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Awake on another rainy and cold day to set off, once we had freed The Lady from the dropped water levels on its muddy ‘Twenty-Pence Inn’ berth before the slow cruise along the ‘Old West’ River Ouse and then a faster one from The Fish and Duck to Ely where I bought spares and accessories to make some repairs from The Ely Boat Chandlers as Di shopped for supplies in Tesco’s and we met back for lunch at Bonnet’s. Then some repairs to The Lady as Di and the girls found a Fair in the Market Square and then the children’s playground in the Cathedral Park before we had tea on The Lady and just the radio news. Disputes in Fiji over the Indians being excluded for the new elections, 29 people killed in a Texas hurricane and the election debate turning to tax and public expenditure cuts but of sunny and warm weather tomorrow for a change!
It was raining again as we woke up this morning. I heard the girls in the front cabin and Di took up my offer of starting the heating and putting on the kettle. Soon warm and drinking hot refreshments. Di started washing and was naked when the boys came on to The Lady from their cabin cruiser! They had got rather cold last night and were glad to warm up with some drinks too. We all settled to breakfast after washing as best we could and then made the boats ready to set off. Unfortunately, The Lady was aground at this time, the levels having dropped and the moorings being very shallow anyway. It took me and the two boys pushing to get her free. The rain continued on and off as we cruised, but by the time we had got to Ely, it had stopped. A good chance to charge the battery in the main river, but we were only idling along The Old West. Good to see the Fish and Duck back in action again, after a recent lull, but the moorings are too frugal to attract Di and I for a meal in the restaurant. We all went shopping at 10.30am, the girls to Tesco’s and the town centre and me and the boys to Ely Boat Chandlers.
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Awake after a cold night to the sound of high wind and torrential rain but we venture around St Ives from our central moorings to do some shopping and enjoy a fine ‘Welcome Café’ lunch before cruising over to LH Jones for some fuel and water. Then through St Ives lock, Brownshill and Hermitage Lock, admiring the 1800 Brownshill Staunch in particular as being of old design due for renewal. The girls loving the menagerie at Hermitage before we cruise along the ‘Old West River’ to moor at ‘Twenty-Pence Inn’ where Gary Skinner is delivered by his Dad and joins Daniel to supervise the girls as I treat Diana to dinner in the pub.
A cold night, but we were warm in our sleeping bags. Daniella woke in the middle of it and Di had to reassure her, because it was a strange place. Even so, the children love being on The Lady and soon settled down in their front cabin. At 7.00am, I put on the gas to boil the kettle for drinks and also switched on the warm air heating. The cabin temperatures were below 50degF at first, but soon warmed up into the 60sF. Daniella was first up and joined us in the aft cabin in her ‘blanket suit,’ designed to keep her warm through the coldest nights. Daniel joined us from the ‘Little Lady’ and we started our breakfast and listened to the radio news. We had all awoken to the sound of torrential rain and high wind. After tidying up and getting ready, we ventured out during a lull in the rain and walked around St Ives.
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The morning in my office on some financial statements with my foot sore from the nail injury and yesterday’s exertions before loading up ‘The Lady’ with our essential needs before leaving with the family for an evening cruise in cold, windy and damp weather to moor at Waits Quay, St Ives, before dark. Listening on the portable TV for news of the election row about unemployment and education as Labour close the opinion poll gap on The Tories, there is another Ulster IRA attack, the US ‘Irangate’ hearings reveal more duplicity and illegal tax evasion, of aftermath of the Zeebrugge Herald of Free Enterprise disaster, the three Americans kidnapped in Beirut and my name-sake and distant cousin Chris Broad out for 99 in a Pakistan one-day match
Slept well enough, although Di had to sleep in one of the spare bedrooms because of some tummy troubles. Awoke bright and early and sat in bed listening to the radio and drinking my morning tea. Limped into the en-suite. The exertions of yesterday at the flower show left my leg muscles sore, due to the limping to save my foot. Only dressed in my pyjamas and dressing gown for breakfast and then showered and shaved afterwards, washing my hair as well in anticipation of some time on the boat. To my office and the morning working on my financial summaries. I had to get them all up to date so as to see how many of my BP shares to transfer to the children’s’ trusts and also whether or not to take up a new offer of FHP shares on their behalf. Took until lunchtime and beyond, but I finished it eventually. A salad lunch (again) and quickly back to it . after I had finished, I cleared my office, locked all valuables and sentimental away in the safe and helped Di load up The Lady with the rest of our needs.
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Taking Diana on a visit to Chelsea flower Show despite injuring my foot by stepping on a nail yesterday as the election campaign heats up with mutual abuse of employment policies where the state of the West Midlands industries is key and UK police manpower is another key issue. In South Africa, three policemen were killed in car bomb blasts.
Awoke feeling my sore foot – I had stepped on a plank nail yesterday and limped for the rest of the day. Over morning tea, I pointed out my dilemma to Di, with our planned visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in the balance. Showered etc as usual, with no difference to my injury, and then dressed for breakfast with the family. After, I settled into my office to carry on with my paperwork. Today’s mail and then more work on my financial summaries. Morning coffee at 10.00am, then out to see Mr Larkin and discuss his plans. I also fed the doves and noticed that the first of this year’s chicks has left the nest – a brown-bar fantail.