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Morning tea with Debbie and her ‘pony book’ stickers and then to fix Daniel’s boat engine at last ready for his first successful trip to St Neots whilst I commissioned our new security lights and wired up our garages. The government has resorted to a ‘three-line whip’ to get its Sunday Trading Bill through the Commons, the EEC Foreign Ministers agree diplomatic measures against Libya as the US plans to strike from British soil and famous French authoress, Simone de Beauvoir, the follower of Jean-Paul Sartre and writer for the Women’s Liberation Movement, has died in a Paris hospital, aged 78
Slept soundly and we now seem quite used to our new mattress. In fact we turned it over this morning, which is supposed to do it good during its early life. Di woke me with my morning tea and then, in bounced Debbie to sit beside me with her ‘pony’ book to show me how many stickers she had got. Up, showered, shaved and dressed and then I joined the others for a toast breakfast. Steve had slept OK this time and was down with the rest of us. After, I retired to my room to read today’s FT and also write up yesterday’s journal. Then out to help Daniel and Gary to fix the Aquabean’s engine. Dan had managed to get a replacement starter rope at last. Some time before I could start it, however, as I had to get the right combination of adjustments. Eventually managed it and we put it on the boat and tried it out satisfactorily before lunch.
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Daniel and Steve helped me with the floor-boarding this morning and so I tried to help them commission 'Aquabean' this afternoon whilst they painted it. We could not fix the outboard motor currently and so I did some garage door repairs instead as they cruised the dinghy around. I took Di and the boys to see 'Spies Like Us’ in Bedford tonight and heard news that opposition is growing against the Government’s Sunday Trading Bill and US strikes against Libya from UK bases are delayed for EU talks
Shaved and showered in our new en-suite toilet in luxury and then down to a nice fried breakfast. Then Daniel helped me to screw down the last section of floor boarding on the west landing and Steve joined in when he arrived. We cleared up and then, in late morning, went out to the riverside gardens. Fed the hungry doves and ducks (8 duck eggs and the pole-cote pair still incubating) and then I helped the boys look at the Evinrude GHP from Aquabean. The starting mechanism has been defective and now we find that the replacement rope is unsuitable. Gave up on it and took the boys to Buckden Marina, but they didn’t have the right rope either.
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This start to April has been the coldest since 1948, some 4degC below normal and we have felt it with our heating problems foremost. Another day on the floor-boarding but a long enough break to successfully bid for more folding chairs at Mr Peacock’s Bedford Auction, who now recognises me as a regular collector. The US attack on Libya seems imminent with consultations in London proceeding.
A sound night and then a slow awakening for an 8.00am mug of warm sweet tea. A shave, hair wash and shower before arriving down at breakfast, dressed and presentable. Now that we have the en-suite, I have taken to getting ready before our first meal of the day, but it does mean that the family is kept waiting. A dull start to the day, but at least the brisk northerly airstream seems to have abated. Meteorologists are saying that April this year has had the coldest start since records were first systematically kept in 1948, with average London daytime temperatures of 5.7degC being a whole 4degC below normal. Later in the day the sun came out for the best afternoon in a long while, but still heavy rain returned later still. Daniel did the ducks and doves this morning (after a fashion) and then, when we were all ready, we set off for Bedford and the Peacocks auction. A morning there and I got my pair of veranda folding chairs for £34 and £17 each. This was less than expected and Mr Peacock remembered me from last year when I bought the mahogany steamer chairs.
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I returned from a trip to Bedford and the peacocks antiques auction in time for a key meeting with builders and architect to deal with the outstanding building deficiencies and then some time outside chopping logs as Daniel and friends play with Aquabean as The US and USSR grow apart over nuclear tests and the imminent invasion of Libya whilst, at home, Labour win the Fulham by-election, news is awaited about poor Mrs Guinness and the Tories back down and pass the Bill for the Disabled
Awoken in the night by Debbie, who had a nightmare and brought Daniel in to see Di. Problems also getting used to the new bed. I seem a bit more fussy now. Reluctant to get up after Di brought the morning tea, but eventually managed to get showered and dressed before breakfast. Joan arrived and we left for Bedford, parking in the multi-story and had coffee and orange-crisp biscuits, as has become our custom. Di and Dan went window shopping as I strode off to Peacocks for a look round. Pleased to find a couple of folding hardwood chairs – possibly in walnut – and a few other things that are of interest and so we will be going back in the morning. A rendezvous for lunch at Debenhams and afterwards we look at the curtain and furnishing materials, but settle for the original choice for our curtains back at Brittains. Home all and just in time for my 2.00pm meeting back at the house with the builder and architect.