Family time with Daniel and Debbie as Diana is ill but the comedy legend Tommy Cooper meets his death live on TV and at Her Majesty’s Theatre as he would have liked to go
Up reasonably early awoken by Daniel with a cup of tea – it seems he was helping Diana who had laid in with her cough now hurting her rib. Abed reading my 1665 Pepys and Daniel joined me to hear about the plague before down to breakfast. Then to eat fried egg, bacon, mushrooms and toast before back to bed with The Sunday Times.
Soon up and out with Daniel to let out the ducks (12 eggs) and get the boat cover out of the rain. We had intended to lay it out flat to dry before folding it up but that will now have to wait until better weather. I spend time this morning explaining the Great Ouse Valley Recreation Plan and he thought that we ought to write to the Planning Authority urging them to try to link the Little Paxton gravel pits to the river by inserting a lock in the channel to overcome the difference in levels. After coffee and biscuits we all set off for a drive together to visit the local boatyards. Diana starts off by crying over new discomfort but ends happy enough. At Buckden I get the assurance that The Lady will be ready this week whilst at L.H. Jones, they undertake to reorder my ships wheel boss. Home to a lunch of chicken as usual and then, Diana to bed and Daniel playing computer with Paul, I take Debbie off to the Riverside Park to walk and play on the swings. The recent depression passing, the wind has returned cold but Debbie didn’t seem to notice as she ate ice cream and smarties and drank coca cola. The girls were both young and acrobatic and older and less mobile, one lady feeling more of the cold in dark tights and slit skirt. Home for tea, a romantic TV film and then out with Daniel to clean the car and clean out the duck house. Then to bath, wash my hair and prepare for bed. Yet to see how easily I am distracted from any office work, several important tasks going unattended this weekend, and also how I can spend time watching TV or walking worrying about the work rather than doing it. News tonight of the death on TV and live at Her Majesty’s Theatre of Tommy Cooper, a fine comedian. I am sure he would like to have gone like this – working to the end – but I am sad at the thought.