A generally sunny, warm and dry month, but with the inevitable storms and floods coming later giving almost eclipse-like dark conditions.
Both of my parents are in pain with health worries, but the rest of us are fine as both Debbie and Della do well at school with Debbie also winning rosettes with her horse-riding. We have really been enjoying our Norfolk holiday and have combined the vacation with the search for property and boats which all are now nearing fruition.
I decided to buy Heronshaw in Horning as a fine investment at the right price and we have now agreed a design of Norfolk boat to search for now that it seems like The Lady is doomed after failing to pass under Potter Heigham bridge.
All went well at home, with the house, history and local politics well attended to and with me officiating successfully as the VIP at The Little Paxton Hall Village fête.
Thatcher upset the House of Commons with her treatment of Sir Geoffrey Howe, and is besieged with Union Strikes and seems rattled by poor opinion poll forecasts with her Poll Tax and Water Privatisation plans winning her few friends.
Sir Laurence Olivier and Harry Worth have died, and a sympathetic jury let popular comedian, Ken Dodd, off on a tax evasion charge.
Air crash and extreme weather incidents world-wide kill over 100 people and Gorbachev tries to quell nationalism and ethnic violence in certain Soviet provinces, after Andrei Gromyko has died in his 70s.
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The gloriously sunny, dry and warm month of July has ended for us on the Norfolk Broads. It has sometimes being too warm for us poor temperate mortals with some very warm and humid days, probably the hottest so far this year, relieved by storms and floods in Wales and the West Country which came here to bring overnight storms and torrential rain giving almost eclipse-like dark conditions.
My immediate family’s health is fine, apart from hay fever etc., but my Mum and Dad are my main worry; Dad is in pain and deteriorating with his ear cancer and Mum is depressed and having headaches after her recent shingles attack. They visited us a couple of times and us them and we found mum with her new mobility chair but dad still in pain waiting for his radiotherapy to start the following Tuesday as my Dad’s swollen ear is of acute concern being in great pain and not recovering from his ear cancer.
We commissioned a ‘Bouncy Castle’ for 17 guests for Della’s birthday party and they enjoy bouncing, swimming, games and their teas before Debbie’s friends took over. Di took Della and the other Brownies on the ‘Butterfly Walk’ and I joined them and put up village hall posters. We had Della’s first report from her new teacher which was very good, an even big task with Debbie, travelling to Godmanchester for her to take part in show-jumping events for five hours and win two rosettes. Debbie, when riding in Offord, did very well on the show-jumping circuit in the back field. Then the Kimbolton School swimming sports event where Debbie competed but came last in the breaststroke, but received her class price for academic progress, which made Diana very proud. We had a visit from Di’s Mum and Dad back, from their holiday, and they were fine.
The boating holiday started with me successfully cruising The Lady down river to Offord to deliver her to Buckden Marina for transport to Norfolk and its transport to Brundall was dealt with in our absence. I readied the Blue Peter dinghy and Daniel prepared The Little Lady with his friend Steve’s help. then the whole family got packed up and out by 8:30am to leave for Norfolk, arriving in Brundall just after midday after which we launched Daniel’s boat (which had been used as a giant packing trailer) and the dinghy.
We stored our car and trailer and first set off for Norwich for a big welcome from the attendant at the yacht station and walked to the city centre of Norwich and did some shopping. Some films for our cameras, then lunch and a trip to see an Historical Craft Museum before setting off downstream for diesel and water and registering our boats after the Broads Authority Rangers aboard their patrol boat reminded us!
The following days on the Yare saw us cruising back across Rockland Broad, mooring at Rocklands Dyke, going for a walk and experiencing an overnight shower tested our boats’ windscreens and covers. We left Rocklands Staithe early, pulled back the sliding roof for breakfast and then cruised right down the Yare and along the long and tortuous river Chet to Loddon. After lunch at the converted River Mill, we went back down the river Chet and turned right downstream to moor at Reedham in a fast-flowing tide. We took old courtesy bus to Pettit’s feather craft site which had all sorts of animal and other amusements to the children and then had a walk around the village but found it was dominated by retired and holiday residents.
After a fruitless attempt to buy some goats milk for Daniel in Reedham, we cruised along to the Berney Arms, stopped there for lunch at the pub and looked round the windmill. Afterwards, as we cruised across Breydon Water to Yarmouth, which gave Daniel the ideal opportunity to race ahead in the Little Lady and planed his boat across the open water, which he loved. We moored up at the very poor Yarmouth Marina, which was a veritable building site as workers were improving the flood defences.
We then took a taxi to Yarmouth and did some shopping, found the goat milk we needed for Daniel and bought a keyboard for the children to learn and play with. After a late night playing on the keyboard, we all slept well until the contractors woke us at 6am. After breakfast, a trip to Yarmouth for the family, setting themselves up by Joyland on the beach for fun in the sand and on nearby rides.
Back by taxi to the boat after which we left Reedham and cruised up to Stokesby, finding a good morning by the village green and playground. We enjoyed some time at the specialist candle makers shop, some seafood to eat from another specialist shop and had a long chat with aMr George Foley, telling me all about the village had its problems and politics. There was too much flow and watercolour for any fishing success there. After a quiet night in Stokesby, we failed to find the flower festival and so had morning drinks and cakes at the village store and then continued upstream, and along Upton Dyke to the staithe where we refilled with water and walked to the village centre.
The pub being poor, we bought some more drinks and snacks from the village store, eating them on a memorial seat by the duck pond, before setting off upstream past Thurne Mouth and up to Potter Heigham. There we enjoyed a BBQ but caught no fish before I took a walk to Repps and back. We stayed in Potter Heigham for a while and Di took Della shopping as I played with Deborah on the new keyboard. A late morning cruise down the Thurne following the Albion Wherry in full sail and struggling to keep up with this magnificent craft going downwind until we stopped at Horning Ferry Marina and walked into Horning village where I got details of riverside houses including Heronshaw.
Dan and I cruised round by boat to view them, before he took us in his boat to Horning village where we had coffee and a chance to look round the shops together. The girls went swimming and then I could play the keyboard and was making good progress and have mastered half a dozen tunes so far. We took The Lady through Wroxham Bridge and moored the public Staithe and then took Daniel’s boat to cruise to the model railway attraction which we all enjoyed. A further walk that evening looking at properties, favouring Heronshaw as the best of them, always if we could justify buying a second riverside property.
After a surprisingly quiet night at our Wroxham public moorings, I visited my solicitors to hear that there was no progress on Admiral’s Cottage and so I discontinued my interest and we looked at Heronshaw instead, for which I arranged for contractors for advice about renovating Heronshaw; revealing some alternative strategies, all of which would make it a good investment, in my view. I therefore made an offer for the property of £105,000 and The Broadland Estate Agency had recommended my offer for Heronshaw to the owners.
We then set off from Horning downstream to South Walsham, mooring up with a mud weight in the centre of the broad and tried fishing until being pestered by eels after which we sailed on the Blue Peter. We topped up with water and diesel after a very quiet and peaceful night moored in South Walsham Broad and then cruised onto Potter Heigham to find it too late for an attempt at the bridge.
Whilst waiting for this evening’s low tide, we took Daniel’s boat to Hickling Staithe to find the pub was not serving food. Two bridge pilots came aboard for our evening Potter Heigham bridge attempt but gave up, which could be the death knell for The Lady. Off to West Somerton, stopping for drinks at Martham boatyard, and then walking to Winterton for a fish and chip lunch and afternoon on the beach before taking the bus back to Potter Heigham and then cruising on to Womack Water.
We enjoyed a good day on the Broads after a quiet and peaceful night. We took The Blue Peter dinghy across Womack Water to Ludham Dyke for coffee and cake and then set off by bus to Norwich to get cash from the Abbey National, lunch at McDonalds and to progress some Council enquiries for me and some shopping for the others before our bus back. Then down the Thurne and up the Ant to Ludham Bridge for water and then further up the river and across Barton Broad where Debbie and I sailed across to Barton Turf and back.
The first rain of our holiday overnight had cleared up by morning in time for a walk around the Barton Turf moorings after which we set off further up the River Ant, arriving at Stalham, a village well served by shops. Then downstream on the River Ant, crossed Barton Broad after which we moored up at the Staithe and walked into the village to have some lunch. We then cruised further back down the Ant stopping at Ludham Bridge for afternoon tea and some Calor gas before cruising up the River Bure to Ranworth, where the end of the day was disturbed by blaring HiFi’s and the antics of other boat crews.
After a little disturbance, we had breakfast and were shocked at the state of The Lady and so I got Debbie to help me sweep the decks and to clean the whole. Then ashore in Daniel’s boat to the Broads Information Centre and afterwards to the Granary Restaurant for lunch. A visit with Di to the Ranworth Broad conservation centre and then back on The Lady for a trip up the Bure to Wroxham, meeting the Bloom family again before a visit to see the Geo Smith day boats and to bed mulling over our options for a change of boat.
After a disturbed night, I visited my solicitors in Wroxham and an estate agent, before calling in at several boat builders before lunch at the Riverside café. After collecting Daniel from his visit to the Bloom family, we went to look at the Geo Smith 24ft day boat, which was fantastic but again expensive. We then set off under Wroxham bridge to Horning Ferry Marina and moored up for the girls to go swimming in the outside pool after which I tried fishing.
After another poor night, Diana and I were deeply engaged in discussing what type of boat we should buy when the girls awoke and frustrated the process. Breakfast was troubled until Daniel joined in and tried to mediate, but soon after Daniel and I were picked up by the Estate Agent to go and view Heronshaw and meet its present owner, where a deal was reached. For £110,000, we arranged for a number of things to be included and form part of the sale and we were then briefed on the services and information necessary to care for this old building.
After returning to The Lady, the girls were happy swimming, and so we looked at some other boats and then caught a taxi to Brundall, collected our Range Rover, and viewed some Broom Boats as well. We then cruised on, stopped to look round St Bennett’s Abbey, but our quiet mooring at Ant Mouth was spoiled by early-mooring hire cruisers speeding to get back to their bases. We set off on a day, moored at Acle Bridge, looking at suitable boats for the Broads, and then cruised further inland on Daniel’s boat along Acle Dyke to the village.
Then back to take advantage of ebbing tide to Yarmouth Marina, where we moored and took a bus to Great Yarmouth. We then went on by taxi to the Marina Centre where we avoided the weather by swimming in the heated pool complex after which I took Daniel to the cinema and I the girls to the children’s play places before watching the carnival. A quiet evening aboard in a cool wind with sharp showers.
We left Great Yarmouth Marina, went under the Yarmouth bridges early in the morning, crossed Breydon Water and moored up at the Berney Arms, where we bought Daniel a speedboat from the licensee, on condition he buckles down to his schoolwork when we get back. After lunch at the pub, we set off upstream and arrived at St Olave’s, where we visited St Mary’s Priory with its neighbouring restaurant that supported a menagerie which entertained the girls.
It was a special time for Debbie as, during the boating holiday, she went out on the outboard motor dinghy for the first time. Then, with me, she came home during the holiday for two equestrian events and covered herself in glory as I will describe now. Leaving the others in ‘The Lady’, and after arranging a taxi, Debbie and I arrived at Brundall, collected the Range Rover and drove home to arrive around midday for a briefing from Joan and Pete. Unfortunately, my Mum and Dad were too ill and in pain to receive a visit on our way.
With Debbie at the stables, I dealt with the mail, book orders and payment receipts and then Debbie brought Helen Cranston home for tea as I arrange my papers for the next day’s council meeting. Despite retiring late the night before, I slept well and was up in good time, with Debbie, to take it to the riding school to prepare Sundance for her event. She left with Fiona and Alex as I did some chores changed and set off for my Council meeting where I had a hectic and involved contribution. Debbie’s news thereafter from her event was good, despite a fall, and she cooperated well with me in the evening getting to bed.
Our preparations for the next day went well, especially those with Sundance, with whom we spent some time training to enter the trailer without reluctance. As Debbie left with Fiona for the pony club event at Brampton racecourse, I spent the morning packing and organising my planned purchase of Heronshaw. The good news was Debbie winning first prize in her group and passing grade D pony club test, providing her with a felt backing badge. The journey back to Horning went well and Debbie and I enjoyed the packed tea which I had made, and we got back to the family by 8pm.
This month was not all about our boating holiday but I had a mighty catching up exercise afterwards. Before all this, all was quiet and went well at home, with the house, history and local politics well attended to. I was scheming to resist certain aspects of the Paxton Parish plan, working to draft a press release and delivering it before attending an HDC Planning Committee meeting one evening. It did not matter me not being allowed to speak, I had briefed the press anyway and got my message across.
Home to prepare my Rolls-Royce After an early start, I failed to start the Rolls-Royce before I attended a Planning Committee meeting in Huntingdon this evening to consider the new Draft Local Plan. The Little Paxton Village Hall fête was a notable event this month for me and the village. I was called upon to make a speech as the Vice Chairman and Trustee of the Village Hall and Local Councillor and I declared the fête open and Diana and I gave out the prices on what was a successful day with a good attendance.
I had managed to organise pony rides beforehand for the village fête, collected the market stalls and delivered them to the playing field and then I got the family together to process many more Little Paxton books ready for sale at our stall on the playing field. I then had the job of collecting the stalls on a trailer afterwards. Towing it with my Range Rover we calculated that both the sale of my books and the pony rides and delivered £40 each for the fund. This month’s Little Paxton Parish Council meeting was fractious but productive and I also managed an evening updating my accounts
Sir Geoffrey Howe was sent off to Hong Kong to meet demonstrators angry at the government’s decision not to take refugees, as the row continues, only to come back and hear the news of Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet reshuffle after which he got a popular reception in the House after his harsh treatment from Thatcher. This, as the Tories trailed Labour by 10% in the opinion polls and getting rattled at developments. They plough ahead with Water Privatisation and rejected House of Lords amendments and now there has been a new water industry crisis with 100,000 Thames customers without clean water.
This, whilst there had been many strikes in public services, the rail and tube and even passports were not being renewed. There was a National Rail Strike one day as well as an ongoing railway’s overtime ban and then the Railway strike rolled on Wednesday’s with the three unions meeting together on Monday mornings to plan their joint campaign, The Dock Strike became National after a ballot and, together with an ongoing overtime ban there as well, making matters worse. At least, the North Sea oil workers paused their unofficial action for negotiations.
Tory Health Minister Kenneth Clarke was lashing out at the British Medical Association over their opposition to the health service review and new doctors contracts. The national news is all about Thatcher’s troubles at home and in Europe where she is totally isolated and this is compounded by the government’s difficulty over the level of Poll Tax, about which Thatcher remains in deep trouble with her parliamentary colleagues.
Later on, after reaching fever pitch, the rail and dock strikes start crumbling and may well soon as small respite. The Stock Exchange rises again with the news full of bids and deals as The Nat West Bank is implicated in illegal dealings but the jury lets popular comedian, Ken Dodd, off on a tax evasion charge.
Elswehere, two blasts at the Cheshire chemical works are worrying for local residents, a food poisoning outbreak caused fatal casualties, and there was the sad story of a pensioner shot dead trying to foil an armed bank raid in London. British hostage mother Mrs McCarthy dies of cancer without seeing her son, Sir Laurence Olivier and Harry Worth have died. There was also England’s humiliating drubbing by Australia in the Test Match
An American air crash killed 130 people and there have been violent monsoon storms in India. South African Nelson Mandela has been allowed to meet South African President PW Botha. Gorbachev tries to quell nationalism and ethnic violence in certain Soviet provinces, after Andrei Gromyko has died in his 70s. US President Bush has visited Warsaw.