Day at home with the children and my steamer chairs before a family BBQ that Daniel and friend s missed whilst working on Brampton Lock as UEFA bans English soccer teams and the traditional Stonehenge pop festival is banned for the first time
Awake early, but back to sleep and wake heavily at 7.00am to some morning tea. I read yesterday’s Economist, got The Sunday Times from the front door and went into the dining room for breakfast for the first time in a few days. A splendid meal of fried egg, bacon, sausage, mushrooms and bread. I finish the paper, get showered, dressed and shaved and go out to feed the doves and collect 9 eggs only from the ducks. I settle to the task of continuing the preparation of the first of the folding steamer chairs and Debbie comes out by the river and helps me a lot by stripping the varnish off with a scraper. She is not allowed to call for Amy on this Sunday morning and was at a loose end. Morning coffee on the riverside garden lawn and I moved around during the morning to stay in the shade. Another sunny and clear day and the breeze less cool to make the day the warmer for it. Daniel played in the outboard motor dinghy and soon had Gary and Paul across to join him.
In at 1.00pm for lunch of roast pork and nicely cooked vegetables, eaten with our silver flatware for the first time in a while. Daniel, Debbie and I did the washing up in an emerging Sunday tradition and then I returned to my labour. At afternoon tea and, after getting Debbie off to Emma’s party, Diana joined me with the baby and we sat enjoying the river view and activity. Many cruisers and dinghies abroad today as others also enjoyed the weather. At 5.00pm and with Debbie back, I lit the barbecue and cooked sausages and burgers for us, whilst waiting for the boys to return from a long trip. They were late back and missed the tea, which was a shame. They had been through Offord lock, worked it for money, and spent it in the marina supplies shop! A little more time with my handiwork and then the birds away and me in to a deep bath. I will have to stain the chairs with a colour varnish as the old mahogany is of variable colour and aging. News today of the European Football Union deciding on a ban for all English soccer clubs in Europe on an indefinite basis, which is a harsh reaction. After 10 years of hippie pop festivals at Stonehenge, the authorities ban this one and, following car chases and arrests, 520 are arrested. More sunny weather forecast, but my barometer has been dropping steadily since this afternoon.