The morning rain had cleared, and the high wind warnings were only apparent as a stiff breeze and so, after struggling to conduct the toilet repairs with a full holding tank, I cast off in search of a pump-out. After this, lunch at a Wroxham café and then to visit the boatbuilders Barnes Brinkcraft, who were very helpful. The slow process of packing up and securing Heronshaw and the boat before the journey home, dropping in at the McDonalds Drive Thru’ and Mum’s in Stanton to check she was all right with her back pains. Once home, I eventually cheered up a grumpy Diana, who I had left with the children, after arrival and had a nice time with her in bed before sleeping.
Ferranti's Radar Division had been taken over by GEC to secure their supplying radar to the Euro Fighter, Ford Motor Company workers are settling for an inflationary 10.2% pay rise, the stock market has fallen sharply (from 2450 to 2291 on the FT100 index) with jitters about inflation, huge demonstrations greet the rebel "Test Cricket Team" of Gatting in South Africa and the EEC is now considering a total 6-month ban for British cattle to Europe in view of infection by BSE, the "Mad Cow Disease".
I struggled on trying to repair the rear toilet but the level of effluent in the holding tank was high, making it difficult to work on the problem. Then, with the river level being very low, the front sea toilet started sucking up silt whilst being flushed and this made me decide to cruise off for a "pump-out". It had been raining this morning, and this had cleared up but there were warnings of high winds to come. At this time, I only a stiff breeze to contend with as I cast off on my own with some trepidation after deploying all of the fenders for safety. I cruised up and down the river for some time finding both the "Percival’s" and "Colin Tracey" yards closed and they had winterised and drained down their pumps at this time of year. Then I found another yard open and managed to edge past the moored houseboats and alongside to their pump-out station without incident. This achieved, I also filled up with water and then cruised back to the moorings.
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Once moored up, I was late for lunch and so opted to drive into Wroxham to have another late meal at the Cafe. A further look around the chandlers, where I managed to identify the electric bulbs I needed for the bilge pump panels. Then I walked to see Barnes Brinkcraft (the yard that built the boat) and had a very good chat with the owner who agreed to do some plumbing for me next week and put me on to the right people to see to the faulty fridge. A couple of abortive calls by phone and then I decided that the time was right to break off from this work and to return home to organise more spares etc. Once back at the boat, I quickly packed my things and transferred these and my tools on to the Range Rover as darkness fell. I then took the remaining carpets out of the boat and cleaned them in Heronshaw's lounge so that they could be drying whilst I was away. Slowly and deliberately, so as to remember everything, I prepared the boat and house to be left and then locked up and started off home. I stopped at McDonalds on the Norwich ring road and this time the place was open and I had my last meal of the day. Then I drove on at speed to Mum's house in Stanton and spend a little time with her to see how she was. She still seems to be managing all right, but her hip is painful, and she is due a doctor's visit tomorrow and a visit to the hospital for a blood test the day after. I phoned home to Di to warn of my arrival and then got back in time for Bournvita at 10.00pm. Di was rivetted to the T.V. and most unwelcoming at first. She had experienced a very hard time trying to tend to all of the children and was a bit grumpy. As she watched T.V., I unloaded the car and unpacked my things and left all my post and other things until the morning. Soon she had thawed, and we had a nice time in bed until going to sleep. She said that I smelt of "boat" which was not unpleasant. The news tonight was of the takeover of Ferranti's Radar Division by GEC, which the government had encouraged in order to get German agreement for the Ferranti radar to be used for the European Fighter Aircraft. Chancellor John Major is hinting of tough times ahead with little hope of interest rate reductions and a tight budget. While I have been away the stock market has fallen sharply (from 2450 to 2291 on the FT100 index) with jitters about inflation. Ford Motor Company workers are settling for a 10.2% pay rise and the spiral of inflation is away again. The rebel "Test Cricket Team" of Gatting is arriving in South Africa to huge demonstrations of black disapproval as the South African police fired rubber bullets and drenched thousands of schoolchildren protesting about segregation in education. British Ministers arguing against German bans on British beef have received a set-back as the EEC is now considering a total 6-month ban for British cattle to Europe in view of infection by BSE, the "Mad Cow Disease".