Shopping and refreshments in Cambridge with Diana after Debbie returns to school and an evening helping Daniel with his school work in front of a fine log fire as the full scale of Bhopal gas disaster starts to unfold and overshadows the Salford train crash and the government’s internal disputes over student grants and local government reorganisation
Up at the normal time and a chance to read most of December 1665 Pepys journal. In India the death toll has risen to a feared 1200 people from the gas poisoning with much more affected. The worst victims are the poor people in the slums – the rich evacuated quicker than their poor and illiterate fellow citizens.Then down to a breakfast of melon, toast, honey and apple juice and up again to read The Financial Times in bed. At 8.30am I rise to wash, shave and dress whilst listening to Radio 4’s ‘Yesterday in Parliament.’ The government were under some pressure on the BT premium (which missed over £1billion of revenue), but even more from their own back benchers over local government reorganisation. Out to feed the ducks and pigeons where there was no change, except that the doves are increasingly difficult to keep off of the house roof. I am settling for ensuring that they at least roost on the dovecote. To the office for an hours work, checking out the Binatone answering machine, which has been giving trouble. I changed round the cassettes and got Diana to re-record the three outgoing messages and it now seems to work fine, but I am determined to get a newer and better one. A letter also from Eddie Bleasdale resigning his company from the BMMG, which is sad. Off then with Diana first to St Neots where I collected my statement and £100 cash from Barclays Bank, my brown suit from the cleaners and put Diana’s film in to be processed at Boots the chemist.
Then off to Cambridge, stopping on the way to fill up with petrol at one of the last stations to be charging £1.85p to the gallon. We park on the outskirts of Cambridge near Midsummer Common and walk in, stopping at The Old Copper Kettle for morning coffee, soup and bread to keep the wolves from the door. We split up to go shopping and I return my three books to the library (they have not yet found a book on fancy pigeons for me), buy some more journal folders and pads and refills for my ballpoint pen. I also look unsuccessfully for my new answering machine, deciding on a model that can allow the outgoing message to be changed remotely – but all out of stock. I rendezvous with Diana at an agreed spot and we walk back to the car before the two hours on the meter expire. We set off and stop at The Little Chef on the way back to St Neots for the remainder of our lunch – tea and ice cream for me and a waist preserver and coffee for Di. Home in time for an hour in the office before dusk, and another hour afterwards. In between, I tend the birds. I manage to reconcile my bank statement, settle a few bills and decide what funds to transfer tomorrow. Home after to tea with the family and then an evening of revision with Daniel for his exams tomorrow in physics, history and English, which is quite a strain. Debbie was back at school today, and ballet after, and her cold is much improved. News today of more pressure on the government. Tory MP’s are mounting a barrage of criticisms of Keith Joseph’s increases in student grants and are insisting on concessions. This is now two issues on which back bench MP’s are set to rebel. He has received more than 1800 letters of protest. There could even be some Conservative MP’s voting against the Autumn Statement on Thursday. Near Salford two people died in a train crash and a fire burnt out the first two carriages with heating gas oil from the freight train. 200 houses were evacuated as more fuel leaked. Scargill today addresses a rally and calls for TUC support action. They meet for three hours and are due to see the steel unions on Thursday. The battle of the Luxembourg continues. The last two nights we have been enjoying a fine log fire and we will now make a habit of it as the colder evenings come on. The winter so far has been very mild and the last few days changeable, but with some fine sunny days. The forecast, more of the same.