Della was playing up again today when Diana was leaving her at playschool after Debbie and Daniel had left together to go to Kimbolton and that was worrying Di despite reassurances that Della was all right later. I collected Debbie from the school bus and took her for her riding lesson after which she still had time to write her diary and Daniel brought home lots of new text books to cover for the new GCSE syllabus for which, nationally, Heat teachers warn that they have insufficient staff and resources for it. The UN peace mission by Perez de Cuellar for The Gulf gets underway, as more attacks on tankers take place from both sides, Reagan faces opposition in providing more aid to The Contras as The Pope starts his US tour in Miami, 25 UK fans from the Heysel riot are charged with manslaughter and another soldier is shot by sniper in Belfast.
Unfortunately, left our bedroom windows closed last night and so was up in the middle of it, feeling hot and stuffy until the room cooled down again. Slow to get out of bed, but was at the table with the others in good time for breakfast. A simple cereal and fruit juice meal again and then Daniel and Debbie left together to walk to the Kimbolton school bus. Della was rather troublesome on her first day back at playschool this morning, wailing and crying when Diana tried to leave. This upset Di, but I kept her away from the chocolate biscuits and made her a coffee instead! Later, several ladies told Di how well Della had settled down afterwards and this made her feel a bit better.
I indexed 4 more films of holiday photos this morning, whilst the gardener cut the lawn. This summer has been so wet that he now tries cutting the lawns twice a week and that seems to get it under better control. At lunch, Di cooked a puff pastry pie in a tin and I added vegetables and warmed the plates to make it more palatable. Adhered to pears after and fed Daniella the same, to aid our waistlines. This afternoon, I carried on in my office cleaning things up until, at 4.15pm, it was time to collect Debbie from the bus and take her horse riding. She changed en route and then rode Flint in a poor ride with several novices in the other saddles. Did not do well enough for a mint surprise. This evening, I tended the birds and then checked the children’s schoolwork. Daniel has plenty of shiny new text books, pioneering the first year for the new GCSE course. He had to cover them tonight. Debbie wrote a long passage of her journal for the second day and aims to copy me. She is settling down just fine at Kimbolton and all of Di’s fears are groundless. A dry day, in contradiction of the weather forecasts and I hope that we get the rotavator soon. The UN Gulf peace mission has begun with Perez de Cuellar flying off today. He pronounced himself hopeful and optimistic, despite escalations in the war today. Iranians attacked a tanker with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades and Iraqi warplanes attacked Iranian land targets. US President Reagan wants to increase aid to the Contras, but there is widespread political opposition in this first exchange after the US summer political holidays. All 25 of the UK fans extradited for trial for the Heysel riots are charged with manslaughter after individual interviews in Belgium. Last night’s England vs West Germany football match ended with German fans ‘ambushing’ British fans after the match and much disorder and arrest. Another soldier has been shot by an IRA sniper in Belfast. Head teachers warn again today that they have neither the staff nor resources to properly implement the GCSE courses. At the TUC Conference, debates reaffirmed opposition to nuclear weapons and turned down the idea of a referendum. The Pope was greeted by President Reagan in Miami at the start of his US tour. He is expected to encounter mixed response from some liberal US Catholics, who support birth control and abortion.