Recovering from the ‘history interview’ evening with a hangover and then visiting Godmanchester meadows to review a gravel extraction and cricket bat willow growing opportunity before the normal angst associated with Daniel’s parents’ evening tonight. The first news was emerging later about a fire at Kings Cross underground station with 30-40 dead
A poor night. Almost intoxicated with whisky and ginger and then, warm and restless, I had slept little by the time of my morning tea. Slow to get washed and dressed and then, after breakfast, I read the brochures from Ekins on available agricultural land for investment. I am particularly interested in 90 acres of meadowland in Godmanchester, overlying gravel that could be possibly used for growing willow as well. I decided to go and see it and so went into St Neots with Di and Della, first to have coffee at Tooks and then took Della off in the Range Rover to see it. It was a very muddy and wet place, with rather poor access and I think that cricket bat willows would be the only suitable use for me. Little Della got hopelessly muddy and I had to carry her for much of the way. The land had obviously been under water during the recent flood and was hemmed in on all sides by Redland gravel workings and the river. I then collected Di from St Neots and took them to the new ‘Kelly’s Kitchen’ place on the A1 for lunch.
A nice place, but they had not got the baked potato advertised, my lettuce was half rotten and our chicken was poorly cooked! The afternoon on the telephone, talking to various people about bat willows. It seems they have a short 12 year cycle, need moist, but sweet (not stagnant) land, but are not counted as ‘woodland’ for Forestry Commission grants etc, which is a pity. Still, a specialist bat willow marketing company in East Anglia is sending me a brochure and Fountain Forestry will do a survey soon. I remain interested. After tea, it was soon time to go to Daniel’s parent’s evening. I did no local history today. An interesting evening at Daniel’s school. First, the new Headmaster did a ‘pep talk’ about the wisdom of the children staying on for their 6th form education at the school. It seems that a large number of pupils left last year to continue education at colleges etc, which I find surprising. Then later, Jason Chamber’s parents (he is a bus friend of Daniel) assumed that Daniel is leaving, which is quite wrong. I always find the teacher’s comments quite discouraging, even when his marks and assessments seem to contrast with them. They always expect so much. Then we managed to get caught up in the queuing system and missed Mr Horrocks, his French teacher, altogether. The news this evening is of the appalling story of a fire at the Kings Cross, London, underground, where heat and thick smoke has killed 30/40 people, with many more missing and trapped. It seems an electric motor under a wooden elevator caught fire, but I am amazed that there were not barriers and better escape procedures. I have often used these tunnels myself.