Shrove Tuesday - Morning of administration before shopping in Bedford and completion of BMMG matter and the Thormaid forestry contract with some family games and pancakes finishing the day as 148 people die in the Bilbao 747 crash as it hit a broadcasting aerial and more unrest in South Africa
Awake on another chilly morning and Diana brings the morning tea with The Financial Times. Still cold in bed after breakfast of cold toast and fruit juice, but I finish the paper before 8.30am and the bathroom by 9.00am. Out to the birds and the doves feed well as they always do in the cold. I feed and release the ducks, but only 2 eggs from 13 birds, which is as well as we did yesterday with 2 birds. To the office by 9.10am and the post had already arrived and so we are all quick off the mark this morning. I print out my letter of last night to Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran, open the mail (of little consequence) and then try Robertson without success. I press on with my correspondence, finish several letters to Cahners, NEDO and the DTI before eventually getting through to my Thurso solicitor by 10.50am and agreeing the action required. Back to the house for coffee and then off with the girls to Bedford (Daniel being still within school term). A good meal of tomato and chilli soup and fried haddock to follow at Debenhams and then an hours shopping with Di in Debenhams, W H Smith, Boots and the British Home Stores.
I slipped away to withdraw £200 from the Barclays High Street branch and then we all went back to the car to make our way home. To the office and more letters until Joan and Pete came by to witness my Scottish Forestry Management Agreement. A hectic session typing the amendments, a covering letter to Robertson, and copies for action to Barclays and for information to Whitmarsh. A final letter to Owle’s Hall and session sorting copies of BMMG correspondence to the Secretariat and Chairman before off to the post office to catch the last post. I dropped the instructions by hand to Barclays and arrived back about 5.15pm. Out to put the ducks away and bring in a pile of logs before lighting the fire. Tea of grilled trout and then all the family have pancakes, it being Shrove Tuesday today. First batter is made of flour, water, egg and a little salt. Then it is fried on one side, tossed over, and served rolled up with lemon juice and sugar coating. Early evening catching up on my journal and then a game of Scotland Yard with Mum as Mr X and Daniel and I with two detectives each. She surfaced only to be caught at the end of a bus ride! News tonight of the Irish Government seizing £1M+ of IRA money in an Irish bank account. Mrs Thatcher saw TUC General Secretary, Norman Willis, before she left for America today and no determinate outcome seemed to ensue. 148 people died on board a Spanish airliner, an Iberian Airlines 727, when it crashed near Bilbao as it hit a broadcasting aerial. Next week 200 schools will be hit by a National Union of Teachers strike in actions on 3 days of sanctions. More trouble in South Africa as five politicians from the United African Front were arrested and another riot took place at Crossroads shanty town. The weather forecast is of warmer weather on the way as weather patterns come across the Atlantic and give us a dry day tomorrow with temperatures well above zero and winds back to the south west.