Family day visiting Cambridge ad meeting Di’s sister Sue before we return for Daniel to play computer games and then us to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ as another Bishop attacks Thatcher’s politics of confrontation, The FT calls for action on unemployment and Leonard Rossiter dies
No Financial Times again this morning, but an Economist arriving later by post, which I start to read. Up for breakfast at weekday times and, Daniel off to school, the rest of us get washed and dressed ready to go at 9.00am. We loaded up the Jaguar and set off with Diana feeding the baby as usual. We stopped at Croxton Filling Station, just on the outskirts of St Neots, and filled up the left hand tank at £1.85 odd per gallon, which is good as recent petrol company price increases has put up most garage prices to near £1.90. The £2 gallon is in sight. To Cambridge by 9.40am, but our parking meters of last week were full. Nevertheless, a circuit of town found a 2 hour meter in reach – broken in the full position! Amongst our purchases, shoes and boots for Debbie and, in the market, plums, grapes, apples, pears, chestnuts and a melon. By appointment to Belinda’s coffee house and there to meet Diana’s sister Sue. Slimmer, but visibly older, she seemed in brave spirits over her driving test failure and quite well.
To the newsagent on our return to the car, where we get a Financial Times (the last), Guardian and Daniel’s BBC User magazine, which later pleased him greatly. Whilst in town, a demonstration marches through protesting at the Addenbrooke’s Hospital moves, which have seen half of the cleaners sacked and the rest employed on poor wages and conditions – all in the vein of Thatcher’s privatisation programme. I put 50p in the miners collection bucket for the first time. A Financial Times leader today directs the governments attention to an overall employment crisis that cannot be long ignored. Back to St Neots by car, stopping to get our half pound of prawns, and collect Daniel from Readwells news agent (at a cost of 42p in a large variety of sweets for Debbie). Onward to The Happy Eater for our Saturday lunch, where we take onion soup and, for me, a diet burger. Home so that Daniel could play Elite with his normal gang, and I could alter the television cabinet to take our television and video equipment properly, which job I should have done ages ago. Our tea, an evening of occasional and diverse fruit, and together to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ which we had taped by timer the previous night. Very enjoyable it was too! News tonight of the end of the Queen’s Canadian Tour, another Bishop attacking the politics of confrontation, and various disasters to life and limb throughout the world. The weather today had been cool, but bright. Note: We awake this morning to news of the tragic death in a theatre dressing room last night of Leonard Rossiter. It seems that all of the best comic entertainers are so destined and another of my favourites is now sadly gone.