Lucas Mangope President of 'Bantu Homeland' Bophuthatswana
Lucas Mangope President of 'Bantu Homeland' Bophuthatswana

Della made an active start to the day to wake me up and then accompanied neighbour Amy for the morning who was not well enough for school. Then to complete the deal for my Rolls Royce Corniche, which involved paying a third and having some work done, and to contact the Reliant Club for more help and information. More trials and tribulations with the SDP/Liberal Alliance as a neighbouring candidate calls me, allegations that the RUC were behind the discrediting of John Stalker’s ‘shoot-to-kill’ enquiry, South African troops crushing a black homeland uprising, in favour of Lucas Mangope, the Appeal Court finding against the UK Government  on Spycatcher and Vauxhall workers join the NHS demonstrations as Birmingham consultants claim that people are dying unnecessarily

Today was intended to be a day hard at work in my office. Still tired this morning after the traumas of yesterday and my peace of mind was not aided by Della jumping up and down on my bed when I was still to wake up! Showered and dressed ready for breakfast after Daniel had left the table, then quickly read today’s paper as the children made ready for school. Poor Amy Law had to come and stay with us again, as she felt dizzy and so she kept Della company all morning, building a new truck from the construction set. I settled down to my history this morning, working on Rose Lawn and finishing it by lunchtime. Had to wait a while for lunch, as we were expecting Chris from Sandy and she was disgracefully late.

This afternoon I shuffled some data files and started on the School Cottages, but was soon distracted into worrying about the Chelsea Workshop’s black Corniche convertible and the engineers report. I got a return phone call from Terry Shawe and he gave the car a relatively clean bill of health and so I then completed a telephone deal with Peter Eatenton. He would do some work at an agreed purchase price, but I had to get 1/3rd deposit there to reserve the car. I sent a letter and £9000 cheque by TNT messenger to arrive tomorrow morning. This evening I heard from the SDP/Alliance candidate from Eynesbury, who seemed to be canvassing my support for the Owenite wing of the SDP. I explained my position as an Independent, who would decide on allegiance after being elected. Later I phoned Mr Mills, the Rayleigh & Reliant Club librarian who lives in Sandy, and asked about early Reliant van information. I shall pop in next Saturday and try to see him then, with my photocopier! Time left for only my journal and then the TV news. The main news today on the home front is of an RUC denial that they were behind the removal of Stalker from the ‘shoot-to-kill’ enquiry, but he still maintains that they did. Overseas, the headlines were of the South African troops crushing a coup in the ‘nominally’ independent homeland (of Bophuthatswana). The President, Lucas Mangope, was thrown out of office because of alleged corruption, by civil forces, but these in turn were overpowered by South Africa. This, despite their longstanding claim that the territory was an independent sovereign state. The Appeal Court found against the government and refused to apply a permanent injunction on newspaper extracts from Spycatcher. But still temporary injunctions remain, because the government is now appealing to the House of Lords. Vauxhall workers left assembly lines to join widespread demonstrations in North West England in support of more funding for the NHS. A group of Birmingham consultants have claimed that 3 people have died unnecessarily due to lack of money for chemotherapy treatment.