Struggling with my bad back on a warm and sunny day but then organising a boat trip on The Lady with Daniel and his friends who help me with the loading and unloading and then the clearing of my gardens and the planting of some shrubs that we bought as Winston Wilcott has been charges with PC Blakelock’s murder in the Tottenham Broadwater Estate riot
A very poor night’s sleep, with my back causing problems when I moved and also the temperature being too warm to start with. Eventually I got up to make the morning drinks as Diana was playing possum and the children were already up and playing. Down to my special Sunday breakfast and then to relax and read the Sunday Times. A bit difficult getting comfortable to read, but then went out to feed the doves and ducks when Diana returned from a walk with the girls. I was going to do them alone but Di insisted that Della came too. The grass was soaking wet with dew and I could not sit down with her. The effect of carrying her made my back worse and in the end she slipped over, I couldn’t pick her up, and Di had to come to console her. Debbie came too, but ran away when I needed her. On to the ducks, but no eggs from them, despite the new litter yesterday. I then had a morning drink before getting Daniel and Steve (who had come again today) to help me in the garden. They helped clear the undergrowth from the old plot and planted two more box hedging plants. In to lunch and then, at my suggestion, we all set off afterwards for a ‘cruise’ in The Lady, through St Neots lock and on to the Eaton Socon garden centre.
We towed another boat in difficulty through the lock and on to White Horse Marine. A 20 ft boat was powered by a 35 HP outboard motor, which is at least 20 HP too big, with the normal consequences of being temperamental. A beautiful and warm day. Though the time is short, the sun shines brightly and it seems even warmer than yesterday. We enjoy the cruise and stop for tea in the riverside café immediately we get to Eaton Socon. Then the garden centre and I buy 4 holly bushes and the boys carry them back to the boat for me. We cruise back then and stop in St Neots riverside park so that Daniel could run across to Gary’s house and collect Gary and some more games tapes for his Commodore. We also saw our neighbour Marilyn in her friend David’s boat. Daniel asks if they are having an affair, but Diana defends her saying that she is just enjoying a boat trip in the absence of her husband, but she was very made up for it! Home and quite a while unloading the boat, putting the accessories away, putting up the curtains and generally leaving it in a proper condition. In to sit down and, after tea and in some discomfort, I took an early bath. Then to sit in the lounge with a heat cushion and the TV to watch news tonight of the freedom at last for the six British girls detained after the hijacking and subsequently for more days during the investigations. The repercussions go on and the US now complain at the release of an Arab official, Abbas, who is alleged to be behind the hijacking, though not one of the four taking part. A 26 year old black greengrocer Winston Silcott, thought to be the ringleader, has been charged with the murder of the knifed policeman PC Keith Blakelock. The Tottenham council leaders are now muting their previous condemning of the violence, but remain critical of the police handling of the Broadwater estate unrest. Moslem teachers are still pressing for the removal of Mr Honeyford, an alleged racialist and headmaster of a Bradford school. Liverpool council has modified its plans for mass layoffs, but they will not withdraw them all together. The weather man forecasts a continuing high pressure and warm, sunny spell to last most of the week.