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Some work on The Lady after a slower start today and then the Afternoon and evening on our front lawn on a cooler and more comfortable day as I spend time on a BMMG press release to steady the ship and the UN call for South African sanctions as over 1,000 have been detained without trial and a military coup overthrows Uganda president Milton Obote and, at last, Ian McGregor complains of government intervention in the NCB
A good night’s sleep, but Diana leaves us to lie in and both Daniel and I emerge at the same time to see what had happened to our morning tea. Breakfast of boiled duck egg, which we enjoyed, and then I spend a long time reading today’s papers and mail which takes me to after 10.30am. Up, then, and out to the birds – five duck eggs today – and no dove eggs yet. Perhaps they have been discouraged by the starvation of their last pair of chicks. Down to The Lady and I start to adjust the curtain rails to fit the existing curtains. I break off at 11.30am, collect the family and we all go off to the Little Paxton Little Chef for lunch. We let Daniel go off to play again after (having been kept in yesterday) and I spend all afternoon finishing off the vessel’s curtain rails. The upholsterers measured to the dimensions of the old curtains rather than the rails and, though they had to take several away for alteration, each of the others needed adjusting.
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A better day for Della means that her doctor’s appointment is cancelled and Debbie’s chance to be in charge for the day is ruined when Daniel refuses to play ball but I do not find much of practicable interest at Peacock’s auctions as Thatcher stubbornly opposes South African sanctions and Uganda is plunged into civil war and Ian Botham is scoring sixes and breaking cricketing records in equal measure
A better night’s sleep for all and, though improved, Daniella wakes up still the worse for wear. Deborah prepares the breakfast and calls us all down and is appointed in charge, bossing us all about and making me wash, shave and dress before reading the paper. Unfortunately, as Daniel resists this new found authority, their loud arguments threaten to wake the baby who has returned to bed and Diana brings a dramatic end to the experiment. This brings to mind Daniel’s rudeness and intolerance of yesterday and we decide to ban him playing today and also from using his computer, which comes hard. I resume my work for time, after tending the birds, and look after Deborah as Di goes to the shops. All together for coffee break as the first of the builders visit to check out the circumstances prior to tender. After, I decide to take them all to Bedford for a McDonalds lunch and half an hour to look round Bedford. I make for Peacocks auction room and find no furniture of interest, but do see a London builders hand cart and also a large river launch – both of antique interest.
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My parents visit on a busy day after a troubled night with Daniella being hot and loose and we watch videos of our visit to Freda and Creation of the Hayling View and then sit out on a hot evening as Thatcher smarts from her party’s rebellion on Top People’s pay and rejects the Duke of Edinburgh’s report on housing finance
Awake to my morning tea after hearing various sounds in the night. The baby had kept Diana up for all of it, bar an hour, and both were exhausted this morning with Della running a temperature and suffering diarrhoea. Breakfast of cereal, top of the milk and fruit juice and then a little reading before having to break off at 8.30am for a wash. As I did, I listened to ‘Yesterday in Parliament’ on the BBC Radio 4 and heard of the close call for the government in the early hours of yesterday morning. They retained a majority of only 18 over the vote on the top peoples pay award and may well have been defeated if the Labour Party whips had mastered its vote. Over 50 Conservative back benchers voted against a grey-faced Thatcher and as many more abstained. Out to the birds. The doves seem more frisky with lots of billing and cooing and will soon be nesting again now that I have cleared out the dovecote. The ducks were hungry, but managed only 4 eggs – although that is twice yesterday’s total.
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Return home to boiled duck eggs for breakfast, cleaning jobs for ducks and doves, and many industry phone calls and negotiations to try and broker a LAN compromise before more press interviews and an evening BBQ for Daniel and his friends as the Popplewell Enquiry proposes draconian restrictions for football spectators and the Anti-apartheid demonstrations in South Africa escalate
A better night’s sleep and, when Diana woke me with my morning tea, my headache had completely gone. Diana’s also improved today after a poor start. The morning paper followed by a boiled duck egg, which we were all pleased to get again after the holiday. As I washed and dressed, I insisted that the children tidy their rooms and then play outside to give Joan a proper chance to tidy and clean the house. Out then (with my office cordless telephone in case of calls) to tend the birds. The doves feed well, but the ducks had only laid two eggs, which reinforced the need to change their bedding urgently, as they will only tolerate so much and no more. To the office where I find that there had been one call from the MD of STC Network Services and so I find my BMMG/DTI LAN files and start to refresh my memory on our proposals. I then called Bill Unsworth to discuss tactics and report on my conversation with Geoff Knight of the DTI and Rob Wilmott yesterday and then do the same with Chris Shelton, who is sending me a new proposal. Unfortunately, Chris does not seem to be taking (or wanting to take) the point about plumping for an existing LAN technology and so I asked him to phone both Geoff Knight and Bill Unsworth to convince them of his proposals. It seems the earliest opportunity for a LAN participants is September. For my part, I undertook to try to get ICL and ACT to send delegates. Before lunch I managed to get hold of the STC Network MD, who briefed me further on the VAN licence consultations. I also raised with him as a quid pro quo the BMMG LAN meeting and he promised to attend or send a colleague and so we shall cooperate to try to avoid IBM monopolies.