The children always enjoy a playing field when boating
The children always enjoy a playing field when boating

A walk to see the open Dilham Church after a quiet and peaceful night at Dilham and then with the children to the playing field and on to a very strange village shop run by a blind couple and then I walked to Smallburgh village shop to find a former St Neots shopkeeper as the owner! Some phone calls with my telephone credit card for Daniel and then the cruise to Neatishead, mooring at Gay’s Staithe by the Complete Angler Hotel and on to Neatishead Staithe on The Little Lady and then back to the Blue Peter to sail it round Barton Broad, despite its damage sustained.                                             

A very peaceful and quiet night at Dilham and pleased to make the end of navigation on any river, as it always seems an achievement. I woke up early on a beautiful day and so went out to try fishing, but with no success. After an hour, I walked off towards the Dilham Church, which is isolated from the village and on the upper ground to the north. It was open and I had a good look round, but it is a rebuilt church of 1931 on old foundations, the effort financed by bequest of the former occupant of Dilham Hall. Pity the village is so dispersed in this way, but good that the church is left open. Walked back to the boat in time for breakfast at 8.00am and found the family there. Had time to wash and dress, then still managed to join them at the table. After breakfast I went ahead with the girls to Dilham playing field, which has only swings and a slide for amusement.

Still, the girls enjoyed it and I took more interest in the football field (used for the second time this season later today) and sporting slopes in two directions and mole hills infesting one corner. Must make for some pretty interesting matches and take visiting teams somewhat unawares. Di joined us and we went to the village shop. The shopkeeper was rather strange, trying to stand a budgerigar outside in its cage on an imaginary stand (he had left the latter in the shop) and his wife is actually blind. I had to describe what I had picked up so that I could pay for it. They seem to manage well, but Di said the bread was well out of date on its rotation, which is a problem for them. Whilst waiting for Daniel to join me, I walked to Smallburgh, the next village, and found the face behind the counter of the village store there familiar. It transpired that he used to serve at Fishers Hardware store in St Neots and has now taken this village store in semi-retirement. Met Daniel back at Dilham and he used my telephone credit card to phone his friend Steve Hicks. Steve cannot join us for a week, as his parents cannot bring him and take him back, but at least we are happy at having offered. All back to The Lady and off down the Ant to Wayford Bridge, where we filled up with fresh water and bought outboard motor fuel for Daniel. Then the cruise to Neatishead, where we moored at Gay’s Staithe next to The Complete Angler Hotel (formerly the Barton Lodge Hotel). I went into Neatishead on foot with the family after we all took a ride in Daniel’s boat to the Neatishead Staithe. We stopped at The Old Saddlery for a 2 ½ hour lunch, which was rather slow, then did some shopping. Once back, this left a couple of hours for sailing and fishing. I took the Blue Peter around Barton Broad (which proved the dinghy was still useable). Then chatted to two lots of private boaters and exchanged horror stories on the antics of the hire boats in these parts. I emphasised and impressed on them both that they should act through their boating association to do something about the situation, rather than take it lying down. Fished a little with Debbie on my return, but then the girls had to go to bed and, after I washed my hair, I took Di to the nearby restaurant for a gourmet meal. It cost £76 for us two, but the food and service were exceptional. Home late and in the dark, but Daniel had looked after the girls well and was now watching ‘Miami Vice’ on TV. Bedtime drinks and then all to bed. No time or appetite for news today, but the weather was fine and warm and the barometer has risen well. Tomorrow we try Potter Heigham again.