The last day of our very enjoyable boating holiday cruising back home after coffee and lunch in Huntingdon with the rain in the air at the end of which has been a week with rain always being around. Then the huge task un-packing and carrying our things off the boat as we commission The Hayling View and settle in. The Lady had served us well and all else was fine at home whilst we were away. The IRA reveal that the car bombing deaths of a family of three was ‘a mistake’, Iraq forces start withdrawing from Iran after taking some 8,000 prisoners as hostages, three people are murdered today in England and there are more delays for air travellers.
Stayed up rather late at the Huntingdon Town Quay moorings, watching a TV programme about Whales and getting myself nice and tired, so as to sleep well in my small bunk. I also watched, with interest, the residents of the Mill Buildings opposite gradually switching their lights off, one by one, until all were extinguished. Slept well enough and only got up once or twice for the toilet and a drink of water. The rain poured down again all night to complete our fortnight with hardly a day free from rain the whole time! We got ready this morning and then walked into Huntingdon together to first have morning coffee above ‘Fine Things’ in the town centre. I made Della and Debbie share a chocolate fudge cake with me, as my token of parental control, where they really wanted one each. They are getting quite similar now, and giggle together at the table, as they grow up and their relative age difference narrows. I bought some papers and then returned to The Lady to read them and check on the TV cricket. On the latter front, rain had stopped play again.
Rendezvoused with the family at the ‘Starburger Restaurant’ at midday, which was already crowded with diners on a busy market Saturday. Even then, I had to sit on a neighbouring table with two ladies, as this was the only way I could be near to the family on a table for four. This is always a rather embarrassing experience. This afternoon, we all boarded The Lady and set off for home. The rain was in the air, but we put up with having the sliding roof back for visibility. Poor Diana is still suffering from the runs (diarrhoea) and puts it down to a chicken and ham pie she had at the ‘Five Miles to Anywhere – No Hurry’ pub. Even so, she loaded all of the boats contents into large plastic bin bags and made them easy to carry off on our return home. The Lady had served us well. Mechanically perfect, both engine and internal systems, and the body did not leak, despite some torrential rain and regular wet periods. It really deserves more attention, which I shall owe it as soon as I can. We arrived back in late afternoon and were unloaded before tea. Then the task of getting everything in the house switched on (water, gas, heating, pool) and the bags un-packed and this took the rest of the evening, with the task still not complete. We had virtually filled up the front porch with some 20+ bags and boxes, which was quite revealing as to how much we had taken aboard with us! After doing my bit to help, I sat down in the lounge and opened 2 weeks mail. I had hoped to watch TV cricket, but I missed any play before the rain descended there again. I fed the ducks and doves, which were very hungry and had to fight off a swan family and those of two wild ducks, who had obviously been allowed to get into the habit of feeding with my ducks every day on the slipway! We found that the house and gardens were OK, the pool reasonably clear, and I ran up the Range Rover to ensure that it had not discharged its batteries over the last two weeks. We had the children’s school reports in with the mail, which were reasonably OK, even if they are not the brightest children in the class. I also returned as many of my recorded phone messages this evening as I could. For security reasons, I was not able to change my output telephone message to reveal the fact that we had been away this fortnight. All the family settled well into our house again – we find it so big and so quiet. In the TV news today, the IRA are quoted as admitting making a mistake as they killed a family of three by a car bomb in Northern Ireland boarder area. Iraq forces are starting a withdrawal from Iranian territory, after last minute onslaughts designed to take sufficient prisoners (8000 so far) to counteract those Iraqi soldiers in Iranian captivity for purposes of negotiation. Three murders in England today, one by stabbing after a motoring incident and two more in an argument over a drugs deal. What is the country coming to? More delays for air travellers today, with waits of 4 hours that could soon be 7, as air traffic congestion is this time blamed for the results.