Cruising from St Neots Riverside Park (and back to Paper Mill Lock) to Great Barford after shopping in St Neots, as the barometer falls
A cool start to an otherwise increasingly hot day. Temperatures rising again to a maximum of 80*F. We awoke early after a very restful night. The Priory Disco of the previous evening had been soothing in music and early in completion. A bright sunny start and breakfast of our favourite “Kellogg’s Varieties” and toast before soon to the shops in St Neots. Purchase of books on beekeeping and goat keeping, a visit to the bank for £50 cash and to pay in my £250 expenses cheque, and then to walk back to The Lady with a large measure of groceries with Diana.
We cruise back to the Paper Mill lock so that Diana could collect her contact wetting solution from the house. I take the opportunity to join her and collect my portable hi fi and tapes from the house too, intending to wire it for 12volt working on board. Back to the boat and next stop Eaton Socon where we moor and visit the Mill Tavern to have an excellent family meal outside on the tables. Then to the garden centre where we look round and I buy a ‘maximum and minimum’ thermometer and later provide securements in the boat saloon.
Then we cruise through three locks leading another craft with a rather plumpish but attractive lady in a bikini; to come eventually to moorings alongside the Anchor at Great Barford. The countryside is pretty but a little boring, but we notice on the way the great efforts that have been made at Tempsford to improve The Anchor’s riverside moorings and gardens. A walk around Great Barford this evening. A disappointing village with shops closed and peace dissected by busy main roads. A nice drink at the Anchor before a late evening listening to my Hi-Fi and a Somerset Maugham story ‘A Point of Honour’ given to me by another Solidath. The barometer fair at 1021 and the cabin temperatures this evening (until bedtime) ranging from 74deg to 81degF which I think is too high and the thermometer is therefore un-calibrated!