After a family breakfast, I got Pete work on the games lawn whilst I cleaned out the swimming pool and then took the family to lunch before printing out over 20 letters of thanks to those who helped in my campaign. Mikhail Gorbachev, points out the turmoil that his new more liberal policies are causing at all levels of Soviet society, The Ferry Dispute continues and Ms Michel Rocard, the socialist, is duly announced by re-elected Francis Mitterrand as the new Prime Minister of France
A reasonable night’s sleep, but I still do not get really refreshed due to my ribs raising me from my deepest sleep. Awake quite early and managed to have my shower, shave and dress before my breakfast of boiled duck egg with the others. This morning I cleared out the swimming pool and back-flushed the sand filter and then got Pete to join me to work on the games lawn. We hand weeded it of coarse grasses and then I mowed it up and across. It subsides even more in the region of the land drainage pipes that I put in and I think it will be a good number of years before I have the lawn flat and uniform. A small rest, watching the TV teletext, before it was time at midday to take Di and Della out to lunch. I drove them down to ‘Kelly’s Kitchen’ by the Black Cat roundabout, which was a change from the Happy Eater and Little Chef. Not bad, but my salad was tired and Di's chicken dish undercooked. This afternoon, I started work on the ‘thank you’ letters for my leaflet deliverers and got Di to deliver both these and the flag board displayers as well.
Tea and then, after, I set my word processor up to print out 20 letters to the most active helpers. It was good after 4 years of owning my daisy wheel printer and out-sheet-feeder to see it worked in the way in which it was designed. After 9.00pm, tired and weary, I watched some TV and news before going to bed. Main news story is of frank remarks by Mikhail Gorbachev, the USS Premier, who points out the turmoil that his new more liberal policies are causing at all levels of Soviet society. The ferries dispute drags on with P&O snubbing the NUS call for talks. Lorry drivers continue to block the loading ramps at Dover and Calais, Russell Harty’s health is deteriorating again and the outlook looks black. US President Reagan and his wife Nancy are upset by former aide Regon’s disclosures that Nancy’s friend, the astrologist, actually ran their life and probably the US Government to boot. Ms Michel Richard, the socialist, is duly announced by re-elected Francis Mitterrand as the new Prime Minister of France, as the right-wing parties are too disunited to agree a candidate to unite behind. Zola Budd has decided to give up international athletics, due to nervous strain, and has returned home to South Africa.