Awake to a strange malaise on a blustery day which, with Gary badly affected as well, was probably due to the work on the hay cutting opposite and then some paperwork and administration before fun and games seeking Daniel after school as the unwarranted imprisonment of public and church leaders in South African and the gathering of 60,000 displaced refugees in the ‘Crossroads’ camp attracts international condemnation. Thatcher remains adamant and Reagan has his bowel cancer to preoccupy him
After an energetic bedtime, a sound night, but still awoke with this malaise and rymy feeling that has hit me the last day or two. Got worse with the breeze outside and I wonder whether it is some reaction to the new hay cutting opposite. The wind is coming from the east. Poor Gary, Daniel’s friend, visiting later today had to be driven home when his eyes were swollen up so that he could hardly see. No progress on my outside jobs after feeding the doves and ducks and so settled to my desk for a while ordering some papers (mostly share and bank finances) whilst Di went shopping in town. Then the pool people from Elm Leisure arrived to fit the ‘winter’ cover (at last!) and it proved to be quite good. I settled down afterwards to watch the England vs India test match with a lap full of computer journals to catch up on.
Rather depressing, as the Indians scored 100+ for the last two wickets, leaving England to score 400+ in the last innings to save or win the match. Not test team batting last had ever achieved that and, sure enough, late today we slumped to 90 for 6 in ignominious style. Di roused me from the TV and we all bundled in the car to spend a futile hour trying to collect Daniel from school. First, no sign of him in St Neots, then the drive to Kimbolton and eventually caught up with him at home. The run and meal at the Happy Eater held little joy for me after that, particularly with Daniel unrepentant and argumentative. After the cricket, I fed the doves, watered the flower baskets and then watched France just beat Brazil in the World Cup quarter finals. Then groggily out to do the doves, lock up and, after putting the alarm on, update today’s journal. News today is still of South Africa, where prominent churchmen speak out about ‘unjust laws’ that allow for detention of public and church leaders without trial or justification. At the ‘Crossroads’ refugee camp, where 60,000 were made homeless by strife, eviction orders now seek to remove those refugees who have sought shelter in nearby churches. Terry Waite was particularly upset by this and the refusal of a detained Bishop’s wife to see him in jail. Thatcher speaks out again against sanctions and is losing friends rapidly. Three British holidaymakers were killed in a coach accident in Spain, in what seems to be a driving error. President Reagan has had two more cancerous growths removed from his intestines, amongst strident PR that he is ‘A.O.K.’ – we shall see in the long term. After today’s blustery wind, which was so uncomfortable, tomorrow will still see the thundery showers to our south-west and the wind continuing.