Working on my riverside land, cleaning the ducks out and pruning trees etc after a heavy frost followed the flooding and in slight snow later and then in to a merry romp with my children and to note the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the few thousand Auschwitz Concentration Camp survivors after four million Jews were murdered there. This harsh weather has killed climbers on both Mount Snowdon and Ben Nevis and the NCB sets out its harsh settlement terms for pit closures as Opec meets to review oil prices
A fair lay in, but Diana had set Debbie’s alarm clock for a morning children’s TV programme and she ran around waking us all up to watch it! Up to a fine breakfast as my normal Sunday treat, then up again to bed to finish reading The Sunday Times. Eventually up at 11.00am and a quick wash and shave before dressed in old clothes and out to the birds. By then the heavy frost had thawed somewhat, but it was still cold enough to chill exposed hands quickly. The dove’s water had frozen solid and after I thawed it and refilled and washed food vessel, they ate a fair quantity of seed. Two eggs from the ducks and their hutch in a fair mess and so I decide to stay out and muck it out, replacing the old straw with a quantity from our new bale. Then I empty out the old dinghy, drain the inside and stack it upside down at the top of the slipway for the rest of the winter. The river was just about landing stage depth and ideal for clearing it of mud deposited from the recent floods and so this I did as well.
Lastly, I started to prune the trees close to the summerhouse – the hawthorn and next door’s weeping willow, so that there will be no overhang during the summer to despoil our new garden furniture and barbeques. In to a lunch of rather tough roast beef and nicer chocolate cake and cream to follow, then to rest and watch a live televised cup tie between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur and to see the Spurs lose 1-0. Then out again to finish the pruning and also to retrieve some worthy logs from the abandoned river plot next door. As darkness fell I fed and put away the ducks in the new straw and then stowed the saw and ladder for another day. Our gardener will be asked to tidy up the results and cut up the branches for next season’s fuel. In to light the log fire, which took a time to start due to lack of dry kindling. Then a sit-round tea in the lounge of jam and buttered scones with the last of the chocolate cake to follow, before a merry romp with both children climbing all over me. A quieter time as the children washed and made ready for bed and I watched the Money Programme and then my favourite ‘By the Sword Divided’ where witching was the week’s pursuit. The baby Daniella starts to feed on other foods, but still favours breast milk, but she made a funny sight at tea tasting Deborah’s chocolate cream and Daniel’s raspberry yogurt. The weather this afternoon had turned to slight snow with a cold wind from the North, but it faded out before dark. News tonight of a policeman stabbed to death in Kent and two men and a woman being questioned. This is the latest of several attacks on police recently, but this plain-clothed detective was a very experienced man. Today is the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, where four million Jews were murdered. The now grown up children remembered the deaths of their relatives, but only a few thousand survived the camp. The NCB are publicising their advance requirements of a settlement – that the NUM acknowledge closure of ‘uneconomic’ pits. In Geneva the OPEC oil ministers prepare for tomorrow’s price talks, but they seem unwilling to recognise the need for a full $1 to $2 drop. Climbers are killed on Mount Snowdon and Ben Nevis in poor weather today and another cold weather gas explosion takes place. Strong winds and stormy rain are forecast for tonight.