More restful dull and colder day, with the postal strike, and some shopping in St Neots, visit to the library researching silver hallmarks, a Happy Eater family lunch and the afternoon walk with Debbie before a very late evening dining with Nigel and friends
All awake for morning drinks and Diana joins me in bed for a little while until the baby awakes. No mail this morning due to the postal strike, but I read the paper before and after a toast breakfast. Washed, dressed and out to the birds on a duller and colder day than yesterday, and it was quite chilly as I fed them. I adjusted the battery charger and either the ships batteries are taking a fair charge, or I have a fault somewhere, as the charging current stays well up. In to look after the baby and read a little while whilst Di gets a coffee and ready for a trip, then all out in the car and to St Neots by 11.30am to park in the market square. First, with Daniel to the Hi-Fi shop to get some miniature fuses and then to the bank (where my statement has not, of course, arrived in the strike), the fish shop for some prawns and to the library after. There, with a slightly impatient Daniel, to look up hall marks and, in particular, maker’s marks in Sir Charles Jackson’s reference work.
All back to the car by 12.30am and off down the A1 for a very enjoyable Happy Eater lunch together. The children behaved for once and Debbie ate ‘Noodle Doodles’ and ‘Toast Soldiers’ and Daniel a ‘Mint Surprise’ ice cream. Unlike the normal Saturdays, he was not recovering from a morning at Kimbolton School, and was relaxed and happy. Home after and a relaxing afternoon reading and then taking Debbie for a walk to occupy her as she was getting a bit restless. A tea of prawns and then, shaved and bathed, and dressed up for an evening out with Diana, as Joan arrives to babysit. We go by a very nice and roundabout car journey to The Wheatsheaf pub at Colmworth, where Nigel and Lynne Smith host a dinner party. We meet a few of their friends, including Denise, who teaches swimming and her husband, who owns a Bedford video shop. Home by 1.00am in the morning and, after paying Joan £12 (£2/hour), quickly to bed.