Shopping in Oxford Street, Selfridges and Hamleys before taking a Thames trip boat from Westminster to Kew and back before finding messages from Paddy Ashdown and Computer Weekly and returning calls as fears of a dock strike recede
A hot night and early awakening and, after an irritable time getting washed, dressed and ready, down to breakfast for a nice meal. A walk together along Oxford Street, spending our gift voucher in Selfridges and buying a new cordless telephone to allow me to take calls on the boat. Then on to Hamleys where I buy a full sized croquet set and order its delivery home in 2/3 weeks. By taxi to Westminster Pier and, gathering up some sandwiches and drinks from a nearby sandwich bar, off by boat, ‘The King,’ up river to Kew Pier. On the way we passed many famous sites and the helmsman gave us a splendid commentary.
At Kew we walked to Kew Gardens and, in the hour or so we had, we saw the Palace, the grounds near to the main gate and relaxed in the shade on a hot summer’s afternoon. Home by boat again, with Deborah making good friends with two ladies from Greece as the weather cooled. Back to the hotel by taxi and I take the children out to a McDonalds tea and bring back Diana some to eat after she had finished feeding the baby. I posted a card to Freda in Holsworthy and hope she receives it in time for our arrival. When I checked the telephone answering system today I returned calls to Paddy Ashdown, MP and Mary Fagen, Computer Editor of Electronics Weekly. Both are interested in the IBM/BT licence application and my opposition to it and we agree to meet in the future. News today of Len Murray, as TUC General Secretary, asking the NUM whether the TUC can assist in resolving the coal mining dispute. Fears of a dock strike recede partly, but the Ravenscraig situation is hotting up. The PM rejects any enquiry into the Noraid shooting in Northern Ireland.