With Christmas stock unsold, no clearance sale in progress not stock take planned, these were worrying signs.
With Christmas stock unsold, no clearance sale in progress not stock take planned, these were worrying signs.

After a nice friend breakfast and taking Debbie riding in Staughton, I took Diana and Della to the St James Church family church service and then, collecting Debbie, we set off for Redgrave where we not only met Freda and Alf Butterfield and Chris, but also Mum and Ivy, Arthur and Keith Barrett who were also visiting and we exchanged presents. With Christmas stock unsold, no clearance sale in progress not stock take planned, these were worrying signs.

Then to Bar Hill to visit Di’s family where we left Debbie and Della to stay for a couple of days with Mr and Mrs Jackson. No progress being made between the USA and Iraq over Gulf talks and now the EEC nations are suggesting talks involving them to try and break the deadlock and give the peace process a chance of success.

In contrast with recent days, today was one of constant activity, which left me very tired as a result. It started with a nice fried breakfast after which I drove out to take Debbie to her horse-riding at Staughton. I then stopped off in St Neots to get the car washed by machine, after which I filled up with petrol and pumped up the tyres ready for our journey later. Home to tend the doves and fish etc and a brief respite for coffee after which it was time to load up the Range Rover and then take Diana and Della to the St James Church family church service. We had not been for some time due to health, holidays and other commitments but the attendance was a bit thin today and so our presence was very welcome. We set off to get Debbie straight from the church and then drove on towards Redgrave, stopping for lunch at a Happy Eater on the way. At Redgrave we not only met Freda and Alf Butterfield and Chris, but also Mum and Ivy, Arthur and Keith Barrett who were also visiting and so it was quite a gathering.

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We exchanged presents and had another chance to have a good look around in daylight so as to see the results of all of the building work and improvements that they had done since taking over. The shop had a lot of stock in it, with quite a bit of Christmas Fayre which I would have liked to have seen in a sale. They have still not thought about any half-year accounts and will not be doing a stock-take on New Year's Day which is worrying. At least they are all well and the custom for the shop seems very good even in these very hard times. We stayed there for a couple of hours and left at 5.00pm for the journey to Bar Hill, Cambridge, where we left Debbie and Della to stay for a couple of days with Mr and Mrs Jackson.  Home for the evening and another session in the lounge, this time watching the news video for 1968, the year of our marriage, where we saw again how much things had changed. I also managed to complete the press cuttings from the local newspapers so that they are now completely up to date. The news this last few days is of no progress being made between the USA and Iraq over agreeing early dates for talks on the Gulf. Now the EEC nations are suggesting talks involving them to try and break the deadlock and give the peace process a chance of success.