Nostalgic return to Brighton for the weekend and the site of the Grand Hotel bomb damage overshadows the familiar sights as starvation in Ethiopia and the sequestration of NUM assets are items in the news
A slow start considering our planned departure for Brighton as I lay in bed reading The Financial Times. Breakfast of apple juice and toast and then to bathe, dress and wash my hair. Off to let the ducks out, leaving them a full trough of food to last them a day or two and then off to the office to find a good measure of post to read. Back home to find the family ready and we then load up the car and lock up the house. I choose the route to London through the city and then down the A23 and we find less traffic than we expected until, of course, the city itself. We last out for refreshment until well past London and find a Happy Eater for lunch just before the start of the M23. A good lunch and quickly to Brighton by 2.30pm. The sea front is congested as they have closed the road outside the recently bombed Grand Hotel, but soon to the Hotel Alexandria and safe in our family room on the 4th floor. A walk together along the promenade seeing Sillwood Road, the old WMCA building and Palace Pier as we take the following family video of the visit...
The children play on a variety of play equipment and rides by the defunct West Pier. Then a fresh walk home, stopping at the Hove seafront café on the way. I then leave Diana to feed and bath Daniella and I take the two children to McDonalds for their tea. On my return, and with Diana ready, we then go downstairs to a good dinner in the restaurant. News tonight of more moves via the MOD to airlift to Ethiopia. The three UK Church Leaders had urged governmental aid in logistics because the voluntary agencies had been overwhelmed. There has been a popular uprising following the BBC TV reports of starvation and the EEC is also being pressed to help. Princess Anne has also been visiting food starved peoples of Bangladesh. Norman Tebbit and his wife leave Brighton by helicopter to London for specialist attention to Mrs Tebbit’s paralysis. From Rome we hear that the Bulgarian Secret Service are linked with the abortive attempt, some time ago, to murder the Pope. Also, in Italy, over 50 more Mafia criminals have been arrested in a sweep against them and thousands of people demonstrate in popular condemnation of the Mafia. The NUM’s assets were sequestered today as they had refused to pay the £200,000 fine.