The journey back to Norfolk, firstly delayed by the girls’ packing problems and then by roadworks around St Neots; missing Norwich rendezvous with Diana so we met up at Harnser.
I then took all of them over to the village by The Jolly and we had afternoon tea at The Olde Tea Shoppe and then Della joined me to walk Sam around the marsh roads.
The LibDems had thrashed the Tories in the Christchurch by-election. In the 15th safest Tory-held seat, a majority of over 20,000 had been overturned and deficit of 18,000 put in its place with a 35% swing; the largest ever reversal recorded since the war
After the rain and drizzle of yesterday, today was fine and warm and got sunnier as the day wore on. Even so, rain was forecast for overnight and this would be in character with a season that has been wet throughout so far. A walk and feed for Sam and I was pleased that he had not been whining now back at Paxton. Then to get myself and the girls ready for the journey.
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Some trauma as Della could not find her precious "Angelina Ballerina" bag with all of her money in it and the "Babysitters" library book. It transpired that Debbie had inadvertently put both of them in her holdall and had compounded the matter by not searching it properly when asked to help. Chores to do around town for the girls and then the journey was also fraught as there were road closures due to an accident on the Cambridge Road. I had to try three routes out of St Neots before I could find a way via Toseland but this lost another half an hour. We should have driven on without stopping at the kiosk for bacon rolls but the car seat is uncomfortable for me after a couple of hours and so we did.
More views on our hitch-hiker who's plight had also been spotted from the other side of the road. We were a half hour late for our noon rendezvous with Diana in the Jarrolds Coffee Shop and, though we waited an hour, she did not return and we eventually met up back at Harnser. She had enjoyed her time alone and had found the place strangely quiet. Diana was still sullen and angry over my being late and so I took all of them over to the village by The Jolly and we had afternoon tea at The Olde Tea Shoppe. Poor Debbie tried to operate the outboard-powered boat but found it too demanding.
After tea at home, Della joined me to walk Sam around the marsh roads and then we all tried deciding where I should erect the latest dog fence. Diana helped me put in three of the five posts as dusk fell and then I came in to chat to her and then type up this last couple of day's journal. James and Bernice Dunham next-door-but-one had returned on a plane after taking their motor yacht across The North Sea to Holland and they intend to leave it there for a while and make visits.
I arranged for Debbie to telephone their grand-daughter Amy and they will get together later in the week. It was only this morning that I found out the extent of the Liberal Democrat victory in the by-election. In the 15th safest Tory-held seat, a majority of over 20,000 had been overturned and deficit of 18,000 put in its place with a 35% swing; the largest ever reversal recorded since the war.