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Burwell Village and chats to locals and then to Ely aboard The Lady on a sunny day for Wimbledon’s start which is the warmest yet
Another glorious day – as warm as we have yet experienced this voyage. After breakfast of tomato juice, tea and toast, we walk around the Burwell village loop. The village is turning its face away from the Lode these days. Two shops (we later established as Butcher and Baker) have closed and been turned back into houses. We come by the newsagents for a paper and then two supermarkets and, fully provisioned, we call at the recreation ground on the way back to The Lady. There to talk to the Parish chairman drawn by concern over a swarming honey-bees’ nest in the children’s playground. He told us about the place, having lived by the bridge until recently when it was sold to be developed as new houses.
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The Royal Oak and up the Cam and Burwell Lode to Upware aboard The Lady on a sunny day that chills towards nightfall
We wake in bright sunshine during an early morning that is chilly because of the absence of cloud cover during the night. My customary and slimming breakfast these days of tomato juice and two slices of toast and then we walk from the B1085 river bridge to Streatham. Quite a walk along the straight flat fenland road but a farm and some allotments soon herald the outskirts of the village. Interesting points include two disused schools and some interesting village Shops. One, a second-hand shop is only one of two open and keeps newspapers for sale outside on up-turned boxes and metal weights to guard against the breeze. Back to the boat and a long cruise down The Old West and then right at the Fish & Duck up the River Cam.
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Waits Quay via The Old Ferry Boat Inn, Holywell, to the Royal Oak on the Old West River aboard The Lady on a warm and sunny day
We awake early at The Waits Quay to the sound of Magpie, Crow, Pigeon, Dick, Warbler and Sparrow in a glorious dawn chorus. The island opposite the Waits is a wild bird sanctuary and stepping stone for country birds to hop into the early morning deserted town. I can see why the locals are objecting to town council plans to level it into an ‘amenity’ riverside park. The town clock adds its chimes four times an hour. Breakfast and then to the shops for a multitude of odds and ends.
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Morning ducks with Daniel, office paperwork, more personnel reviews, dictated article and then home to load and join The Lady at St Ives
A beautiful sunlight morning, which I start by watching Daniel let out and feed the ducks. The ducklings are growing and, whilst I do not agree with Diana’s view that they double in size each day, they are growing remarkably. Di tells me that they got out of their enclosure yesterday but came back for their food. To the office and the mail. Lots of dictated correspondence and further review approvals before a Product Introduction Meeting at 10.00am.
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Sales & Marketing meetings, personnel reviews, legal employment tribunal meeting and then home with copious reading after the frustrations of employing mere humans
Nice warm day with competing anticyclones jousting for the upper hand. 10 mins late to the office and David Fear awaiting me as requested so that I could give him a hard time over administration. Sales Dept are always finding new ways to defeat the system and cause chaos in the wish to please customers. Their action often has the opposite effects. Also to insist on a three month unit forecast so that Production stands a chance. This tirade overruns the allocated time and we start an Export meeting late.