Trip down ‘memory lane’ to Tottenham, where I lived until the age of 10 as Iranian soldiers end the plane hijack disguised as cleaners and Union Carbide make a hopelessly-inadequate compensation offer for the Bhopal victims
Awake, still miserable from cold and a little time to read The Sunday Times before called down to a breakfast of toast and honey. Up again for a brief chance to scan the headlines and then to get washed, shaved and dressed and out to release the ducks and feed the pigeons. We load up the car and set off for London and Diana’s brother’s house in South Tottenham. A bright, sunny day, with the low sun slanting in through the car, which is rather uncomfortable. It soon melts the frost, which was only slight anyway. We drive into Bruce Grove, Tottenham, and I show the family Bruce Grove School in Sperling Road where I was for my first school years to the age of 10. My maths and form teacher, Mr Brooks, left me in a good state of ability before I slipped backwards in Essex. Then via Loy’s Road, where the old pre-fabs used to be, up Steele Hill to Napier Road. I told Daniel how I used to attach two roller skates to a plank and scooted down the hill like a toboggan. We passed the Napier Road shops, the old oil shop still selling household goods, the bakery where the Aldriches used to be (still making bread).
The drapers, Mrs Leaper’s, on the corner is converted back to a house, but my old house, No.60, and most of the neighbourhood is unchanged. Then along The Avenue to Lordship Recreation Ground and over to Downhills. The two parks are little changed. The ‘Rec’ is still open with playing fields and the boating lake still exists where I used to catch Daphnea for the odd goldfish that we had. Downhills still has the mature trees, which are mostly oaks and not attacked by the Dutch Elm disease. Getting late, we hurry along to Chas and Chris’s house and the other relatives are already there. A while drinking sherry and then we all set off by car to our lunchtime restaurant in Woodford. Chas took us around the houses and we were half an hour late, but the table was still ours. A fair meal, the inn crowded and unbearably stuffy, but all enjoyed it. Back to Lockmead Road for a coffee and conversation before setting off home in the failing light. On getting back, on another bright and cold night, I quickly lit the fire and went out to try to feed the ducks, but they were nowhere near. Then to settle down in front of the fire, reading The Sunday Times and writing. News tonight of the end of the Iranian hijacking after Iranian soldiers stormed the plane disguised as cleaners. The freed Britons tell of the scenes that took place during the highjack, but only two, not six, people were murdered by the terrorists. Union Carbide offer $1M to the relief fund and Warren Anderson, the Chairman, has now left the country on bail. Nobody knows the eventual outcome to the thousands blinded and partially blinded. European eye surgeons are on the way. Some big shops are open today in a breakdown of the Sunday trading law. They are anticipating a change in the law. The CND are claiming harassment and observation by security forces with mail opened and telephones tapped.