Work on the landscaping of The Hayling View
Work on the landscaping of The Hayling View

Back to the reality of home and its backlog of domestic and vocational chores with Diana tackling the washing and me the piles of mail and messages from journalists etc. and to news of Peter King and Derek Weatherby resigning from Kode and a disastrous school report of Daniel’s progress as The State of Emergency in South Africa fails to halt the Back violence and the grizzly task continues of searching for survivors after the Italian dam burst

Awake groggily from the night’s sleeping problems and Diana makes our morning drinks with the kettle and materials provided. Fun and games packing and getting ready before we go to the restaurant for an English breakfast, where we eat well, before checking out and loading up. The Mendip Lodge Hotel restaurant is called ‘Marmaduke’ after the proprietor’s cat, who is a ginger tom that adorns the place. His portrait is in the hotel and he sits on the reception desk, parades around the bars and generally acts as if he owns the place! Thought I do not approve of animals indoors in such circumstances, for reasons of hygiene, it seems intolerant not to accept him as he is a feature of the place. Away by 9.00am and three hours later we are back in the Happy Eater at Sandy having our lunch before braving our home and the work that there was to do. Nevertheless, we anxiously arrive there and start the process of unpacking and settling back in. Diana embarks upon endless housekeeping and washing as I open stacks of mail and sort it in to piles to read and absorb. Outside, the gardeners have advanced the cause, laying our new front garden with turves and planting the shrub beds, but have not finished due to having to spend time last week on behalf of Gransden Garden Centre at the East of England show. They have worked hard on a job that seems ever more involved; gravel boarding the riverside garden promenade and removing excess flower beds, and the effect is good.

Their first bill arrives and we may yet have a difference on the hours and days chargeable. Sadly, the two dove chicks have died – this time I think from lack of food from the parents. My ‘helper’ did not pace the seed supply and ran out in mid-week. I set up the sprinkler and watered the new turves and beds, even though they had four hours of rain on Friday. Inside, I finished reading the computer journals and we were distressed to read public reports of Derek Weatherby and Peter King resigning from the Byte Shop over ‘differences of view with the Kode top management.’ Poor John Lamb obviously ran into Peter’s disagreement on the service reorganisation, but the seeds of discontent were already there, I am sure. Daniel’s school report arrives and is a disaster. One after another the teachers condemn his lack of effort and complacency about lack of progress. I give him a very hard time and he promises for next term to listen carefully to the lessons, take and retain good notes and work harder at prep to bolster his class work. We shall see. I am out of pigeon seed, but feed both the doves and ducks on layers pellets before staggering in to clear up more of my mail and catch up on my journal for these past two days. I need to reply to the many phone messages (mainly from journalists) and respond to the mail tomorrow, which will be quite busy for the family. Unfortunately the landscapers are on holiday and will not resume until next week, but Joan and Pete are back tomorrow to tidy up the house and garden, which is a relief. News tonight of the South African declaration of a ‘State of Emergency’ failing to halt the black violence and I think they are on a steady path for majority rule in the future and they should accept it. They will continue the Italian search for survivors for a week amongst the mud of the dam burst. Sandy Lyle wins the Open Golf Tournament and Alan Prost (for Williams) the British Motor Grand Prix in a busy days sport. David Gower also scores an unbeaten 100 at cricket. Drizzle and cloud forecast for tomorrow, but at least my turves will be watered again.