A NIGHT ON THE BOAT

Birdham Pool, near Bosham, Sussex

S A T U R D A Y,  1 3  M A Y

Gorgeous weather for our first trip to the boat.

Stopped at Great Grooms for orange squash, and scones and jam. Lots of traffic, so didn't get to the Marina until one. Birdham Pool is so peaceful and the scenery around it is so wonderful - really, you couldn't imagine a lovelier place to have a boat.  We unpacked, had lunch in the cockpit, and sunbathed, it was absolutely gorgeous. Daddy and Mummy did a bit of varnishing.

When it wasn't quite so hot Chump and me walked to the restaurant place a little way up the canal and booked for tonight. Also went over to the lock and saw some of the boats come through. No snazzes to be seen.

I fixed the aerial for the radio and to my great joy I discovered I can get not only the pirate stations but the French stations too - all three of them. It really is marvellous! Listened to Le Hit Parade which was jolly good and included that funny song 'Le Téléfon' by Nino Ferrer:

"Bernadette, elle est tres chouette

Et sa cousine, elle est divine

Mais son cousin, il est malsain

Je dirais meme que c'est un bon a rien"

About 8pm we left for the restaurant place. It was rather empty, which was weedy. Sat at a window table and had a pretty good meal - prawn cocktail, steak stew with peppers in it, croquettes and lemon meringue pie. We were talking about fainting and Ma and Pa nearly died when I told them the number of people Finkelstein had to carry out of Prayers last year - incredible! Daddy asked me if I'd ever asked Dutronc if he liked Jacques Dutronc. Wish I had. Then he said, "his parents were a nice couple, the father looked an amusing chap"! I quite agree, but why does he keep mentioning Dutronc?

Back on the boat, Chump and me couldn't stop singing 'Silence is Golden' (ugh) and that song that goes, "Honey in the bee hive, Honey bunch, heh, Every time you kiss me, Hits me like a punch, Sock it to me baby, Sock it to me baby baby..." !

My mouth wouldn't stop watering in bed.