Time tending my doves and then working on The Hayling View bench seat on a bright and sunny day and then watching England do well against New Zealand at cricket before swimming after dark with Daniel and his friends in our underwater-lit swimming pool’ The East/West Summits and visits are now all lined up with nuclear arms control the elusive prize
A rather restless night, as first I and then Di had trouble sleeping as the time went on. Di up early and read the paper before bungling my morning tea and letting me do the same. Turfed out of bed eventually and showered and shaved before down to a breakfast of wheat flakes. Then the doves on a bright and sunny morning. All of them down to the table, including the dun hen and her cock and so I managed to get to the chick for the first time. Just as well, as I had trouble ringing it and, in the end, had to put it on its left foot and was glad to get it on at all.
To the garage and continued my work on the window seat, nailing on the remaining sections and gluing them together. Then called Di over to help me and we tried it up in the house on the landing gallery and it fitted fine. Returned it to the garage and sanded it down, filling the holes and cracks with Colorant natural filler. By this time, it was coffee break and the Test cricket was starting, but just had time to chat to Marilyn and her daughter about her going to Plymouth Polytechnic to study geography. The Test match started slowly and on the third day, with the last two New Zealand wickets taking some time to get, but then England batted quickly to equal the innings total over the rest of the day, with Gatting and Gower still at the crease and Botham still to come, which was quite a turnaround. The day alternating between cricket and my window seat and by the end of the day had finished sanding it and put on a coat of eggshell varnish, which is now to Diana’s taste. Daniel came back with Gary this morning and we took them to the Little Chef; then Steve joined them and they went out on the boats this afternoon. This evening, I did a little fishing from our river bank, waiting for them to get back and then we all went swimming after dark, with the pool light on, and wore ourselves out. Some consternation today as an owner had erected a chalet/shed on a riverside plot and several neighbours were up in arms, but I don’t think that they can do anything about it. News today divides between the chances of an East/West Summit between Russia and the US on the one hand, and developments in South Africa on the other. Gorbachev calls for a meeting with Reagan and Mrs Thatcher has also agreed to visit Moscow in what would be the first working visit (she also went to Cherenkov’s funeral).