Some early fun with Diana on a milder day before the builders arrived and needed checking up on and then off to Peacocks in Bedford to successfully bid for a few items and then return to collect Daniel for lunch at The Happy Eater. An afternoon working on my alarm boxes and strobes as news emerged of The Royal Yacht Britannia aiding other vessels evacuating civilians from the beaches of Aden, a teachers strike is scheduled for the 6th February and US President Reagan is diagnosed with more lumps and bumps
Late awake tumbling with Diana, but a good and satisfying sleep afterwards. Awake quite early, as Daniel had to go to school this morning, and then a toast and cereal breakfast as the others were finishing. Showered and dressed in time for the builders and Mr Evans arrived with Mr Cheeseborough to erect a block wall downstairs. This forms the new changing room and I carefully measured to make sure there was going to be due room for my broom cupboard and security safes. This morning, I went up to Debbie’s room and tried out the new self-activating bell module that had arrived today from C-TEC. By the end of the morning, I had managed to connect it up and leave the NI-CAD battery charging from the alarm system.
With Diana and the kids waiting impatiently at the car for us to leave, I let the ducks out, fed the doves and then went round shutting doors and putting countless lights out, so that I could leave and set the alarm. A strangely mild day today after the bitter cold of the recent past. The girls enjoyed playing outside on the garden swing and slide for a change. To St Neots to collect Daniel from his bus. He had missed the local bus from Lt Paxton to St Neots this morning and had to run to town with his heavy bag, and it shattered him. To the Happy Eater and another smoldering row between Diana and Daniel over this Di feels that Daniel’s criticism of this event spoils her enjoyment and so I give him a talking to and he comes in to enjoy a mixed grill in the end. All together to Peacocks, where we find that I had safely secured the table and tray/table, but that the settee had yet to come up to bid. We stayed to watch it, and just as well, for it quickly shot past the £30 that we had bid in advance. It cost me £52 in the end and then another £15 on top to get it delivered by an Asian family that proposition you on these occasions. Home and then, it still being mild and now dry as well, I went outside to install the last two bell boxes. A lot of trouble fixing the micro switch and bell cover to have the desired effect and had to work all evening to commission them. I put the old self actuating module on the strobe so that, with loss of power or central attack, both bell and strobe will work under their own steam. Very tired, I put away my things and cleared up before sinking into the lounge settee to watch some recorded football and rest. This milder contrast to the weather is quite surprising. At Peacocks today the floors were wet with condensation as they retained the cold after a long cold spell. Further news tonight of the dramatic intervention of the Royal Yacht Britannia in the evacuation of civilians from the beaches of Aden. More than 100 had to be left behind as shell ricochets endangered the ship and a rolling tank and artillery battle swept across the beach. The Russian ships had left and the Britannia was the last to leave. The NUT, the largest teachers union, has now called a national strike for Thursday 6th February, as this debilitating battle of wills smolders on. More Soviet proposals on arms reductions in Geneva; after the offer to eliminate nuclear weapons In Toto by 2000 AD, they now offer to withdraw medium range missiles from Europe if the Americans do the same. President Reagan is discovered as having more growths inside him and, although they are described as ‘non-cancerous nodules’, I think this term as President will be his last. Perhaps his successor will care more about the de-escalation of armaments – I hope so, as I want to see cruise missiles out of Molesworth.