Morpeth Train Crash
Morpeth Train Crash

A good day working outside after a slow start when Diana and I get the chance to discuss our plans as news breaks of the Morpeth Curve train crash

An even slower start, staying in bed until nearly 12 o’clock reading The Sunday Times until eventually turfed out so that Diana could make the bed. The unsettled period to contract signing is affecting my concentration on a number of issues at the moment. For such a significant thing to be delayed is a problem, particularly with Diana also in the latter stages of pregnancy. We talk a little this morning about the arrangements and how we will manage. Eventually to wash quickly and out to clean the duck’s hutch and burn the old straw together with the contents of the brazier.

Then in for a pork lunch and with a glass of wine inside me and a coffee in my hand, I collapse in front of the television again watching the sport. It has become commonplace recently to hold more sporting events on a Sunday afternoon and BBC2 now always have a Grandstand sports programme on to match. The present interest is the athletics to see who will qualify to represent Britain in the Olympic Games.

Then out to look around and see the state of the compost heaps. Our gardener does the physical jobs well but lacks finesse and leaves everything in a combined heap at the end. Tea of hamburgers which we have inside because of the chilly wind and then outside to wash and hoover the car, put fresh straw in the duck hutch, move the nest box, and finish trimming the conifer hedges. Although I end the evening shattered and put off my bath and hair wash until the morning, I am glad to have started on the outside jobs at least.

News today of a spectacular train crash near Morpeth Curve where the entire train flies through the air but nobody is seriously hurt. There had been crashes on the curve before with loss of life but the passengers felt that the driver had been exceeding the 50mph speed limit.