Daniel's first boat Aquabean
Daniel's first boat Aquabean

Poor night as Huntingdon Police call about Daniel and his crew on board Aquabean but they had moved on when we got there but then took in Willington Garden Centre,  Buckden village hall antique fair before back to cut hedges and an evening reading as Liberal leader David Steel addresses the SDP conference, Reagan ponders over South African sanctions and Alain Prost wins the Monza Grand Prix and with it the Formula 1 title

Another poor night. This time instead of anticipating Daniel’s boat trip, we were suffering from it. The Huntingdon police rang me at 3.00am in the morning to tell me that Daniel and friends were roaming the streets of Huntingdon and a member of the public had made a complaint. We then rested uneasily until morning. It seems that they tried to sleep twice and couldn’t. Then, when in town, some other youths were breaking bottles, which led to the police being called and by then they were the only ones there. We had to ban further overnight boat trips this year, which upset them. Awake to my morning tea, whilst I caught up with yesterday’s reading and then shaved and bathed as Diana cooked and fried breakfast. I had to send Debbie to her room without finishing her meal due to more misbehaviour and even Della was giving her customary anguished yells for no good reason.

Out to the doves and ducks and pleased to find 6 duck eggs this morning. Not so pleased to see the mole hills – a full set and much more work to do. This morning I went out by car. First to Huntingdon, but saw no trace of the boys as they had set off for home. Then to Buckden village hall for the antique fair, but a pretty poor one. A bit uncomfortable to see how I am getting to be recognised by stallholders I have purchased things from in the past. On to Willington garden centre, where I have been promising myself a good visit for some time. It has a camping centre as an interesting aside and a coffee bar from which I took refreshment. I studied all of the shrubs outside, but they did not have the common yew or my preferred strain of holly. Inside to see a variety of good books and, after getting some hose attachments and more mole smokes, I collected another ‘Period Gardens’ book to send to Sam Weller as a housewarming present and a new book on Gardens for Small Country Houses. Home just in time for a nicely prepared lunch of pork and by now Debbie was behaving herself and ate her meal nicely. I undertook the washing up of our heritage silver and best china, but was disturbed to hear that Di had broken the milk jug last week and did not tell me. This afternoon, I planted six mole smokes in a veritable fusillade and then started to trim the leylandii hedge by the ducks. The gardener had been letting it get gradually taller and had not cut it on Eddie’s side, which I proceeded to do. Tea of bread and butter with all children paying reasonable attention to table manners, though needing the odd reminder. Out until dusk, trimming the hedge by Willow Close, which I was only doing for the second time since cutting back the rampant conifers. This time I was trying to thin the upper section so as to taper it and let the light even out the cover. Time for a little reading tonight as I finish off the Sunday Times, the Economist and some of the Investors Chronicle before the television news and my journal. News today is of a successful speech by David Steel, the Liberal leader, at the eve of the SDP conference. South Africa is still in the news with President Reagan to announce shortly the sanctions compromise. Botha warns against businessmen negotiating with the ANC. Alain Prost wins the Monza Grand Prix on his McLaren and seems certain to take the Formula 1 driving championship now. The weather is to become dry and warm for a few days, with an anticyclone arriving at last.