Getting The Lady cleaned, fitted out and organising her transport to Norfolk this summer but Della was reluctant to have her stammer looked in to and Della was not prepared for her Brownies. The parties start publishing their election manifestos, A US warship was hit by Iraqi Exocet missiles in the Gulf, with 28 crew dead and after over 100 oil tankers had suffered a similar fate since 1980 and the UK teachers strike is set to go ahead regardless.,
Sound asleep for most of the night, but awake in the early hours. My morning tea at 7.00am and still struggling to get showered and dressed by the time of our breakfast at 7.45am. Out to feed the doves then and started to tidy up the workshop to wait for Joan and Pete to arrive. We had decided to get Joan to clean The Lady today and so I settled her in, helping her to carry down the stuff etc. The showers wet the power cable and fused the electricity and this caused some consternation when she could not use the vacuum cleaner. Morning coffee and then I took Di shopping in St Neots, dropping her off and then driving to Buckden Marina to see Richard about transporting The Lady to Norfolk this summer and also getting her undersides painted and anti fouled.
I took Daniella for the ride and she was very good and looked at all of the boats moored there afterwards, taking a particular interest in one, ‘Baby Brat’, with rain water lying on its plastic cover. We collected Di and went to lunch at the Little Chef in Little Paxton. This afternoon I tried to settle to some paperwork, but made little progress. I arranged to see Mr Broughton of Imperial Conservatories on Wednesday late morning, changed Debbie’s riding lesson from Wednesday to Tuesday and made other phone calls as well. At 4.00pm the speech therapist came to see Daniella, but she was a little too shy to have her stammer listened to. No sign of Mr Larkin today, put off by the rain no doubt, and so no chance to see him about the gaps in the sheeting. The dredger opposite gets nearer daily. It was wet nearly all day today and cold and miserable as well. Debbie went to Brownies tonight, but much fuss beforehand as we found that she was supposed to do some work for her artist badge and had forgotten. Daniel did two hours’ homework tonight, at my insistence, and complained bitterly. This evening, Di and I loaded up The Lady with a number of supplies, in case she was moved away from easy access over the next few days. News today is of the Alliance publishing their manifesto ahead of the other two political parties and David Steel is pursuing two writs against daily papers, who published damaging allegations about his private life. Their manifesto aims to – cut unemployment, expand the economy, have an anti-inflationary incomes policy, increase pensions and child benefits and increase health spending and that on education, negotiated nuclear disarmament and electoral & constitutional reform. They want a single and united society and country. Amazing news as an American warship was hit by an Iraqi Exocet missile in the Gulf and at least 28 crew members were killed. The Americans are embarrassed that the frigate was not able to return fire, which puts a question mark over its state of readiness and effectiveness. Since Iran and Iraq went to war in 1980, more than a hundred oil tankers have been hit and the Gulf is said by Iran to be unsafe for the superpowers. Former Conservative MP, Keith Best, has been charged with offenses over his British Telecom shares and has been granted pail. The teachers strikes over their loss of negotiating rights will continue after eight weeks, regardless of the general election campaign. Half day strikes will continue in selected areas. Not much optimism in the weather forecasts for the next few days