From Clayhithe to Cambridge after a poor night with Daniella and then some business with solicitors and some book purchases as The Lady is recognised from its origins there, we tow another boat with a disabled sterndrive and at last the BBC restores its authority and undertakes to broadcast the disputed documentary on the IRA
Another unsettled night as Della stays awake and screams for some of it. This morning I am woken first by the arrival of Della for a nappy change and only later by my morning tea, which gets me off to a poor start. Breakfast and then to make an early start from Clayhithe on our cruise up the Cam to Cambridge. I chat to the lockkeeper, who tells me that there have been very few boats about this holiday and only about 13/18 per day through his lock, which is 1/3rd of the normal level. I also chat to another local who remembers Banhams building The Lady, being owned by one of the Barham’s people, and then spending some time in Denver. On to Cambridge on a fine and sunny day and we moor up by the playground and let the children play, while we put up The Lady’s curtains and unloaded. First to Belinda’s for our morning drink at 10.30am and then to Vinters, where we sign the new Barclays mortgage document and chat to them about our new purchase of riverside land. They cannot represent Bill Clark as well as me, but advise me on a course of action to follow.
Then a good time visiting all the Cambridge antique shops on my own. No silver to suit, but I buy a fine Victorian, small mahogany try, which will be useful for The Lady as well as an attractive investment. An old print map of Huntingdonshire as well, which was only £25. Then from the book sale in the Fisher Hall a few books on forestry, family history and water naturalism for about £15. Afternoon tea at the craft market in the shade and back to The Lady. Daniel was over an hour late through not looking at his watch, which was a worry, and then during a difficult cruise in windy conditions we had to tow another boat (and raft of weed) that had a broken sterndrive. He tipped us £10 for children’s presents and we eventually made the 20p Inn at 8.30pm. News today of further violence in South Africa, with mass violence by blacks against Indians, who are seen as favoured under the apartheid system. More news of the overcrowded prison system as the number of prisoners have risen from 42,000 to 48,000 and Bedford Prison is the feature of today’s ‘expose.’ More seizure of heroin as the funeral takes place of the first child to die of the addiction. The pound sterling rose today by 1 ½% after recent falls and today’s sale of Britoil shares was duly oversubscribed. BBC Director General, Alistair Milne, restores the management authority by insisting that the banned documentary will be shown later this year. More representations to the new Uganda regime to get them to release political prisoners and choose interim Ministers carefully. The weather is for further showers and the end of this sunny spell.