South African Airways Boeing 747-200BM which crashed this day as Flight 295
South African Airways Boeing 747-200BM which crashed this day as Flight 295

Looking after Debbie’s overnight guest Sarah overnight and this morning and then time attending The November Fair before taking her friend Amy with us to the RSPB films and play in the Village Hall this evening. A South African jumbo jet crashes in mysterious circumstances in the Indian Ocean and Terry Waite is sighted in the Lebanon

Was a little restless last night. Having suggested that Debbie’s friend, Sarah, stay the night, I noticed she was still up and reading a book when we retired at 10.30pm and wondered if she’d settle down ok. Felt hot with a cold coming on in the night and so came down for an orange to eat, glass of milk to drink and then checked on the girls and they were both sleeping fine. This morning we all made breakfast together. Luckily Amy, Debbie’s local friend, was out with her parents this morning

(they drove their new car – a ‘Deux Chevaux’ – to Milton Keynes) and so it was not a problem Sarah being there. I stayed in this morning and read the weekend’s financial and investors papers. Share markets are still slipping in a slow decline and nobody was willing to make the trends last week with public holidays in America and Japan. Started on the local papers as well, but Di was back from shopping and collecting Daniel and so I took them off to lunch at the Croxton Happy Eater. Good service and a good meal and so I gave the waitress (the Assistant Manageress) a tip. These places are quieter away from summer and other holidays and so these trips are the more enjoyable for it. Afterwards we went to Little Paxton village hall for the ‘November Fair’ -  the occasion when all village organisations man a stall and things are sold and money raised for the village hall finances. Nicely busy, but we could not spend a lot as we had little cash on us! Home and I spent the afternoon reading the local papers, extracting press cuttings, and watching TV sport at the same time. The TV repairs were successful. Away with the ducks at dusk, when the thick fog was coming down again and freezing on the car windscreens. I had to put the baby dove back up on the dovecote a couple of times today, but its strength of flight is gradually getting better. Tea and then time to take Diana, Debbie and her friend Amy to the RSPB family evening at the village hall. There were three films, competitions, a short comical play by the Young Ornithologists’ Club and plenty of prizes to be given out. It ran from 7.15pm to 9.45pm, which was quite late. Home in the thick fog and to bed rather late for the family. Daniel had looked after Daniella, but she had not stirred. The news today was of the crash of a South African Jumbo Jet (with an estimated 160 passengers believed dead) into the Indian Ocean. Nobody is saying, but a bomb or incendiary device could have been the cause, as smoke was spotted in the cockpit cabin and notified by an emergency message. After the release of two French hostages, one of them speaks of seeing and hearing of Terry Waite, but the British Government, unlike the French, will not do deals with them. A CS gas canister was fired into the crowd at a Hibernian Celtic football match today, injuring 43 fans.