More time on The Lady on a milder but very wet day which threatened my baby dove chick and led to me spending time at St Ives antique auction and inside whilst Daniel got his act together, Francis Pym bravely speaks out against Thatcherism at the Oxford Union and Tamil guerrillas kill 100 Buddhists in Anuradhapura
Awake rather wearily to my morning tea and then I roll over and go back to sleep before sitting up to read the paper. Breakfast of boiled egg and then washed, dressed and out to the birds. 12 eggs today and the white baby dove feathering out nicely. Off then by Diana’s estate car to Ekins antique auction at St Ives and to arrive in time for a half hour of viewing before the auction started. Then to bid a range of lots and ended up with some old photos and prints of the Great Ouse for a rather expensive £110, the stripped pine window seat for £65, a Persian rug for The Lady’s saloon for £25, a Victorian bergere baby chair in need of attention for £45 and a brass pocket compass for £5. I also got my stuffed heron for £55 after a little competition! A long day punctuated by several cups of tea and snacks and a lunch of Kentucky burger and apple pie. Time also for a visit to L H Jones and to find a pair of sectional oars to replace those I lost in the dinghy accident, which is good.
Home eventually by 5.00pm and, after checking for messages and showing my purchases to the family, tea of shepherds pie and broccoli, with ice cream to follow. Out then to put the rug in the boat and, getting the tools, then to repair Daniel’s bicycle – a screw had fallen out today on his way home. Rolly Dear then arrived with the window seat delivery and Daniel helps me put it up in the eaves of the garage for safekeeping. A long session with Daniel after, helping him with his English, maths and history prep, and then around the house putting up picture hooks and rebalancing the house pictures to accommodate the new acquisitions. As darkness falls on a milder, but very wet day, I feed and put away the ducks and then see that neither of the two adult doves are tending the chick. The white Qualmond hen has been flying round with the blue male and, having got wet, seemed reluctant to stay with the chick. Up by ladder and I catch the hen and put it in the nest box anyway! I hope it is all right tonight. In to catch up on my diary, watch the TV news and the ‘Miami Vice’ crime film. News today of the Bradford fire judge visiting the ground and of a vote by the council to give £100,000 towards a benefit fund set up by the Lord Mayor. They hope to raise £2M. The NUM miners executive recommends the dismissal of the Nottinghamshire local official and this seems certain to herald a new row within the union. Mr Francis Pym, speaking at the Oxford Union today, judged that Britain was the poorer for Thatcher’s policies and accused the government of insulting the nation’s intelligence with its slogans. In Vienna, US Secretary of State, Shultz, meets his USSR opposite number, Gromyko, for six hours, but progress is difficult. In Sri Lanka, Tamil guerrillas kill 100 by opening fire in the sacred Buddhist city of Anuradhapura. Warmer, but dull weather forecast for the next few days.