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Daniel losing things on his first day back at Kimbolton School after a hectic breakfast and before I settle down to some work and planning. Out to brief the gardener after some lunch and stomach pains and then to take Debbie horse-riding who rode Flint on some road work. Resurgent unrest in South Africa after firebombs and 16,000 rail workers sacked, Security forces kill 2-300 Tamil rebels, the first meeting of the Anglo-Ireland pact take place after the Eire elections and the UK teachers are furious over their treatment by the government
Slept well again last night, retiring early and still having to be awoken at 6.30am. Noticeable how well Diana manages to wake up when she has to, and how reluctant she was to do so in the boat. Showered and shaved, then down to breakfast in time to get the children to tidy their rooms, and they needed persuading! Dan was also feverishly preparing for his first day back at school today. He had lost his French exercise book (and Mr Horrocks takes no prisoners!) and also his locker keys that he needed for PE. Managed to find both with Di’s help and then I gave him his lunch snack and waved him off to school. I sorted the weekend’s mail and then today’s arrived. Waded my way through lots of computer journals and then went into my office to do a little work.
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A late start on a cool morning with the children enjoying the playground and me suffering from a chill and then a trip on The Little Lady through Godmanchester Lock and into Huntingdon for the family to enjoy ‘time at leisure in resort’. Then back to The Lady for the cruise back to Little Paxton where a range of jobs awaited me before to bed a little under the weather
We slept deep and long until 6.00am and then I persuaded Di to get out of her sleeping bag and make the morning drinks. We needed the boat heating again this morning, with cabin temperatures of 48degF soon rising to 65degF. I managed to get up, washed and dressed and, despite some weakness in my legs and pains in my stomach, was quite able to join in. The girls had a last play in the playground and Daniel rather foolishly joined too enthusiastically on one side of the seesaw and propelled them off of the other end like a catapult – bruising poor Debbie in the process. She had to go back to bed with a hot water bottle to recover. I ran The Lady’s engine for an hour, charging up the batteries, which were low, and then we all transferred to Daniel’s boat and locked through Godmanchester lock and cruised to Huntingdon.
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Feeling chilled and under the cold and rainy weather as we tour St Ives then take a Little Lady trip to LH Jones boatyard before we set off, locking through Hemingford, Hartford, and then Godmanchester to get to our playing field moorings by early evening. News of more parcel bombs threatening UK civil servants and of teachers being bitter and sceptical of government plans
Slept well again in my new sleeping bag and awoke to an entirely different type of day. A wind had sprung up with a cold, chilling aspect, which made the day ahead rather an ordeal. Our normal washing and dressing routine, then breakfast without Daniel, who had overslept and only came for his meal when we had finished. It was raining as well – off and on – and we picked our time to go along the High Street from Waites Quay for the Bank Holiday Monday market. A little look round and then morning drinks at The Guide Hut, as we always have on these occasions. Di set up outside on the tables, which was a mistake, as I could not recover from the chill for the rest of the day. I thought that a succession of cold salads were also to blame and I went back to The Lady to try to warm up after, with the boat heating, but did not succeed. Then the rendezvous for lunch and we opted for the salad buffet at Floods again, but at least sat inside in the bar to have it.
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Surviving a chilly night on The Lady and waking to a drizzly start to the day which thankfully gave way to a dry cruise from Coneygear to moor at the St Ives Waites Quay where we enjoyed sausage and chips at Floods Wine Bar before taking the family swimming at the St Ivo Centre and then back to the boats for the night
Slept very well with my new sleeping bag, but was woken at 2am by Di, because the calor gas had run out and the automatic igniter from the fridge was cycling. More sleep until a premature awakening at the hands of Debbie and Della coming in, hand-in-hand, and demanding attention and morning drinks. The temperature seemed milder this morning (or we are getting more used to it) and we were quicker washed, dressed, and ready for breakfast. A nice meal of melon, then cereal and toast, until we got the girls wiped and decided to set off. A drizzly start to the day, with showers greeting those that ventured forth, but it had stopped by the time we cast off. Straight in to Godmanchester lock, though we jumped in front of one boat (incorrectly moored facing the wrong way) and rather upset another boater by refusing his help as we manoeuvred into the lock. A strong breeze had sprung up today and it was causing all sorts of trouble to the lighter boats, though Daniel drove Little Lady straight in to the lock. Cruised on apace through Houghton (where the boat ahead failed to wait for us) and then Hemingford (where the electric guillotine mechanism is always welcome). Managed to moor up at The Waits Quay in St Ives and then moved down to an even better mooring space.