Dr David Owen and David Steel in better times
Dr David Owen and David Steel in better times

An early start to the day and a healthy walk around Paxton after a very unhealthy fried breakfast and then back for a swim in the pool and some success fishing afterwards. Iraq have been attacking Iranian oil installations and tankers with oil flooding into the sea from Kharg Terminal, the Miners’ strike is over in South Africa and world records tumble in the World Athletics Championships. Dr David Owen at the SDP Conference spoke well about social democracy, but the merger argument rages on as the party blood is spilt.

Awoke to find Diana still in bed and took advantage of the situation accordingly. I got up first and made the drinks, then went out to check the swimming pool. The boiler had cut out again and I had to trigger it, but in plenty of time for the family to go swimming later. To the lounge in my pyjamas and worked my way through the last few week’s local newspapers and saved the cuttings on Little Paxton. Soon it was time for a nice breakfast and I enjoyed the first meal of fried egg, bacon and mushroom/tomato in a long while. The children also had fried egg and toast fingers, but Di stuck to her cereal. Back to my papers for a good while, until I got shaved and showered quite late. Then decided to take Di and Della for a walk around Little Paxton, along the boundary path to Gordon Road, through the churchyard and back. Little Della was quite good, but still moaned of course, until we carried her.

Home to a nice lunch of roast beef, then this afternoon I watched the World Athletics Championships on TV and caught up on the papers at last. This afternoon the pool was up to 81degF again and the girls went swimming. Della can nearly swim without aids now. Soon time for a sit-round tea in the lounge, then this evening I went down to the boat and did some fishing. I baited up with breadcrumbs and tried for some time to fish with dough and bread as bait, until I turned to maggots eventually and then caught a bream, perch, three small roach and a gudgeon. Carried on until dark and then went in to my journal and the TV sport again. The weather stayed warm and dry today, but not a great deal of sun though. After the Iraqi attack on Iran oil installations recently, they have repeated the moves today and left the Kharg Oil terminal ablaze. Oil is gushing into the sea. Iran relies on the sea shipment of oil and, unlike Iraq, has no overland pipelines. Dr David Owen at the SDP Conference spoke well about social democracy, but the merger argument rages on as the party blood is spilt. The South African miner’s union has agreed to a return to work without a pay increase and, although an improved package of working conditions has been accepted, the outcome is a thinly disguised victory for the employers. Philippine President Cory Aquino decorated the loyal and injured soldiers with medals, whilst 700 rebels are held offshore in makeshift prison ships. In today’s World Athletics Championships there was a new world record, as Ben Johnson ran the 100 meters in 9.83 seconds and another, as Stefka Konstantinova of Bulgaria raised the women’s high jump record to 6ft 10 ¼ ins. The Notting Hill Carnival was an even bigger event this year and less trouble than ever in the number of offences, but the day was marred by a man being knifed to death over a soft drinks dispute.