Another warm and sunny day painting and varnishing The Lady before taking Debbie horse-riding and swimming with the girls whilst supervising Daniel’s exam revision as Thatcher still holds out against South African sanctions in an EEC meeting despite five more blacks being killed today with 11 townships under curfew and the whole state under repressive censorship. South African Dutch Reformist Church Cleric, Allan Boesak, justly accuses Britain of, ‘hypocrisy, selfishness and indifference’
A very stiff start to the day – all aches and pains after yesterday’s exertions. Breakfast of Jordan’s wheat flakes and then out to feed the doves. Both dove chicks now come to the table and so we can say that they have been the first ones we have successfully reared. A warm start to the day and so put on my shirt and shorts earlier than usual and made a start on The Lady. I sanded off the front windscreen and cabins, then, after coffee, started to paint the cockpit roof with deck paint. I had tidied up the pool area earlier, but I might as well not have bothered,
as a fresh wind blew from the east, making painting a problem and also dislodging lots of small berries from the hawthorn tree adjacent to the back garden. Just managed to finish the coat of paint, though late for lunch, and I had to then thin the remaining paint down and work it well in, as I was running short – a tiring experience in the hot sun. Back to varnishing after lunch, but first to trim some works in white yacht enamel. Finished my varnishing once Debbie was home and then took her riding. They went on the road again today, but this time the instructors also rode horses and led the pupil’s horses by a rope at the same time. Home to tea of pork chop and then I went swimming with the girls, whilst Daniel sulked and did some revision. More work on the boat after, until the normal watering time. News today of Thatcher (aided by Germany and Portugal) holding out in the EEC meeting against South African sanctions. The Foreign Ministers made no progress and so the leaders are trying further over dinner tonight. Five more blacks were killed today and 11 townships are under curfew, but little information can be reported because of the repressive censorship. In increasing hostility towards Britain, South African Dutch Reform Cleric, Allan Boesak, has accused the British of, ‘hypocrisy, selfishness and indifference’. Richard Branson, with a five-man crew, on 72ft power boat, Virgin Atlantic Challenger II, has started a second attempt at breaking the transatlantic crossing record. Peter Walker, Energy Secretary, has said there is no alternative to nuclear fuel for power and not everybody agrees with him.