Up early on what was to become a very windy day, receiving the two contractors to repair my boat fridge and install a replacement Redi-line rotary inverter which then worked fine. The tricky journey in the wind to Barnes Brinkcraft where I left the boat for repairs to the pump-out tank and got a lift back to Horning so that I could drive home. The new transportable cell-net phone was useful to warn my Mum of my arrival and to book sandwiches from the state shop and she seemed better though taking even more anti-coagulants to keep her old replacement heart valve working. Home to find Diana unwell and suffering from an injured leg and pleased that my own injured hands were getting a break from the work.
The publication today of the Lord Taylor report into Hillsborough football tragedy with ID cards now ruled out and all-seater stadiums considered to be the safer solution but at some cost to the clubs. Trouble continues in Bucharest where thousands of pro-government factory workers attacked the offices of the opposition leaders. The lessons of democracy are hard to learn. At least the warring nationalist groups in Armenia and Azarbajan are meeting for peace talks. The Church of England is outspoken in attacks on government taxation and social security policy.
I was even more pleased to have the boat heating controls on this morning. I set the heating and alarm to come on even earlier to be ready for the arrival of two specialists to cure problems on the boat. I was eventually ready by 8.30am after going through my routine and had the boat well cleared and the washing up done. Both people were later than promised but at least they came and did their stuff. First to arrive was the General Refrigeration engineer at 9.00am. It took him two and a half hours in total to fix the fridge. First, he re-charged with refrigerant from a gas cylinder but then found that the system was still leaking. Eventually the problem was diagnosed to a cracked joint and the system had to be de-pressurised and the joint removed and the pipe welded together to prevent repetition of the problem. He re-charged it again and adjusted the pressure so that the fridge was frosting where the coils went into the cool box rather than the cupboard beneath. He left at 11.30am and I was trying to sort out lots of the excess stuff in the boat and move it to the garage when the electrician arrived with the replacement Redi-line rotary inverter. This he installed and I chatted with him for some time over boat electrics (as he is an expert) until we tried the unit out with loads of up to 2 Kilowatt which it handled safely. The unit's load on the 12 volt batteries is an incredible 166 amps at this level which is quite amazing.
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Once he had gone, it was time to fit the fenders and main mooring ropes, slip the moorings and make for Wroxham. It was tricky in the wind but, with the twin engines, I managed it and moored up at the second attempt at Barnes Brinkcraft. There I met Daniel Thwaites, the son of the owner, who gave me a lift back to Horning to collect my car. They promise to have the pump-out tank connected by the end of the week. I quickly packed and locked up both bungalow and car and used my cellular telephone on the car journey back to brief the family to expect my return. Then I telephoned my Mum and arranged to drop in on her for tea and to order sandwiches for collection from the estate shop on my arrival. We had a nice chat and she seems all right. I am encouraging her to get out a bit more when the weather improves but am concerned to hear that the blood clinic continues to increase her anti-coagulants and ask for weekly tests due to the old heart valve. Then the journey home, arriving in high wind at 8.00pm. Diana was engrossed in a video on TV and so I unpacked my things myself and opened the few days' mail until she had finished. Diana has not been very well, injuring her leg and being laid up for most of the time I had been away. The children seem a bit fretful and it is good to be back with them and to give my poor hands a little rest to heal from the injuries I keep getting.
The news tonight is of the publication of the Lord Taylor report into Hillsborough football tragedy. The government have had to drop the controversial proposals for compulsory Football membership cards and instead are putting emphasis on the Taylor recommendation that grounds move towards all-seater accommodation within 10-years. The problem is that they chose to ignore his proposal that the clubs need financial support for this and see the aim as to eliminate soccer hooliganism rather than improve ground safety. This will affect the financial viability of the smaller clubs, exclude the cheap-ticket customers and destroy the crowd atmosphere of the football game. Trouble has never ceased in Bucharest where thousands of pro-government factory workers (many bussed in by the authorities) have attacked the offices of the opposition leaders. The lessons of democracy are hard to learn. At least the warring nationalist groups in Armenia and Azarbajan are meeting for peace talks under the mediation of the Baltic Council. The established Church of England is outspoken in their attacks on government policy on taxation and social security. The windy weather persists and is quite worrying as we go to bed with the curtains bellowing behind closed windows.