The builders arrived this morning to knock through the lounge wall into the conservatory and provide a new opening and fit the piping and soak away so that the ditch could be filled in. Diana was kept busy with the girls’ ballet lessons and Debbie’s orchestra and Daniel was a problem as he was rejecting his new leather briefcase is not being ‘cool’. More work on my history book today before I heard the shocking news of a chemical spell in Priory Park, St Neots with the neighbourhood being evacuated. The state opening of Parliament has accompanied by the announcement of a series of controversial and extreme measures by Thatcher’s government including ID cards for football supporters.
A rather restless night with the weather cold and a bit unsettling. Needed all of my willpower to get up, showered and shaved and, even then, I was 15 minutes late for breakfast. After this, I awaited the arrival of the builders and took the opportunity of laying my sheets of plywood carefully over the underfloor heating pipes of the conservatory which are still exposed and vulnerable. I had just finished when the three men arrived. Discuss the rest of the job with them and then left them to remove the lounge window and knock out the bricks below form an opening into the conservatory. By the end of the day, I had done this and inserted new bricks to form a neat edge and also finished off the soak away and piping so as to be able to fill in the hole and trench that we have had to suffer this last three weeks. Diana was rushing here and there again, after the girls with their ballet lessons and orchestra for Debbie.
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Daniel caused trouble by refusing to take his leather briefcase to school today (it is not cool!) And Diana has now applied sanctions of no electrical equipment to be allowed in his room which is a killer as the TV is out of action due to the lounge alterations. I worked on my History Book today, editing my Introductory and Prehistoric Sections. This afternoon and evening, the news was full of details of a shocking spillage of chemicals by a Priory Park, St Neots, chemical works. Several were taken to hospital, Holmes and the police station evacuated, and all St Neots asked to stay indoors with doors and windows closed. There will be big trouble over this in the local Council Chambers. The news this evening is of today’s ‘Queen’s Speech’ at the State Opening of Parliament. In this government catalogue of intended legislation for the new Parliamentary session, there are 18 measures listed, many of which will be very controversial. Head of the list is the ‘privatisation’ of the electricity and water utilities. There are to be changes to the Prevention of Terrorism Act. There will be tough opposition for electricity and water and the opposition criticises the absence of any special ‘Green Bill’ of environmental measures. There will have to be ‘ID’ cards for football supporters, the statutory regulation of MI5, and other measures which libertarians have condemned as a reduction of liberty. There will be an end to employment legislation protecting women and the young from excessive hours or harsh conditions. David Evans, the man sought in connection with the missing schoolgirl, has been found in France and is awaiting extradition. The Piper Alpha oil fire victims’ relatives are being advised to accept the latest offer of compensation from Occidental Oil.