The cruise from Potter Heigham to Horning after diverting along Ludham Dyke and mooring by mud weight in Womack Water, going ashore in The Little Lady for lunch in Ludham and then arriving for a swim and some overdue clothes washing at Horning Ferry Marina where we could swim and settled after I tried some fishing on a very wet night but we remained dry in our bunks aboard The Lady. The London Stock Exchange Bear Market develops and the government faces criticism from within its own ranks about deserting inner cities and the North of England and from the Opposition about not allowing an investigation into the Spy-catcher revelations. The US-led Gulf tanker convoys will soon try moving and the Geneva arms talks attempt to overcome the German Pershing missile obstacle to a settlement
Woken by early boats passing upstream to catch the remainder of this morning’s low water period. A bright, sunny morning, with not a cloud in the sky, but chilly with our cockpit temperature at 48degF before I got up to boil a kettle and put the warm air heating on. It was only 6.00am, but Di did get up and make the drinks, to follow my lead, after a bit of persuasion.
The breakfast routine as usual, but I reacted to Daniel’s behaviour and ate his Frosties when he refused to do as I said and he went away hungry as a result. Soon we had the boats ready to go and I sent Daniel across to the marina opposite for petrol, but there was nobody to serve him at 8.30am. Left together and cruised slowly past the riverside properties in Potter Heigham. Though picturesque, they seem to be spreading even further out of the centre and must surely be stopped from going further. A lively cruise this morning, with the hire cruisers and yachts making the river quite a hazard. The strong wind did not help. We navigated along Ludham Dyke and dropped The Lady’s mud weight in the centre of Womack Water and took Daniel’s boat to the staithe for a look round the village. Had to persuade the boatyard to allow us to moor, but once we had succeeded, we had a pleasant walk to the village and an even more pleasant coffee break in the upstairs of a village shop. Cakes and scones with our drinks, which the children enjoyed and then Di did some highly satisfying shopping, where she managed to get a few items she was running out of. The weather had stayed fine for the walk, though the chilly wind continued. Back to dispose of our rubbish and use the toilets at the staithe and then we took off in our boats for the rest of the journey to Horning. I had the cockpit roof back, the sun was shining and I kept up the windscreen, but the wind was still too much for Di, who lounged in the cabins, only coming out to help me find our target moorings at Horning Ferry Marina. We got in with some difficulty due to the wind and having to moor in an unusual position, as we could not moor end-on. In the end we were ideally placed, right next to the indoor swimming pool and leisure complex, which had a launderette attached. Di soon got three wash loads on, whilst we organised lunch on the adjacent patio – burgers for the children and cottage pies for us. Then Di continued with the tumble drying machines, whilst I got the girls changed and into the swimming pool. Disappointingly the pool was quite cold and, waiting for Di, I got quite chilled and tired. Back to The Lady for tea, which was welcomed by all. Salads for us and bread and cheese for the children and flapjacks to follow. Di is back dieting again after our excellent and large meal at Cringles in Potter Heigham last night and had to forgo the flapjacks after being 2lbs over her target weight this morning. This evening Di did more laundry after putting the girls to bed and I took my rod across the marina and fished in the dyke where I had seen sprays of bubbles emerging. Only managed to catch one perch and an eel for my trouble. Daniel surprised us by spending the evening in the gymnasium and then taking another shower! The news today is of further falls on the stock exchange, as the bear market sets in at long last and many fear that the steady rises of the last 10 years are over for the time being. The rises in interest rates will also hit consumers hoping for reductions with the costs of their record borrowings. The Tory former Industry Secretary, Leon Britton, has made a cutting attack on the government’s inner city policies and said that the party was at risk of being accused of not understanding the problems of the North of England and other provinces. The latest US tanker convoy plans for the Gulf are about to be tested, as Kuwaiti tankers will be escorted by warships and helicopter mine clearers. The funerals of the Muslim’s killed at Mecca took place in Iran today, with masses of fanatical people demonstrating against the US. The arms talks in Geneva are still hung up over the German Pershings, though both sides say they are optimistic over an agreement and a Shevardnadze and Shultz meeting is still being scheduled for later this year. Former Labour Home Secretary, Mervyn Rees, called for an enquiry into the Spy Catcher allegations and former Prime Minister, Jim Callaghan, has also done so, but the government will not be moved. The latest trouble in South Africa will be in the form of a strike by 200,000 blacks next week, who are trying to gain more rights in the gold mines. The weather tonight turned wet and the rain poured down, but we were safe and dry in our cabin. Tomorrow will continue cool and showery, which is disappointing, as we would love to have some good warm weather for a change.