Monday 23rd April 1984

Bank Holiday Monday trip on The Lady to The Anchor at Tempsford for lunch and children’s shows before taking our boat back to Buckden Marina all on a day when lots of boats and people are enjoying the river Great Ouse

Earlier to rise and brought a nice cup of tea in bed. Then breakfast and to let out the ducks early and relieved to see that they had survived the creosote hutch for the night. Then, the family being ready, we loaded up The Lady and took a day trip upstream to the Tempsford Anchor. A steady cruise on a fine sunny morning but the cold easterly wind kept the temperature to around 10/11*C.

A bit of competition through locks and eventual mooring space but nothing to really bother us. At The Anchor we enjoyed meals of Cottage Pie (Di) Turkey Ragout (me) and cheese rolls and crisps (children) for £4.85 and drinks for a further £2. Then Debbie watched the Magic Show and Punch and Judy and enjoyed it thoroughly before we set off back through the Eaton Socon and Paper Mill Locks with slight waits again. A lot of boats mooring today and record numbers of people in the riverside park, and on the banks elsewhere the young couples are beginning to get amorous. Di and Debbie are dropped off at the landing stage and Daniel and I take The Lady back to Buckden Marine in the forlorn hope that they may actually start work this week. Back at 5.30pm for another barbeque and, putting the ducks away by boat, I follow a dress relief with a hair wash and shower. Then an hour of Comart work before my Bournvita, my journal and to bed. We can reasonably say that we have taken full advantage of this Easter’s fine weather, even though we were limited to day trips.