Taking the builders to task for delays on a cold and damp day before enjoying a day in St Ives and welcoming Daniel’s friend Gary Skinner to stay for the night as the murderer of Leoni Keating is now charged
A restless start to the night thinking of the jobs that the builders had still to do and the delays that seems to be inevitable in the work’s completion. I resolve to write down a schedule of outstanding jobs and criticisms in preparation for the progress meeting with the architect on Monday. On waking up, I do just that before my normal routine of breakfast, washing and shaving. I then take a shower and wash my hair to brighten things up. Dressed quickly so as to catch the builders as they load some more things up and I think they might not be working again. In fact they do have one man putting up guttering and another cleaning up but, when I see Mr Cheeseborough whilst feeding the doves and ducks, I make for him and launch into my criticisms. No carpenter today to face a mounting backlog of work, no plasterer to tidy up the kitchen and start the utility room, no doors up to keep out the damp, dust and intruders etc. He starts off by taking the comments lightly, but soon realises I am upset and to be taken seriously. He was taking me and the job a bit too lightly and this will restore the balance for our meeting, when we want progress.
The builders are quite good, but Cheeseborough does not like to plan ahead, they are a bit untidy and can leave or forget things if not supervised. Off then with the girls to St Ives for the general auction and viewing for the antiques sale on Tuesday. A fine drizzle makes driving a little difficult and other road users impatient. Once there, we go our several ways, meeting for coffee during the morning. Not much in the general auction, but several mahogany tables and one oak, gate leg, table that interest me for Tuesday. It seems that these auctions will be held every three weeks, instead of four, in the New Year, at the insistence of Prudential and against the wishes of the auction personnel. No silver this time of note. Back to St Neots to collect Daniel and his friend Gary, who we take to the Happy Eater for lunch. Gary comes back home with us afterwards and is staying tonight whilst his parents are away at a funeral. This afternoon, I remove the opening door from the new sitting room and fit two chub security bolts, but then I run out of light. It was time to put the birds away before tea of hot-dogs and cake to follow. This evening I catch up on some reading, whilst the boys played computer games and watched the television. Eventually, at 9.30pm, I got the boys to prepare for bed and had to come down and remind them at 11.00pm not to talk, but to go to sleep. News tonight of the hopes dashed for the release of Nelson Mandela – he is returned from hospital to prison, after all the speculation. More South African unrest that cannot be hidden by the news blackout. Rescue efforts for Bolivia are being abandoned and the whole area of the volcano evacuated and disinfected by air to control disease. A man has been charged now with the murder of Leoni Keating, but his identity is being withheld. More dull and cold, damp weather in store, with some light snow showers to boot.