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After a visit to Tempsford for an antiques/car boot sale, a long and depressing journey to Orpington in Kent to suffer a Greek Christening before thankfully home to our Riverside idyll
Awake on another fine morning with the barometer having risen to a near 1030mb. Down to a nice fried breakfast in good humour with the family. Daniel is beginning to mimic my wit with a few jokes of his own. Upstairs and to finish yesterday’s journal before reading today’s Sunday Times. It seems to indicate by implication that Chancellor Lawson is hinting at a change of government direction after the Brecon by-election defeat, but he denies this on the radio later today. Up, washed, showered and dressed and out to the birds. The doves seem very hungry, but the ducks only lay 5 eggs and I think that they badly need new straw. We take morning coffee and I study the maps for our journey to Orpington, Kent, today and that of tomorrow to Castle Donington. Off by car, but firstly to Tempsford and The Anchor for an antiques/car boot sale. Bright, sunny weather and I was grateful for my new straw had, which kept the harmful effects of the sun at bay. A good look round, but poor Daniel was upset and disappointed that I would not buy him a radio/cassette player for £10. Then Diana senses that Daniella is poorly and we decide, because of the long queues at The Anchor bars, to have lunch at the Happy Eater at Sandy. A good meal, the room warm, but we manage to keep Della awake to sleep in the car afterwards. Then a long drive down the A1, through the West End, and along the A2 & A20 to Kent. We arrive at the house, but all of the guests are still at the church for Chris and Chas’s baby’s christening. Eventually they all arrive and we suffer a Greek reception party, full of loud Greek music and food. Few present speak English and Diana’s close relatives huddle together and try to enjoy it. A nice garden, but oddly shaped and situated away from the house. Finally away and the drive home without stopping. A whole day of fine working weather lost to a poor show, but at least we supported it (this time!) A depressing drive through populated town and scant country and then the appalling Dartford skyline of cement factories, oil terminals and power stations. Glad to see the Essex countryside at last, but once home we drank two mugs of tea each on our steamer chairs, relieved at the riverside tranquillity of our Little Paxton home. I take my time putting away the doves and ducks and unwind on the balcony writing my journal.
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To St Ives for an antique auction before collecting Daniel and having lunch at the Happy Eater with both daughters eating and playing well before the rest of the day surveying and drawing up my grand design for the riverside gardens using my antique drawing set as Thatcher smarts over her Brecon and Radnor defeat
A very poor night. The air was very warm and humid and, when still restless, the telephone rang at 12.30am, but to no purpose when answered. Eventually, early to wake and drank my morning tea with more than usual thanks. Down to a breakfast of cereal and top of the milk and then up to read The Financial Times. The main news was yesterday’s “humiliating” defeat for Thatcher but, in the City, a stronger pound eased interest rates and let the gilt and equity markets recover a little. Kode are still at £1.85 and have missed the worst of the electronics rumours, but must still be vulnerable at the time of their half year results in September. The mail was then brought up and, seeing that direct private mail is swelled by the deliveries of PO Box 7 here now, it is quite a lot. Delayed in bed until 9.30am getting through that lot and then quickly washed, dressed and out thereafter. Only six eggs from the ducks after yesterday’s games with the ornamentals, but the doves still incubating two eggs, which makes it 15 days so far. I check my records and establish that the previous two incubations took 22 and 18 days respectively and so, given the warm weather in the last few days, they should hatch any day now. Quickly out to the car with Diana and the girls, and then off to St Ives for the Saturday general auction and antiques viewing.
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Sharing my time on a warm and muggy day between Peacock’s auction in Bedford to get some silver and working outside on my land and tending my ducks and everybody else’s before Daniel returns home with poor news about his Physics grading through poor homework as The Alliance wins the Brecon and Radnor by-election, a Liverpool fan being jailed in Brussels and the crashed airliner’s black box located one mile down in the Atlantic
Awake to my morning tea, slightly stiff after yesterday’s unaccustomed exertions. The Financial Times, but not time to finish it before called to a breakfast of cereal, milk and fruit juice. Back up and to finish the paper and relax in front of the open balcony doors. Another hot day and very humid to boot. Then to the bathroom, when finished, and washed, shaved and dressed, out to feed the doves and let the ducks out, and then ready to leave. The landscape gardeners were already at work, as was my own gardener, and Di had left for Cambridge to get her hair done. By car to Bedford, but some time parking as I lacked the change for the 50p car parks. To the Peacock auction rooms, where I looked around both the antiques auction in the Robert Room and the general auction downstairs. The six silver fiddle teaspoons turned out to be a set of SH/DC, but badly worn, which was a quandary. Another one of two table spoons was also SH/DC, but also worn.
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A Day attending to domestic and industry matters before attending St Neots Shaw’s auction without productive outcome and then a meeting with my architect to plan The Haling View and then spend some time on The Lady and my steamer chairs whilst Diana’s parents visit and look after Daniella this afternoon. An artificial fall in unemployment might fool some but the House of Lords insistence on ending corporal punishment is a sound defeat for the government
Awake early and to my morning tea, but no sign of my daily paper by breakfast. Instead, I read more of my book on period gardens and leant a few things about planning their layout, which was interesting. Breakfast of cereal and milk and then showered, washed and dressed, after finding my paper had been delivered after all. Out to the doves and ducks. The doves are still incubating two eggs and the ducks lay 8, which is not too good. Then to the office, where I start making calls to BMMG members to try to get a speaker on Export Licensing for Tuesday, to book a hotel in Donnington for Monday night, to arrange to meet David Stokes later today. Then to type two letters, prepare my mail and then go into St Neots. There to buy a maximum holding of 3rd Issue Index Linked National Savings Certificates, to transfer more money to my cheque save account and get some more postage stamps. Also to look around Shaw’s auction room, where I saw a couple of items of interest and put in a written bid for a canteen case. Also to put Daniel’s bicycle in for repair, as it had a puncture this morning and Daniel could not use it. Home to lunch of bread rolls and strawberries to follow. In this second day of the heatwave, the fruit are coming in to season well. Diana’s parents were over for lunch and to look after Daniella during the afternoon.