The Lady staying waterproof after a very rainy night which prompted us to cruise down the Cam to Ely where I bought some more bait with Debbie and the family went their own way until we met up for lunch and went swimming together afterwards before Daniel and I fished in The Blue Peter and then I took Di our for a meal. US President Reagan seems to be doing an arms deal with Gorbachev and the US is now willing to comply with International sanctions against South Africa, totally isolating Thatcher. There is more unrest from the Sikhs in India
The rain poured during the night and again as we woke up at 5.00am onwards this morning. The Lady held up reasonably well considering the deluge and only a few drips came in. Tried to fish a little with Daniel this morning, but the weather could not stay fine. Cast off and cruised down the remainder of the Cam to the Fish and Duck, then down the Ouse to Ely, where we moored as it continued to rain.
We waited for the rain to cease and then walked up the hill to the Ely shops. I went with Debbie and bought some more maggots and the national and local newspapers and Di went to the food and clothes shops with Della, leaving Daniel to wander round the radio and boating shops. Met for lunch at our favourite easting place, then we walked quite a way to the Ely indoor swimming pool, where we all had a good swim. Daniel and Debbie wrestled and splashed each other and I stayed at the shallow end with Della, who has a recent game of climbing up and down the swimming pool stairs. Back to The Lady and, whilst Di took the girls to the swings, I went off in the Blue Peter dinghy with Daniel and fished by Ely’s downstream railway bridge. We caught a couple of Dace, but they were tiny. The kids had tea and I watched the last hour of the test cricket match on TV and saw New Zealand fight back after England’s first innings of 300+ with 120-odd for 2, after being 5 for 2 early on. A quiet evening until we got the girls to bed, then I took Di out for another meal, whilst we encouraged Daniel to have an early night, as he had been tired with these late bedtimes. News tonight is of developments in America, where Reagan replies in private to Gorbachev’s latest appeal over arms control and may have been making some long-awaited concessions on the Star Wars programme. There is also news that the USA is now willing to comply with any sanctions on South Africa implemented internationally and will be talking to Sir Geoffrey Howe. More trouble in Delhi, India, as Sikh Extremists start causing trouble. More dull and showery weather is forecast and ‘fronts’ are evidently queuing up to sweep across the country, which sounds rather drastic.