Debbie learns to ride her bike and Daniel and friends enjoy Little Paxton School fete before my parents arrive with tales of their visit to Freda’s all as one of the TWA hostages is killed to pressure Israel to release Arab prisoners
Awake on a sunny morning to my morning tea, having been aroused earlier at dawn by the light and chorus. The paper at length and then breakfast in bed of toast, honey and fruit juice. ‘Yesterday in Parliament’ as I washed, shaved and dressed with the conservatives under pressure again. Out to the ducks, who lay better today on the new straw, and to the doves, who are no longer nesting. Some time dismantling a few more segments of fence, as Debbie ‘helped’ and then turned to her bike and riding it on our new softer lawn. To our surprise she managed it at last and so today is the day she learned to ride her bicycle! Quickly in then to the TV and the third day of the cricket match. England fight back and opening batsmen, Robinson, continues on. The girls drive on to St Neots to collect Daniel as I continue to watch, but they pick me up on the way to the Little Chef for lunch. The café was crowded and the service slow, but the food was all right and we enjoyed it. On afterwards to Little Paxton School fete and I stayed long enough to sponsor Daniel and his friends to play in a number of throwing and jousting games and then back home to leave the rest of the family to enjoy themselves.
I continue to watch the cricket and see Ian Botham bat his way to a 60 in record style before playing on. Later my parents arrive for a visit and we show them around our new house and gardens before sitting down to a fine tea of toasted tea cakes, sausage rolls, strawberries, cream and two types of cake. We all enjoyed it and my parents had a further chance to see the river and the house before playing with the children and then preparing to go. Mother was mobile again after a period laid up with muscular pains – I think they found the recent visit to my sister in Bude a bit traumatic. Dad was certainly disappointed with their progress there with the house, and the stairs to the toilet were a bit wearing. A late evening watching a Godfather film at the end of a long day. News today of the killing of one of the hostages on the TWA aircraft and the kidnappers issue a new ultimatum unless the Arabs held in Israel are released. The England test batsmen close the day 150 runs ahead of the Australians, with another wicket in hand.