Rainy morning catching up on reading and then by train for a frustrating afternoon’s DTI/LAN meeting in Victoria before I leave early to get home for tea and to spend an evening with ducks and doves as the Tory government’s cuts on health and housing are announced and tension rises in Nicaragua and the Punjab
A small lay in this morning after breakfast, reading The Financial Times and catching up on two days’ events. Then up and dressed in jeans to tackle the dove house, but because of the torrential rain, I spent an hour at the office reading today’s computer journals and reconciling my bank account statement. Then, as the rain stopped, I put up a ladder and checked the doves. A disturbing situation; the doves were soaking wet with skin showing through and the feeding shelf awash with rain and droppings and food, water and grit dirty. The twits are too stupid to go in the dove cote out of the rain and so I prod and push them into the cubby holes and then clean up the shelf and replenish their food grains and drink. By this time I was late, but I still changed into a business suit and set off for St Neots to withdraw £22,000 from the Abbey National and pay it into my bank account to cover my stock applications (we had been informed by post today that all £100,000 of our applications had been accepted and now we have to find the money!) Then off by fast car down the A1 to Stevenage railway station and just in time to catch the 1.06pm train to London; and the tube to Victoria for our final DTI/LAN meeting at 2.15pm. A frustrating meeting dominated by technicalities and Nigel arriving late, I left early to catch the 4.25pm train back to Stevenage and by car home by 5.30pm in time for tea.
Pleased to see the doves are dry and preened and one still in the dove cote, but I couldn’t bring the ducks home tonight. News today of final cabinet agreement on spending cuts, but with the result that utility charges are rising together with prescription charges and cuts in overseas aid. The housing budget is also cut by £65M with improvement grants the casualty. Economies in health service drugs are to be enforced to remove brand named drugs – so Valium and Librium will no longer be available – and this draws instant criticism from the BMA. British Leyland fail to get a high court injunction against the Electrician’s Union deciding the strike was discussed by union leaders and was unofficial. Tension is still rising in Nicaragua with mutual accusations of intent. One Soviet fighter is unloading as US planes overfly for reconnaissance. In India, Sikh celebrations on their founder’s day take place normally in increased security and these persecuted people compare notes as they visit the Golden Temple at Amritsar. News has been suppressed in the Punjab with newspaper censorship.