Diana is a little better and the domestic situation settles down and so I take a little time off housekeeping Daniel to Cambridge to buy a new Jaguar as the Mortgage Rate rises from 10 ¼ % to 12 ½ %and the Docks talks break down and Maxwell takes over the Mirror Group
Up for the normal morning routine except today Daniel had started his holiday and was able to help me to get Deborah to school. Diana is much better today with her breast inflammation reduced, but the lump remains and so she took dehydration tablets morning and night. Blessedly her breast milk supplies remain intact, although she still has to use the pump on one of them as it is too painful otherwise. Anyway our desperation is improving, Diana is eating well and Daniella only needs a little bottle milk at night. I use the improved situation to go off with Daniel for a few hours to Cambridge. We look at the Jaguar cars at Marshalls in Cherry Hinton Road and take a 4.24ltr Sovereign for a test drive. I pay £1000 deposit and order one in British Racing Green, registration A66 VEG, which should be ready on Tuesday.
The Sales Manager takes a great deal of trouble showing us each car he has, discussing the builds and explaining the controls. He also gives Daniel a book on the history of the Jaguar. It is good to see the continuance of the principles of good service and a shame that it is only at the upper end of the spectrum that it can be experienced. Off to the Wimpy Bar for a hamburger lunch and then a short look in the Cambridge Computer Store before home via the cattle grid shop for a few bits of shopping. We arrived just in time to collect Deborah from school with relief that I now have 2 days of easier morning arrangements without preparing the children for school. I prepare a tea of salad and spend the early evening washing up and helping Diana.
News tonight of the breakdown in the dock talks and a new threat to stop Dover with probable interruptions to holiday ferry traffic. The Home Secretary, Leon Brittan, speaks out in condemnation of the miners leaders whilst Arthur Scargill addresses a jubilant crowd of 5000 in Manchester, encouraged by the Governments economic difficulty. The mortgage interest rates are increased today by the building societies from 10 ¼ % to 12 ½ %, the largest single rise in memory. Although the cost of living is holding steady at just over 5% it is now expected to rise again. The pound sterling recovered a cent and a half against the dollar. Robert Maxwell succeeded today in taking control of the Mirror Newspaper Group and spent his first day briefing the press and meeting his executives.
In sport Zola Budd set a new world record in the 2000m women’s event and England’s bowlers enabled the test cricket team to stay in the running against the West Indies. The rapist has struck again in Leyton Buzzard, tying up and sexually assaulting two young men and then forcing them to watch whilst he raped an 18 year old sister and girlfriend of theirs.