Terry Waite is still alive and well and in captivity
Terry Waite is still alive and well and in captivity

Another day of administration and statements supporting our boat damage claim after a short excursion to the garden to feed the ducks and doves in the absence of Pete on another very wet day. This did not stop the children swimming but high levels of algaecide and chlorine did for Daniel and Debbie liked my reading of the Country Companion. The good news that Terry Waite still lives but sad news of the burial of two more Hungerford massacre victims, Cory Aquino survives a further attempt to seize the Phillipino Presidency and we hear that Hickling and Beccles have suffered flooding after another very wet day today.

A sound night’s sleep after a late and lively start to the session. We lay in this morning and were not eating breakfast until 8.45am. No sign of Pete in the garden today and so I went out myself this morning and fed the ducks and doves. The doves, particularly those with young, were hungry quite early. I had to read Daniella a few stories this morning to keep her happy and then Di took the girls into town to do the week’s shopping for food and groceries. I sat in my office and scanned five weeks back copies of the Investors Chronicle and noted how the City sentiment sagged from a position of security and strength.

Now the mood is uncertain and confused. There will either be a recovery or a fall and I fear that there should be the latter, but I expect the former. I was also acting as Doorman to Daniel this morning, as three of his friends arrived and they used two microcomputers and four leads to rig up a 4-way game of car racing. Lunch at 12.30pm, then this afternoon I worked on a letter claiming damages of Pennant Group PLC for the destruction of our sailing dinghy by a hire craft. Also completed a witness statement for the River Inspector for a criminal prosecution of the driver as well. After tea, the boys went swimming, but reported the swimming pool temperature down to 77degC. I went out twice and back flushed the sand filter, which was dirty. It solved the problem, but I think we are in need of some new sand for our filter, which clogs far too easily. With the high levels of Algaecide and Chlorine we put in during our time away, Daniel also got a rash from the pool and had to shower and come out early. With the most urgent items of paperwork now done, I cleared my office up in mid-evening, read Debbie some more Country Companion, and then wrote today’s journal and watched the TV news. I managed a bit more of the local paper backlog, but am still 4 weeks behind! The news today is of stories coming out of Beirut that Terry Waite is still alive and well and in captivity. It was an Iranian diplomat that gave the news and that insisted that the release of four Iranians was necessary to help his plight. All this is encouraging for his family, but they are not counting any chickens before they hatch. This evening there was another attempt to overturn President Cory Aquino of the Philippines, but this latest attempt also failed. It came after street demonstrations yesterday over the increase in fuel taxation and prices. The new SDP leader is to be Robert McLennan of Caithness & Sutherland, after no other candidate stood against him. Three more of the Michael Ryan Hungerford victims were buried today and Home Secretary, Douglas Hurd, attended the funeral of the killed policeman. After torrential rain lately there has been flooding at Hickling and Beccles, which we had recently visited by boat. Throughout Europe there are many stories of flooding during this exceptionally wet summer. The weathermen say that warmer weather is on the way.