Eventful day as Indira Gandhi is murdered by her own Sikh body guards and the NCB is rife with divisions of view but I took Daniel to a boat show during the day and then, with his girlfriend Christine, to the Kimbolton Firework display in the evening
An earlier start to the day, breakfast as usual and then a mild panic to get ready so that Daniel and I could set off for our day out to the Boat Show. We are too late for the 8.02am train from St Neots, and also the 8.40am from Huntingdon, but hurry down to Stevenage for the 9.06am train which whisks us to Finsbury Park by 9.30am. By tube to Waterloo and we just catch a train to Esher, piling into a first class carriage by mistake. A courtesy coach from Esher Station drops us off at the Marina Equipment Trade Show, and I am struck by the poor attendance and lack of visitors, exhibitors and press on this day. We only spend the rest of the morning at this show centre at Epsom Racecourse, looking at boat heating systems, dinghies and fittings. There are no large boats to look at and we feel a bit out of place. Back by courtesy bus and train to Waterloo and a nice burger lunch which finds favour with Daniel. He is also intrigued by the large station concourse and interested in the new WH Smith computer store that had just opened there. Home by mid-afternoon and to relax before tea. This evening I took Daniel, Debbie and (by invitation) Daniel’s girlfriend, Christine, to Kimbolton school firework display. A good effort with plenty of bangs and lighted canopies featuring, at one point, two battleships firing at one another before culminating in a cascade of colour and noise. We find out that Christine is from San Bernadino, near San Diego, California and is the daughter of the fat lady that takes keep fit classes with Diana.
All home to a late night and Christine home by 9.05pm and Deborah fast asleep. News today of the death by assassination of Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, in an attack by two of her own sikh body guards. Her 40 year old son, Rajir Gandhi, takes over and is sworn in late tonight and calls for calm in a country racked by horror and distress over this killing. The Sikhs have had a history of conflict with the Hindus and had been particularly outraged by the military occupation of their holy shrine, The Golden Temple of Amritsar in June. In England, the pit peace talks fail with no progress and now the NCB is rife with rumours of disagreements between Ian McGregor and his board and middle management. Public Relations Director, Geoffrey Kirk, is sent on indefinite leave. OPEC agree individual quotas but will not be able to get price reductions cancelled from Britain, Nigeria and Holland. The weather continues cool by night and sunny and warm by day.