Cruising downstream and stopping at our Paxton moorings to see the new landscaping taking place and then on to Godmanchester for the night as there are disastrous crashes in France and the US and the Queen Mother celebrates her 85th birthday
First awake after a fairly restless night. The meal and wine had made me quite hot and it is difficult in these sleeping bags to adjust the insulation like a normal bed. I made the drinks and surprised everybody by the early time. The normal routine, but managing to prevent Daniella being given biscuits before her breakfast, which is good training for her. I let the children play a while on The Anchor’s swings whilst we cleared up and then unmoored The Lady for the start of our journey downstream. A journey market by high winds and squally showers that defied the weathermen’s forecast, as the sunny spells were few and far between. Through Eaton Socon lock and then I managed to moor at St Neots Town Quay so that we could do some shopping for an hour or two. I took Debbie and bought her some sweets, me a Financial Times, and then left her to eat them on a bench beside Barclays bank whilst I obtained my statement and then went to the Abbey National to get some money. We rendezvoused in the café with Daniel and later, Mum & Della, and had a morning coffee and chocolate fudge cake, which the children enjoyed immensely. Back to The Lady and past St Neots Bridge where the rowing club had a regatta fully underway.
To the sound of loud speakers asking us to avoid the rowing races, we edged downstream and negotiated The Paper Mill lock and thence the journey home. Another squally shower greeted our arrival, to be followed by Daniel’s friends, who had heard of his return. I fed the doves and ducks, finding them well, and then marvelled at the riverside garden, which had been completely turfed and only needed planting. At least the rain was doing it good! Lots of mail and after sifting through it I found the gilt contract notes and signed and returned them to the stockbrokers, which was a principal reason for stopping. I also heard from Bill who had left a message that he now wanted to sell his plot, which is sad, but useful. I phoned him, agreed terms of £5700 and will take the matter in hand upon my return. Lots of reading material to take back to The Lady in case I was short of it. All aboard and off again through another rainstorm. At least the leaks have now been sealed and I bought another tube of the silicone sealant as it had been so good. We moored at Godmanchester and I watched cricket on the TV and then updated my investment summary and straightened my papers. Tea of fish and chips and then the evening to my journal and the TV news. News today of the deaths of 20 passengers in a French, head-on, train crash between two trains. In the US, 120 people were killed in a Delta Airlines crash in a Lockheed Tri-Star that occurred in a heavy thunder storm. In South Africa, the mass attendances of funerals and services have been banned as the latest clamp down, but the demonstrators will still conduct scaled down demonstrations. Stories of continued instability in Uganda and widespread shortages. The Queen Mother, on the eve of her 85th birthday, has numerous flowers and gifts as a well-loved lady and the bells of St Pauls rang for four hours. The weather tomorrow forecast very windy and with rain spreading from the west by the afternoon.