A day spent watching developments on the international markets, visiting river meadows in Godmanchester and taking Debbie to a more advanced horse-riding lesson and hosting visits from Colin Howard and Nigel as the Government causes outrage as it tries to gag the BBC over reporting the Birmingham Pub Bombing miscarriage of justice but hopes rise for a Postal Dispute settlement
Awoke early enough this morning, but sat in bed drinking my tea for too long and was late washing and dressing for breakfast again. Still, this gave me a chance to read my paper at the table, after the children had left, and I continued in my office after and finished it. Very mixed financial news these days, but everybody cautious. I had received recommendations from the stockbrokers for the children’s trusts this morning, but when I phoned they still preached caution and felt that the slight rises of the last day or two meant they should not be chased. This proved sound advice later, as the market reversed earlier gains, to close slightly down again. Then Wall Street fell sharply later and will probably take Tokyo down with it overnight. I went off in the Range Rover this morning to drop off my boat cover at Buckden Marina and also had time to visit the Godmanchester meadows again. I drove through the gravel workings this time, then right up to the gate to the fields.
I walked around the boundary and noted a fair number of over mature willows and ash as well as hawthorn and other overgrown hedging. Put up pheasants, partridges, duck and wood pigeon and I fancy the fields would be good for shooting. Some of the meadows were firm under foot and well drained – others soggy under foot and even waterlogged still after the recent floods. Overall, quite impressive for mixed forestry, grazing, fishing and shooting, with gravel as the chance of a future windfall (not to mention boat moorings). A rush home for lunch. Di’s Mum joined us and stayed on to look after Della this afternoon, as Di went to her keep fit. She had spent all morning wrapping up a range of presents to put under the Christmas tree that we will get in this weekend and decorate. This afternoon I worked at sticking in photographs, a steady job, and then Nigel dropped in to have a chat, which took me until teatime. Then I had to take Debbie horse riding to Offord and she did quite well. She was more confident than last week, but was still the weakest in an older and more experienced ride. They rode in formations this evening, crossing between each other and getting quite advanced. More time on my photos tonight, but then Colin Howard called round with the blow-ups of Paxton Park School, which is even more for me to do. Ended by leaving the task at 10pm and writing up my journal. Main news, according to the TV teletext, is the two sides agreeing an end to the postal dispute, which is good news for Christmas and a blow to the private operators, who would have descended like vultures if the postal monopoly was ended. Outrage today as the Attorney General first moves to ban a Channel 4 TV programme, a re-enactment of the Birmingham pub bombing appeal case. Then he moved to get an injunction banning a BBC radio programme tomorrow (and two more in the series) broadcasting interviews with past members of the security services in a programme called ‘My Country, Right or Wrong’. British Steel is evidently to be the next state industry to be sold off, after announcing record profits, but the stock exchange may not have the heart to absorb it right now. After BP, underwriting could be a problem as well. Interest rates fell around Europe by half a percent today, but did not impress Wall Street.