Fine and sunny end to a boating day in Godmanchester, and St Ives after early thunderstorms
A warm and muggy night, and the sleeping bag had to be unzipped to ensure a comfortable sleep. This morning we awoke to thunderstorms and rain pattering down on The Lady’s roof. Although the weather forecast had promised hot weather with occasional thundery showers the day turns out with drizzle until quite late in the afternoon. We shop in Godmanchester first thing for milk, papers and some grocery and walk via the riverside path both sides of the Chinese Bridge to see the picturesque river frontages and boat houses that are there. I resolve to make a boat/summer house to this design for myself soon.
We set off in The Lady and lock through Godmanchester, pass under Huntingdon Bridge, and the engine falters and stops close to Purvis Marine. Two hours, a tow and much help later we deduce that, due to a loose bolt in the injectors, air had been sucked in to the fuel lines. After a lunch of chicken salad we set off again in the rain and lock through Houghton and Hemingford to St Ives. At first the two quays are full and we visit L. H. Jones. For just under £200, I purchase a superb pneumatic swivel-and-raise helmsman’s seat which makes steering The Lady a pure luxury. I reorganise the saloon in the evening and turn out the old step/seat assembly which takes up too much space and hinders access to the lockers.
The evening has turned fine and sunny and we each walk around St. Ives. I purchase some Godmanchester and St Ives guides from the Norris Museum, close to our Waits Quay moorings, and also copies of odd pamphlets describing Royalist escapades in Huntingdon and St Neots during the civil war.
Late television featuring the second of three parts on a Rabies horror story called The Mad Death.