A slow start to the day and then a long walk to Waterbeach which had changed since last time but was a still pleasant enough place to eat ice creams under a beech tree. Then back to The Lady and the cruise down the Cam through Bottisham Lock and to stop at a rural pub for lunch. On to Pope’s Corner and up the Old West River and on through Hermitage Lock and to our favourite Waits Quay mooring where a torrential downpour put paid to any chance of fishing. The Lady celebrated her 2,000th milestone in her Cambridge birthplace, Glenn Ode Prison in Scotland is an inhumane warzone, Chancellor Nigel Lawson is getting ‘support’ from Thatcher as she is rumoured to bring back Alan Waters as adviser and interest rates rose today to a huge 11 ½ %. The government wants to sell off SHORTs, Ulster’s largest manufacturer and employer; Leon Brittan, former disgraced Cabinet Minister, is to replace Lord Cockfield as one of Britain’s two European Commissioners, because the latter has shown himself too independent and pro-European and ‘Red’ Adair, the Texan oil trouble shooter, working on the burning oil platform, reported that the worst well had been plugged and fire put out.
Slept well enough, but we lay in a very long time and the girls got rather restless waiting for their breakfast. Eventually up and breakfast together, with me closely regulating the amount of coco pops the children could have. It showered but was fine afterwards and so we all went on a long walk to Waterbeach to the shops and to get 3 gallons interim fuel supply for Daniel. A nice place, with a surviving triangular-shaped green, surrounded by buildings of all ages and architectures. There were several old ladies stopped on their bikes, chatting and passing the time of day together and we got the impression that the place retained a very good community spirit. One or two shops had closed since last time (the bakery/cake shop had now been developed as housing plots) but there is still a variety of shops around the green; far enough apart that the basket bicycles make the ideal means of shopping for the less mobile. We sat and ate ice creams under the Beech trees and then set off back. We cruised back down the Cam and through Bottisham Lock and then on to stop for lunch at the ‘5 miles from anywhere – no hurry’ pub, which was very pleasant.
The weather had brightened a little, though there was no sun in evidence. We decided to cruise on to Pope’s Corner, then along the Old West River, past the Royal Oak, Twelve Pence Inn and on to Hermitage Lock. By now the showers were coming and going, but we had made good time and so we pressed on through the three manned locks and to Waits Quay, St Ives, for the end of our journey. Whilst we had been in Cambridge, the milestone of 2000 nautical miles had come up on the milometer and this was an appropriate anniversary, as it was celebrated in the town of The Lady’s origin, Cambridge. This evening, Diana bathed and put the girls to bed, Daniel watched TV and I cleared out the Blue Peter and went off fishing on the main river. Before I could catch anything, the rain came down in a torrential downpour and I was forced to come back to base and write my journal instead. Then, the TV news. The Scottish prison service is still under pressure and a problem is the Glenn Ode Prison. Here, prison officers are in riot gear perpetually and prisoners are locked in their cells 24 hours a day without access to toilet facilities. This confrontation will continue with no hope for relief. Mrs Thatcher is taking pains to voice support for her Chancellor, Nigel Lawson, but there remains differences of opinion between them. Alan Waters, a former financial advisor to Thatcher, is rumoured to be returning to Downing Street. The mortgage rate has risen today to very high levels – up 11 ½ %. The government wants to sell off SHORTs, Ulster’s largest manufacturer and employer. It is successful in many ways, with its aircraft and missile manufactures, but interest paid on outstanding loans continues to make them lose money. Leon Brittan, former disgraced Cabinet Minister, is to replace Lord Cockfield as one of Britain’s two European Commissioners, because the latter has shown himself too independent and pro-European. ‘Red’ Adair, the Texan oil trouble shooter, working on the burning oil platform, reported that the worst well had been plugged and fire put out – but a further four need attention. The weather forecast is for more rain and showers this weekend, but at least it will remain mild.