Another morning reading as Jane Bird, of the Sunday Times, uses my material without acknowledging me(!) but then some time managing my boat, doves and ducks before watching Norwich beat Sunderland in the Milk Cup final as the protest marches and funerals are allowed to proceed without attack in South Africa and two more oli tankers are attacked at Karg Island
Slept well and Diana awoke me with my morning tea. The Sunday Times was late and so I read a few days of 1666 Pepys. Eventually it comes and I notice that Computer Correspondent, Jane Bird, has done it again! Reported on my views and background to the moratorium, but not mentioned me or the BMMG. Naughty girl! Down to breakfast a little early, having smelt the fried food cooking to near readiness. A fine meal and well appreciated, before up to wash, shave and dress without bothering to read all of the paper. Out to the doves, which are flying further to their bird table these days, as I move it steadily into the garden plot. Then the ducks, who have laid 11 eggs.
Poor Diana frets ever more over the build up of stocks. I do not bother to clean out the duck house, but sprinkle more straw onto the floor litter. Then to get Daniel, and the two of us to struggle out of The Lady with the boat cover, putting it into the workshop. Also, on my own, to carry out the old batteries, replaced at Buckden Marina with new heavy-duty ones, but left in the saloon. Then to order things around the boat by getting the cushions back in the correct position and tidying the other things up. As I finished, I noticed Marilyn’s Aylesburys dominating our slipway and deterring my own ducks from using it. I therefore caught them and put the two drakes in a bag and took them down river. Having three ducks and three drakes, only one pair can feed at her garden but, with two drakes out of the way, the two ducks could join the resident pair in a single flock. This they did for a while, but the two drakes came back, attacking one of ours on the way. A more permanent solution will have to follow, I fear, and Marilyn seems to be breeding more as well. A modest start to my task of fixing new curtain rods in The Lady, but lunch intervenes. A fair pork joint, poorly cut, but with good vegetables and sweet to follow. Out afterwards to help Daniel put the Blue Peter dinghy into the river, but disappointed at the end of the day that he had left it muddy and poorly moored. In to the Milk Cup final and to see Norwich beat Sunderland 1-0, and then a few hours completing the majority of the curtain rails and leaving the new central heating on to check its proper functioning. I work on until dark and manage to finish the for’d and aft cabins. In, after cleaning up Daniel’s boat, and a few current buns for tea. A moving evening watching programs on Bronze Age Greek History and the life of Antonia Frazer and her things. News tonight of continuing marches and demonstrations in memorium of the previous blacks killed by the police. This time a funeral is allowed to proceed and thousand upon thousand converged on the church and the proceedings took the form of a peaceful, but political, demonstration. The Thatcher government are defensive over the talks with Ireland’s Gareth Fitzgerald over Northern Ireland. Two more Kharg Island oil tankers are hit by Iraqi missiles. More horror pictures of African misery in Sudan with measles adding to the problems of hunger. The weather today was changeable, with sharp showers and sunny spells, and tonight it will stay above freezing. Tomorrow is forecast as sunshine in the morning and rain in the afternoon.