Family day watching ‘Ghostbusters’ with Daniel whilst my Mum Grace prepares for a Christmas heart operation at Papworth as Gorbachev visits the UKand chemical leaks are still in the news
Awake tired after yesterday’s exertions and, after my morning tea, back to sleep until breakfast. To bed after and some time laying in and reading the paper and the morning mail. Still no refund cheque for our £75,000 from de Zoete. Up eventually to wash, dress and out to feed the doves and ducks – both very hungry after missing them last night. Changed and out with Diana and the girls to St Neots for some shopping. We gave a lot of old clothes to Oxfam who were busy, but thanked us for them. Di took Debbie to the last of her Saturday ballet lessons for a few weeks, and I bought some shrimps and a fine fillet of sole for tea. Also Christmas cards for the family and food and grit for the doves at the pet shop. Then to rendezvous with Daniel and the girls in Readwells before all off to lunch at The Happy Eater. The children behaved for once and we all enjoyed the meal before returning home. Daniel checked with the Bedford cinema and established that the fad film ‘Ghost Busters’ was on and so I drove him out to see it. A fine film with catchy music, but a bit corny. Daniel thoroughly enjoyed it.
Home to a fine tea of sole grilled with butter and a trifle to follow. Di had put away the ducks at last and so I could lock up the house, close the blinds and light the log fire. It took a while to light, but then provided a warm and radiant evening for us all. I phone my Dad and Freda for the latest news on my Mum. She is in better spirits after the new-found attention and has had two more visits from her family. It seems that in recent weeks she has been more and more ill with her heart and confined to bed. The chances are that she will now spend the next two weeks (including Christmas and New Year) in hospital and have a Mitral heart valve replacement operation in conjunction with Papworth Hospital. News tonight of the first time in 28 years for a high ranking Russian official to visit the UK. Comrade Gorbachev is talking preliminaries for arms control and everyone is hoping for a new year of conciliation. In Sheffield a warehouse fire has released asbestos debris into the air and 30 schools are to be kept closed. At the Union Carbide plant in India all are awaiting tomorrow’s production and safety tests. 15 tons of Methyl Isocyanate is to be disposed of. The coal board has rebuffed the TUCs talk suggestions until the NUM capitulate. Two lorries of toys from France have arrived for striking miners – sent by French Trade Unions. The government are in more trouble over their VAT meanness on taxing the Ethiopian charity record by Bandaid. The weather, milder in a depression of low pressure, but frost forecast for tonight and fog in the morning.