Another day of building work and carpet fitting as I joined in again, screwing the floorboards down before taking the family for a Little Chef lunch and then a family tea later in the new dining room and evening tidying up our new bedroom. This as six black South Africans are sentenced to death for burning a Councillor and 90 Greenham Common protesters are arrested out of 3,000 who surround the base holding hands and European aviation firms are not giving up on Westland helicopters
A reasonable, but short night, and dwelt with my morning tea somewhat shattered. Late down to join the others for breakfast for my slice of toast and drink of apple juice and again had to intervene with the kids to save my rug. Pulling the table away from Debbie, I was unaware that she had the coffee table back to front with her legs tucked in it and so pulled her onto the floor and covered her with her orange drink. Waiting again for St Neots Carpet Company and filled in by putting more window bolts onto the breakfast room window frame. Swept up after and then received the 8 fitters, who said that the rubber layers only needed sanding down for fitting of the vinyl on Monday. Two decorators this morning putting up wallpaper and three builders on the tiling again. They also sealed and grouted the kitchen tiles, so it will only require decorating after the vinyl is laid. We stayed in all morning due to the disruption and I planned out my attack on the floor of the ironing room and drilled and screwed half of it down.
Out to the birds and to see the doves feeding well and the ducks too. One egg again, which keeps us going, but they now badly need a new layer of straw in their hutch. A coffee and rest and then off to St Neots, buying some more security bolts, drills and screws for future handiwork and ¾ lb of prawns for my tea. Di got some more curtain hooks and a lampshade for the baby’s new room (box room). We collected Daniel and then opted for the Little Chef for our Saturday lunch, it being nearer. Home after and I stayed in to continue my work on the ironing room floor, whilst Di took the children to Kimbolton School fair. Evidently, they managed to get lots of cheap, second hand books and things as Christmas presents for their friends. When they arrived home at 4.00, the decorators were still paper hanging and they eventually went off at 4.30pm, leaving a right mess for Daniel and I to clear up. This we did, eventually coming in to join the girls for tea at 5.00pm in the dining room. A nice meal it was too. After, to move across the baby’s things to the box room, whilst Di bathed her and then put her in. Poor Della took some time to get used to both the new room and the cot and cried most of the evening. We then moved our bedroom things across to the guest room, where we will now sleep until the far side is renovated and altered in the New Year. Most of the evening putting my things away and sorting myself out, before relaxing my aching legs in the new lounge as I wrote up this last two days journal. Then the old lounge for the TV news. Six black South Africans are sentenced to death for burning a black councillor and killing him in a township near Johannesburg, and a journalist was shot and wounded near Portland as police tried to prevent filming of another repressive reaction to a political funeral. At Greenham Common, more than 90 demonstrators are arrested for breaking down a perimeter fence. It is the 6th anniversary of the decision to deploy cruise missiles in Europe and over 3,000 protesters festooned the base wire with Christmas decorations and linked hands around the boundary. The European aviation firms are not giving up on their rescue bit for Westland, despite the management opposition, but at least they have the support of Heseltine.