Warm but windy day at the start of better weather finding a newly-hatched dove and walking to Paxton Pits before and after a trip to Cambridge for a Wimpy lunch and a Copper kettle afternoon tea. News of our contract exchange for acquiring next door as more domestic industrial unrest distracts the country from the appalling circumstances of the unjustified aftermath of the South African demonstrator killings

Groggily awake and then the morning paper with tea until breakfast. Washed, dressed and out to the doves to feed them on a mild, but windy, morning. I used the ladder to check on the dovecote and, surprise, surprise, one of the eggs has hatched and formed a tiny squab. Then the ducks and only 9 eggs this morning, but the litter is very soiled, which always puts them off. To the office to collect my mail and then all off together to Cambridge for a day’s shopping. Diana dropped off Daniel and I to deposit Daniel’s microcomputer for repair and then parked the car. Daniel then spent time in W H Smith and Dixons, whilst I read my computer papers and sit in the town square. All together for lunch at the Wimpy, then Daniel and I went to the church tower for a panoramic view of Cambridge. After to Jean Pain to search for old prints of the Grey Heron and eventually found three. Then to browse through other galleries, but nothing of interest. All together again at The Copper Kettle for afternoon tea and then off home to St Neots. A quiet late afternoon and early evening and walk to the Gravel Pits and back, as the wind hurried the black clouds across the sky. A call this afternoon from Vinters and it seems that we are trying for a Thursday exchange of contracts on the purchase of 7 Willow Close, so that the Kimbers can secure their house purchase.

News tonight of much ado about Thatcher’s involvement in plans to curtail football hooliganism, which is surely a gimmick, but the story will run for a while. In London, Mount Pleasant sorting office is out on strike by unofficial action over a dispute in working an OCR letter sorting machine. In South Africa the police officer leading the shooting of the 17 demonstrators admits that no petrol bombs were thrown, only one missile thrown, and the leading demonstrator was not carrying a brick – all in contradiction of the S. African government’s story. The weather today was the warmest this year, but the gale-force winds obscured it. The forecast is for high wind tonight, but a bright day tomorrow, with more moderate winds and even warmer weather forecast for the middle of the week.