A successful day finding my lost dove, reading up on the Battle of St Neots and dropping off Daniel for an all-American trip with his girlfriend Christine to USAF Alconbury as a thousand men march in Wales in solidarity with the miners
Woken at 6.45am for morning tea again and not too happy at this for the weekend. I scanned last week’s Investors Chronicle until The Financial Times arrived and read it before and after my usual breakfast of fruit juice, toast and honey. Up at 10.00am, washed, shaved and dressed and then to feed the ducks and doves. 5 eggs today and the doves hungry – but only 5 of them with the Blonde Qualmond missing! I was soon to find out why because, whilst closing up the house doors in preparation for leaving, I spotted the dove in the fireplace and behind the fire screen. It had fluttered down the chimney and was imprisoned, with feathers full of old grey wood ash. I released it and it flew well to the roof and its Blue mate and so no harm done; but what a strange thing to happen and thank goodness there were no hot cinders. Out with the girls to St Neots and to park in my favourite Huntingdon Street place, just beyond the double yellow line zone. I to pay a cheque into the building society and to purchase cockles and shrimps for tea, whilst Diana took Deborah to the ballet lesson in the church hall. I missed her on my return and so I went on to the new public library in the Priory Centre and looked round the reference section. I read again of the fate of the Earl of Holland and Colonel Dolbier in 1648/9 at the Cross Keys Inn during the civil war.
How Holland was taken prisoner and his baggage train captured with charger and one hundred odd coats of arms as a sad end. Even sadder that the old bridge is no more to mark the skirmish. I was affected by his last protestations in Westminster Hall that he surrendered in exchange for promises to spare his life and the fact that the House of Commons divided and that the Speakers casting vote was needed to send him to the executioners block. In the natural history section I also read of the bird surveys in recent years in St Neots. How the Heronry at Priory Park was a good one, but how it has now gone with the Rowley homes demolition – for the nearby elm trees held the nests. But also how three pairs of herons nested in Lt Paxton Pits as late as 1981. Late back to the car to meet Diana after Daniel’s bus was delayed bringing him back from Kimbolton. I find her with a contact lens problem and suffering acutely. Home to get Daniel changed and fed and I supervise him whilst Diana recovers. Then off to drop Daniel at Christine’s at the other side of Little Paxton and the rest of us to The Happy Eater for our Saturday lunch. Back home after for a cup of tea and then to St Neots library again, where I re-read about the Earl of Holland. They are presently remodelling the Cross Keys as a shopping precinct, which is sad after its historic past. After, Diana and I try to buy a Guardian newspaper from 6 different newsagents in the St Neots area, and not one has a copy. This is a pity because, being interviewed yesterday, we were interested in the outcome. Home together and then I get Deborah to come for a long walk with me to try to find the Heronry at Little Paxton gravel pits. A very long walk with Deborah tired, but I think we see the site in a row of mature oaks. Back in the failing light and then just time to put the ducks away and light a log fire before tea. Tea of my cockles and shrimps and Deborah has a few of the latter. Daniel tells us of his afternoon’s exploits. With Christine, three other girlfriends, Paul and her parents, he has been to Alconbury Air Base to go bowling. They had a fine time travelling there and back in a single, cramped car. He has bought his own tea and brings back two dollars and thirty odd cents, change from my £5. This shows just how much of a ‘Little America’ the camp is. After tea, I rest in front of the fire and catch up on today’s journal before going up to tell Deborah a couple of bed time stories and settle her down. An evening relaxing and reading of herons, history and then affairs more current! News tonight that divers had recovered the crashed Soviet missile and they report that the rocket is an older generation, unarmed model, used for target practice. Arthur Scargill has called for mass picketing at pit heads on Monday morning, as the war of words begins. In the solid Welsh region, a thousand men march and rally in strike support today. In the five nations rugby tournament, Ireland beat Scotland and England hold France to a 9 pts all draw to confound the pundits in both cases. With the barometer slowly rising, the forecasts are of dry weather and a mild day tomorrow.