My cold is worse on a fine arm and sunny day but we go shopping to Bedford despite Debbie being clingy when being dropped off at school over the School Dinner arrangements and then I work on my new video camera before an evening where Daniel plays up as well! News of redundancies in Blue Chip companies as interest rates still fall to 12 ½ % and racial conflict continues in South Africa
My cold worse again, but a sound night’s sleep. The brightness of a sunny morning woke me first, but Diana to get the morning tea, which helped my throat. Breakfast of hot toast and fruit juice and, after finishing my paper, a slow start washing my hair, shaving and getting dressed. Out to the ducks and eleven eggs today and the doves are still feeding shyly, but the brooding goes on! To the office, but no messages and a postal strike has deprived us of any incoming mail at either house today. We get readying to go out, but Diana has all sorts of trouble trying to get Debbie to leave her at school. The poor girl clings to Di and wails and eventually has to be held by her teacher as Diana leaves. Di thinks it is to do with not being able to take a packed lunch and only settles when she has written a letter to Mr Jeffs. All else off by car to Bedford and a morning drink together before going our various ways. I to the antique shops, but only find a jewellers selling second hand and antique silver.
Nevertheless, I managed to find two 1871 (HH) tea spoons to complete a straight half set of 6, but at the rather high price of £11.50 each. We rendezvous at McDonalds for lunch of burgers and chips and then set off back home. I drop off Diana and the baby at 2.00pm to Linda’s house and Daniel shortly afterwards to Jason Chamber’s to play. Back to the house and take out my video camera and recorder to take the first shots of spring, our gardens and the children. Unfortunately, I did not adjust the colour balance too well for the scenic shots, but realised my mistake in time to take some superb film of Debbie and her friend Amy and Diana with baby Daniella. Della takes her first outing on the grass and her experience with it to feel, crawl and taste is fascinating. I get out the barbeque set and treat all the family, and their playmates, to burgers and sausages, but Daniel gets too exuberant and is rude to Di and I have to send him to his room. We watch the play-back of the film and fall to the evening routine of putting the birds to bed, playing with Daniella and reading and reassuring Deborah, who seems over this morning’s traumas. Dan apologises to Di for being rude and the day ends peacefully and with all happy at last. I put The Lady’s batteries on charge today to keep them up to scratch for the next trip. A fine, sunny and warm day today, with only the breeze to exacerbate our coughs and colds. But the weekend is forecast cold and wet, which is a pity. News tonight of the year’s inflation rate reaching a two and a half year high of 6.1%, which comes as a shock to the city. Bank base rates fall again to 12 ½ % which is a relief, but the government do not seem to be encouraging the fall. Courtaulds and Plessey are cutting 1500 jobs between them, with North Wales particularly badly hit. The post office dispute is over payment for delivering local election polling cards and it was sparked off by the suspension of a postman in Northampton. Talks are taking place tonight aimed at solving the problem. In the US, President Reagan is fielding harsh criticisms following his agreement to visit a German military cemetery to honour their dead, but has announced a visit to Belsen concentration camp as well. It is the 40th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust. The killings continue in South Africa with 5 more dead around Port Elizabeth. A white is doused in petrol and burned. The US Discovery space shuttle glided safely back to earth today at the end of a problematical trip. The Prince and Princess of Wales are sailing in the Royal Yacht Britannia on a visit to Italy, as the papers claim she has brought 30/32 dresses for the visit.