’s mooring, to put across the slipway, as a bridge.
The sun was hot by this time, with temperatures in the mid 80degFs, but I stuck to it and glossed the supports of The Lady’s forw’d cabin rails. Time for another salad lunch and then a rest in the heat of the day, watching the TV news and a delightful edition of ‘Postman Pat’. A start on the rear cabin this afternoon, but did not get far, as I was unsure how to tackle the track for the cockpit canopy, which was already attacked by wet rot. Afternoon tea, with Della sitting on my lap, dunking her biscuits in my tea (!) as I rested on my steamer chair in the shade of the oak tree. Then swimming in the pool with Daniel, Di and Della, as Debbie was attending yet another birthday party. Tea of sausages and veg then, for a change, I set my fishing rods up this evening and tried ledgering a swim-feeder with cheese for chub, but could not find any. The temperature hit the upper 80degFs in the shade today, which was really debilitating, but we may get some cloud and even a shower forecast for tomorrow. The news today is of South Africa’s continued violence and of their London Ambassador’s rejection as ‘unlikely’, of the call for Nelson Mandela’s release. The President of the Congress of South African Unions has been arrested at his home in Carletonville, as the most senior labour leader arrested so far. In England, Greater Manchester Deputy Chief Constable, John Stalker, has been suspended by his area police authority. This is their way of bringing his disciplinary hearing to a head, as many feel that attempts to discredit him are aimed at stopping his inquiry into Northern Ireland policy. He was due to make his last visit before completing his report, which revealed severe malpractice by the RUC and MI5 in the province. A tragic train crash at Darlington Station resulted when a passenger express crashed into the back of a local train, injuring 29 people, with one dead from a heart attack. A 645-ton coaster has crashed into Southend Pier, cutting it in two and trapping anglers on the end. I know it very well from my youth and there are regular collisions and damage it has to sustain.