A walk around Paxton on a beautiful day identifying trees and spotting our old Utopia II boat and then visiting next door about buying their house as Miners rally in Trafalgar Square to seek support and Irish talks break down immediately
Another slow start to the day and a late morning laying in bed reading The Sunday Times with only one break for a fried breakfast. A quick shave and wash and then out to the birds. The doves fed hungrily again and the ducks laid another five eggs. Then, the neighbours being out for the day, I settled to shampooing the car and vacuuming the inside. A good job done by lunchtime as I rinsed and leathered it clean. Lunch of chicken and Di’s speciality to follow and then, with some disappointment on Diana’s part, I set off on my own for a long country walk. A beautiful day with the warm south-westerly airstream back in the 50s at least – perhaps even 60’s degrees Fahrenheit. First I strolled along the towpath identifying the tree species as a fair number of ash, sycamore in the main. Then to the small wood, where the riverside chalets used to be until damaged by fire vandals some years ago.
Here I spotted the first Lime trees and also saw some small elm saplings struggling up to try to make brave headway after the elm disease. Also good quantities of hawthorn and crack willow near the river. Then to walk along the gravel pits road, where more ash and sycamore, which seems to seed by far the best round here. Also more crack willow. Very heartened to see mature and gnarled old English oaks by the river bank and several saplings started to continue the succession. Some of them must have been several hundred years old, but very broad branches for their height. On to the gravel pits and a fine stand of birch on the right, but I do not know the species. Then on the river path, leaving the pits and passing a line of anglers fishing their match. A few crack willow had recently been felled and their timber stacked, but it will not be of much value. Opposite Paxton (Great) there was a stand of trees on this bank that I could not identify and may have been black poplar. Next to come across the Wray house mooring where I saw what seemed to be a dead Heron in the field, but the head, neck, legs and body had been eaten away and so I could not be sure. At the moorings was our Utopia II still in good condition and, from a sign on the moorings, owned by a man from Sandy. Onwards, and by now quite warm, seeing a number of mature oaks lining the fields. Then inland to the live gravel workings, which were actually sorting gravel today. The water-filled pits (that are being linked in the Great Ouse recreation plan) stretched away on each side. I decided to turn back to Lt Paxton at this point and walked amongst quite a number of other residents enjoying their Sunday afternoon stroll. Disturbed to notice more and more turkey oaks, which look alright, but will be very poor value timber. All was quiet at the Heronry and no birds to be seen yet. On through the gravel yard, over a style, and back to the riverside path across some rough land. I stopped and sat for the pleasure of the sun on me for a while and then saw an otter scampering half in and half out of a stretch of ice covered water; thawing in the day’s warmth. I trained the binoculars on it as it sought refuge on the Island and it could be nothing else. Back home along the towpath and so to put the car away and feed the ducks, only managing to get eleven of the latter in, due to the numerous anglers out and feeding them today. In to change and next door with Debbie to see Tricia and discuss the purchase of their house. Next week would be for a planning officer’s enquiry and survey and we would let them know next weekend. Tricia told me that the riverside land in front of her house is owned jointly by two women who inherited it. They evidently visit once a year and park a red mini in Willow Close and she will try to remember how we could contact them. Then in to a tea of current buns in front of the television – the Holiday Programme, the Money Programme and By the Sword Divided, where the plot approaches the Restoration. News today of a large miners rally in Trafalgar Square with running scuffles and anger vented at the police. Nottingham NUM members have voted for an overtime ban, but the area executive may decide to defer it to aid conciliation. In Ireland, John Hume, leader of the SDLP, met IRA officials, but the talks broke down in almost immediate deadlock. £3 million more of heroin was seized at Heathrow Airport.