A start to the day reading my investment papers and magazine and progressing my woodland purchases and then down to St Neots auction to sell our excess duck eggs and talk business to Ekins before time looking after Daniella, reading to Debbie and working on The Lady ahead of our boat trip all as the teachers reject a 5 ½ % pay rise, suicides rise in overcrowded prisons and vicious fighting continues in Beirut over the refugee camps as hundreds die and thousands are wounded
Awake groggily and my morning tea. I read a little more from my ‘History Today’ book and was then quickly on to my FT. A poor breakfast of wholemeal brown toast and apple juice and then back to finish the paper and read a few more things from my briefcase, including last week’s Economist and Investors Chronicle. Washed, shaved, showered and then out to feed the birds and let the ducks out. 12 eggs today as even the poorly duck lays an egg, which was a surprise. To the office after a grumpy exchange with Di and there to sort my papers and make and receive some phone calls. Spoke to Nicholas de Zoete about how to invest the children’s nominee cash next month and also to complain of not hearing from Causeway. No luck in talking to Fountain Forestry as they are all at a seminar, but found out that the Ekins rep was at St Neots market. Elected to take a drive into St Neots and met him there. Upped my offer for Archer’s Wood to £40,000 and still have the trust to beat. They are slow to find the funds, but are not too worried about the price. On after to Shaw’s and, after a wait, saw our duck eggs sold for 50p dozen for 5 ½ dozen. Others fetched up to 75p, but ours were hidden and rather small.
Home at 1.00 for lunch and after to check the office before returning home to babysit as Diana left for keep fit at 1.30pm. An hour and a half reading my history and antique collectors magazines; first on the balcony and then in the lounge. Daniella woke up, but did not cry so much and so I was able to leave her for Diana to change at 3.00pm. Out then to The Lady and 1 ½ hours fitting a new power cable to the central heater so as to ensure all electrical systems were fed through the ammeter. To the office to call Fountain Forestry again, but nobody there to follow up my approach on Archer’s Wood. Back home to tea at 5.00pm and then out with Daniel to load up The Lady and replace the dinghy on the davits. In to read Debbie two more Aesop’s Fables and then out to settle the boat down with a few more things as Diana stored them away. The birds fed and roosted and the baby dove seems to be growing still, but I do not think it will leave the nest whilst we are away. In late to the TV and today’s news. A campaign announced against drug trafficking as an all-party delegation of MPs returns from the United States and are appalled. They are asking for the armed forces and security forces to stem imports. The teachers reject an improved pay offer of 5 ½ % and the employers call for the matter to go to arbitration. Government inspectors have condemned the general state of school repairs as critical, with more than a fifth of lessons impeded by lack of facilities or equipment. Labour and Conservative parties rule out a pact with the Alliance if they hold the balance of power, as another poll puts the Conservatives in third place. Swansea Prison has had three suicides as youngsters are held in poor conditions with shortage of staff and economic cutbacks. Vicious fighting continues in Beirut as rival Palestinians and Moslems fight for the refugee camps Sabra and Shatila. Hundreds die and thousands are wounded. The South African government has admitted that an intelligence team is missing in Angola. Only last month they had claimed that all of their troops had withdrawn, which was a lie. Three more victims of the Bradford football fire are buried today, as a preliminary hearing of the Public Enquiry takes place. The weather forecast is for a bright day tomorrow and patchy sun and showers, with strong breezes dominating the weekend.