St Ives Antique Auction and to win my 150-year-old Warboys Fen heron before more time with Daniel and, particularly, Debbie as she names our dove chick but tragic news of a fire at Bradford football ground killing more than 40 spectators and more demonstrations by the blacks in The Londion Borough of Newnham and South Africa but Sikh extremists organise a wave of bombings, 28 in Delhi alone
Awake to my morning tea after a much better night. Up to breakfast of cereal and fruit juice and then back to read The Financial Times. The morning post brings the Economist and Investors Chronicle and I get turned out by Diana before I finish as we are running out of time. A quick shower, wash and shave and then out to the birds. 12 duck eggs and the dove chick is beginning to grow some feather quills. To St Ives and to park near the market car park and, Diana goes out for a coffee and to shop, whilst I look around the showroom exhibits for Tuesday’s auction. A lot of silver again, but mostly roundware. I am also thrilled to see a 150+ year old stuffed heron, shot over Warboys Fen and several furniture items that could fit in my enlarged house. Away at midday and we collect Daniel in St Neots before lunching at the Happy Eater. We agree that Daniel can take his personal stereo to Alton Towers tomorrow and he is in a good mood and we all enjoy the month. Home afterwards via Peacocks in Bedford to check my bids, but my bid of £11 for an antique box was overbid to £26 and so I did not succeed.
Then to drop off the family and feed the doves as they are very hungry whilst nursing the chick and I am trying to keep them up and out of the way of the cats. Everyone settled, I take off for Huntingdon and a car-boot sale at Hinchingbrooke Middle School. Nothing of interest and so on to Warboys to see where the fen and home of the heron used to be. Home after and a tea of grilled trout as the rest of the family have hot dogs. Daniel has his friend Paul staying here until the Alton Towers trip tomorrow. I feed and put away the ducks and check once more on the baby dove, which Debbie has named ‘Dixie Dove’, and so it shall be. The weather is still cold, with a brisk and bitter breeze that makes us all shiver. After, Nigel phones and comes round and we talk houses, antiques and silver. He takes a number of items that I had sorted for him. This evening, reading, writing and watching TV after reading Debbie more of her story to settle her down. News today of a stand fire that killed 40+ spectators at Bradford football ground. The 70 year old wooden grand stand set on fire from end to end and spectators were trapped between the burning roof and floor. Quite separate, riots at Birmingham City football ground and also at a black demonstration in the London borough of Newnham. In South Africa, three more die in the latest violence. In India, the death toll has risen to 72 after Sikh extremists have mounted a wave of bombings, with 28 in Delhi alone, hidden in transistor radios.