Overcoming boat problems whilst the children played and went to watch a film and then I visited an antique fair at Hinchingbrooke House and looked around the place before we locked The Lady downstream to Huntingdon for the night. News today again dominated by the escalating boycott of the Commonwealth Games, which now seemed doomed as ‘the friendly games’ and could be a white only event and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s honeymoon plans are leaking out
Slept well for the first night on the boat, but woke early and a long time before the others were awake. In the end I light the gas to boil a kettle for our morning drinks and Di then got up to make them. Our refrigerator is not working and the water system pump is not holding the water to the right pressure. Lastly, we have a growing list of items that we had forgotten to bring. Apart from all this, we are surviving pretty well. Toast for breakfast and several croissants, which we all enjoyed and then the children went out to play on the riverside playground rides, which is the main reason that we moor at Godmanchester so regularly.
Pity that they could not play nicely, but could only argue and cry, until I went outside to sort them out. We then settled them down and I got out the tools and looked at our mechanical problems. The water system was soon diagnosed to a faulty pressure valve end, so we by-passed it for now and have to press the switch as well as open the tap. The fridge has a faulty thermostat or valve and is perpetually on the standby pilot light. Then the rest of the family went to Huntingdon to shop and watch a ‘Little Pony’ film and I took a walk to Hinchingbrooke House, via Brampton, to see the antique fair. I walked across Portholme Meadow, which appears even bigger from the centre. They are making the hay at the moment, but the footpath is still visible as a darker green, weedy, path in the stubble. A nice walk and pleasant also walking on the old lane and over the Hinching Brooke itself. Looked round the fair, as much at the House itself, as the stallholder’s goods, but found little of interest. After, I skipped round the corner, walked along the terrace by the main walls and then looked round the grounds. Found a Parterre garden, with ornamental and shaped box plants, all surrounded by a yew hedge, but the most interesting find was a full scale children’s house in the grounds. Surrounded by a hedge, with an oak tree and pool in its garden, it had obviously once been a fascinating plaything for the young Baron Montagues. Retraced my footsteps back to The Lady on a warm sunny and humid morning. Our neighbours had also moored at Godmanchester on their way back home and I chatted with them until my family got back. More time for the children to play (with their behaviour no better) then we left and locked downstream to the moorings at Huntingdon. An afternoon and evening of relaxation – some games with the children on the riverside park grass and then we all spent the rest of the evening reading. News today was again dominated by the escalating boycott of the Commonwealth Games, which now seemed doomed as ‘the friendly games’ and could be a white only event. The Scots are angry at what they see as the English Margaret Thatcher affecting their hospitality. The preparations are well in hand for tonight’s fight between Frank Bruno and American Tim Weatherspoon for the world heavyweight title. More details of the honeymoon of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are leaking out. They will fly to the Azores and cruise off in the Royal Yacht Britannia after their wedding this week.