Grandad Fred Broad reading to Della during 1987 visit
Grandad Fred Broad reading to Della during 1987 visit

A poor start to the day as our children were mis-behaving before Della settled down and watch cartoons as I worked in my office my mum and dad arrived with news of their visit to Freda and Alf. They found them overweight and in poor health, which was a worry, but the rest of their visit toi us was enjoyed by the children, back from the St Neots fair and circus this afternoon. Another prison office taken hostage in Scotland, a bereaved Iranian, whose brother and father were shot dead in Wembley by ‘hit squads from Tehran’, want the struggle against the Ayatollah to continue and Colonel Rabuka hesitates in declaring a Republic for Fiji.

Slept well last night and had quite a lay in this morning, until well past 8.00am. Sat in bed with my morning drink and read a little while and still had time to get to the table in time for a really nice fried breakfast. Unfortunately, the occasion was spoilt by first Daniel, then Della and then Debbie misbehaving, which led to a cold atmosphere and much embarrassment in front of Daniel’s friend, Gary. In the end I had to smack Debbie and both girls were sent to their room. This morning I first fed the ducks and doves and then sat in the playroom, going through this week’s local papers and cutting out the stories and items on Little Paxton. For most of the time, Della was happy to sit with me and watch her cartoons on video. Soon it was time for lunch and much quieter this time, as the children had learnt their lesson. After lunch, I went to the shed to try and cut a piece of plywood for my Dad, but he and Mum arrived quite early whilst the girls were still at the circus that was on St Neots Common. I chatted to Mum & Dad for quite a while and they had a good visit to Freda and Alf. We are all still a bit concerned about Freda. She has a bad lower leg and does not seem too worried about having an operation to fix it. At 13 ½ stone (with Alf at 15 ½ stone), they are far too heavy for their health and compound their problems.

Once the girls came back, we had tea of toasted current buns and sandwiches. We used some cheddar cheese, removed from a whole cheese that had come back from Cornwall. Then I showed them our film of Norfolk, before it was time for them to go. The children to bed and small opportunity to listen to the news, read the paper and update my journal, before bed. News today of yet another prison officer being taken hostage in Scotland, this time at Perth Prison, by four inmates. An Iranian, whose father and brother Mohammed Ali Tavakoli-Nabavi and, Noureddin, were shot dead in Wembley, has spoken out in favour of the continued struggle against the Ayatollah, so that his close relatives’ death would not be in vain. He says that they were murdered by ‘hit squads’ from Tehran. The Royal Navy has completed a week of mine sweeping operations without finding any mines. Norman Tebbit has said that he will stand down as Tory Party Chairman before the next election. Now, Colonel Rabuka is thinking again of drawing back from declaring a Republic for Fiji, in the latest bewildering about turn in the country’s affairs.