Busy day working at home as the murder takes place in Bombay of the new Deputy High Commissioner, Percy Norris, after he and his wife entertained the England Cricket Team last night as his first social dinner in Bombay
A poorer night. First I felt hot and turned back the eiderdown and then the wind got up in the night and I woke up freezing! Di brought me a cup of tea and the paper, which upset Debbie who wanted to do it – but later! Soon up for breakfast of cereal as Di had run out of toast, then quickly to wash and shave so as to get out and check the pigeons. Up the ladder and to replenish their seed and clean their container. Still only five in evidence as the Blue seemed lost for ever. I let out the ducks early as I was dressed for it and noticed that the river is still well up, but below the highest with the ducks accessible. To the office to take note of the latest de Zoete and Bevan statements and reconcile my bank account. Also to reply to a few items of sundry mail and check out the computer. I ascertain that the problems I had last night had developed into a computer hardware fault and I confirm this with a call to Comart which cuts short my work. I therefore play with the Prestel enquiry service, scanning the financial advice ahead of telecom and checking my Homelink account status.
Before 11.00am I pack up and go back to Willow Close to collect Diana for a trip out. First to St Neots and to draw out sums of money from The Abbey National and Gateway building societies and put it into Barclays Bank. I also checked to see that the £105,000 de Zoete and Bevan cheque had not been cleared and, with £77,000 coming back from Treasury Deposit, I am now high and dry. Onward to Eaton Socon where I drop off my keyboard casualty to the Comart Service Dept., then on to Bedford seeing the flooded countryside on the way. We park in the multi-storey car park and go straight to a small dining area for lunch. Tomato soup each and, for me, a toasted seafood sandwich to follow. The service was slow but friendly and the hygiene poor, but we enjoyed it. Shopping after in Marks and Spencer for food, then to get presents in Boots and W H Smiths. Back to St Neots in time for a 2.00pm doctor’s appointment for Daniella’s second inoculation against diphtheria, tetanus, polio and whooping cough. Home to find my Blue barred pigeon returned as a surprise to us all. I replenished their food and brought the office Wanderer telephone home for any calls. Then to write to my pigeon breeder and work with Daniel on his prep when he came home. Tea of a fine dover sole, grilled with broccoli and Brussel sprouts and then an evening inside reading, writing and watching television. News today (first heard on this morning’s radio) of the murder in Bombay of the new Deputy High Commissioner, Percy Norris. Aged 56 and due to retire after this last appointment, Mr Norris and his wife entertained the England Cricket Team last night as his first social dinner in Bombay. The team, whose schedule had been four times changed in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination, are shocked, but pledged to carry on. It seems some ‘Socialist Hindi’ extremists have claimed responsibility. In the North Sea, the drilling rig, ‘Sovereign Explorer’, broke adrift from its tow in force 12 hurricane winds, but all on board seem safe. Only 350 miners returned to work today, well down on last week’s stoppage and TUC talks with the NUM resume to seek a basis for resumption of talks with the coal board. John Paul Getty IInd (son of the former recluse) donates £100,000 to a miners Christmas fund, supported by many public figures including Susannah York. Opposition politicians react to Thatcher’s Carlton Club speech of yesterday by accusing her of effrontery in claiming sole rights to defend democracy and calling her reaction to criticism as signs of mounting autocracy. So to bed.