The morning in my office on some financial statements with my foot sore from the nail injury and yesterday’s exertions before loading up ‘The Lady’ with our essential needs before leaving with the family for an evening cruise in cold, windy and damp weather to moor at Waits Quay, St Ives, before dark. Listening on the portable TV for news of the election row about unemployment and education as Labour close the opinion poll gap on The Tories, there is another Ulster IRA attack, the US ‘Irangate’ hearings reveal more duplicity and illegal tax evasion, of aftermath of the Zeebrugge Herald of Free Enterprise disaster, the three Americans kidnapped in Beirut and my name-sake and distant cousin Chris Broad out for 99 in a Pakistan one-day match
Slept well enough, although Di had to sleep in one of the spare bedrooms because of some tummy troubles. Awoke bright and early and sat in bed listening to the radio and drinking my morning tea. Limped into the en-suite. The exertions of yesterday at the flower show left my leg muscles sore, due to the limping to save my foot. Only dressed in my pyjamas and dressing gown for breakfast and then showered and shaved afterwards, washing my hair as well in anticipation of some time on the boat. To my office and the morning working on my financial summaries. I had to get them all up to date so as to see how many of my BP shares to transfer to the children’s’ trusts and also whether or not to take up a new offer of FHP shares on their behalf. Took until lunchtime and beyond, but I finished it eventually. A salad lunch (again) and quickly back to it . after I had finished, I cleared my office, locked all valuables and sentimental away in the safe and helped Di load up The Lady with the rest of our needs.
Mr Larkin was here today, but rather late and shows signs of wanting to get away to Hartford Marina to do some work there. Pete was gardening today, but he is pretty slow and ineffectual these days, after a winter filling in time. Joan cleaned the house for the last time for a week and then I undertook the elaborate process of preparing, locking and alarming the house, so that we could set off on The Lady. Left a note for Marilyn to ask her to help with my ducks and doves and then off we went, with Daniel following behind. A pretty poor day – cold and windy and cloudy, spitting with rain on and off. We pressed on and went through Offord, Brompton, Godmanchester, Houghton and Hemingford locks in the time between 5.00pm and 9.30pm. All were set against us, but we moored at our favourite Waits Quay in St Ives by 9.45pm. Moored up safely, put the boat heating on and sat with some hot drinks watching the TV news. The news is of an election row, as Labour play a tape of Norman Tebbit’s comments 4 years ago, saying that the Tories would not be in a position to win the election if they had not reduced unemployment below 3 million. Steel presses Thatcher to withdraw a number of comments about Alliance policies. Thatcher ignores these pleas and makes photo calls with the Tories new campaign bus. The SDP leader, Dr David Owen, accuses Thatcher of educational vandalism, because of their spending record as he visited a comprehensive school in the North West. Education seemed to be the main issue today, as all three political parties publicise their education policies. In the latest opinion polls, Labour are closing the gap on the Tories, and the City dealers are marking shares down as a consequence. Alliance have slipped a little in third place, but both opposition groupings will now begin to benefit from equal TV coverage, rather than the former government monopolising the media with announcements and interviews. Elsewhere, another IRA attack on UDR men in Northern Ireland. In the USA ‘Iran gate’ hearings, a wealthy widow has said that she gave millions of dollars to the Colonel North fund for supporting the Contras in Nicaragua. She received the personal thanks of the President in an illegal fund from the point of view of tax and congressional policy. In the Zeebrugge Herald of Free Enterprise, a lawyer calls for the removal of the Masters certificate for his errors in the ship capsize. A Beirut kidnap group, holding three American hostages, is threatening them with ‘suitable’ reprisals if no concessions are secured. A victory for the English cricket team against Pakistan in a one-day match today, with Chris Broad hitting 99 before being caught out. Tomorrow’s weather forecast is for sunny periods and scattered showers, but the northerly stiff breeze will continue.