A fitful night’s sleep due to this warmest spell since 1945 but then out to remove the port side pulpit rails and sand and varnish the toe rails before sealing the wood and re-fitting everything as a good day’s work. We are awaiting more steel piles and the digger tomorrow contracted to excavate a 20ft boat dyke. This as Debbie writes invitations for her 8th birthday party, six people die as a small plane crashes on the Isle of Wight and South African fire tear gas at protesting students who were peacefully singing
A bit of trouble getting to sleep on a warm night. It seems that this late April warm spell is the best since 1945. Awoken on time, but struggled to get showered and shaved in time for breakfast with the others. Straight out afterwards to the boat, where I started removing the pulpit rails and wires from the rear of the port side and scraping down the toe rails. A laborious job, but during the day I worked my way along to the port bow and put on the first coat of dilute varnish to protect the work. I was dicing with the prospect of rain all day, but, apart from a very slight spot or two in the morning, the clouds just managed to pass over. I also screwed the port rail back on, bedded in mastic, which was quite messy. These tasks lasted all day and until dusk.
It was broken up by my meals and drink breaks, when I looked at a little snooker and TV news to rest a little. Pete worked long today, raising paving stones from the riverside after mowing the lawns. The piling was also welded to sheet anchors 9 ft apart in the bank, but Mr Larkin left early, as he is waiting for the deliveries of more piles to the Paper Mill landing and is held up for them. I heard from Robin Felbrig tonight and he is to start here with his JCB at 7.15am in the morning to dig out our 20ft – 12ft boat mooring. I had to phone both Pete and Mr Larkin to be sure they are here in time for this very early start. Della was good again today and Debbie wrote out her invitations to her 8th birthday party, which is next Thursday. Tonight Daniel wanted to arrange to go and stay with his friend Gary Skinner in Cotton for the weekend again, but I said no. I do not like him going away too often and prefer his company as part of the family. The news today is of a man being questioned in connection with the murder of three school girls, but he is not yet charged with the offences. Researchers at St Mary’s Hospital in London claim to have made a breakthrough in the fight against cystic fibrosis, by identifying the mutant gene that is thought to be responsible. Six people die as a light plane crashes into a yacht near the Isle of Wight. In South Africa, forces fire tear gas at students singing protest songs on university campuses. The House of Lords has backed the lower court decisions to allow the sterilisation of ‘Jeanette’, the sub-normal teenage girl who is not able to make such decisions for herself. In two different opinion polls the Tory party lead is put at 6% and 11% respectively, which is quite uncertain and confusing.