Returning to our routine with the children back to school on a warm and still day. much of which was spent writing and consulting upon my speech for the Financial Times conference before an evening spent with the family and watering the gardens as the Handworth unrest continues with the discovery of the bodies of the postmaster and his brother and Thatcher visits Newscastle after comments about ‘moaning minnies’ in response to the unemployment hardship. ‘Homeland’ Blacks in South Africa are getting some land reforms but they want Nelson Mandela released who is now suffering from prostate and liver/kidney complaints.
A good night for once and awake to both my morning tea and paper. Now that the children are back at school, the paperboy comes early again. A good chance to read the headlines before down to a breakfast of cereal – Debbie had laid the table and chosen the dishes for us all! Up again to finish my paper afterwards and I tuned into the radio at 9.00am to get the latest information on the Handsworth riots. It seems that there was more trouble late last night, with nearly a hundred youths arrested and 15 police injured as they broke up gathering crowds of coloured youths that had massed for another attack. Interesting to see in the paper how the pound has lost quite a few cents against the dollar in recent days. It is now about $1.30 again, which gives British manufacturers some chance of overseas sales and earnings, which is a blessed relief. Up at 9.20am and quickly showered, shaved and dressed. I washed my hair under the shower to further save time before quickly dressing and getting my cordless telephone from the office.
A beautiful, balmy and warm, still day today. Misty to begin, but warm and pleasant, which makes it a joy to live by the river and a consolation to live through the blustery, wet weather to really appreciate it. If we could depend upon weeks of hot sunny weather, Britain would not be the cool green oasis that it is. Out to the doves and, as I feed them, the first of several calls came in on my cordless telephone. Both Bill Unsworth and John Marshall called and were helpful in terms of the input they gave me on my FT speech – Selling and Marketing the Microcomputer. Back out to feed the ducks, but a very poor single duck egg to show for it! Time to lay another smoke bomb for the lone mole that is still bothering us, before a pleasant chance to sit out and enjoy our morning coffee in the sun and warmth. A day at home, working on my speech and discussing the content with others. I get through to the FT conference in the end and discussed my reservations on the computerland topic and alerted them to the dangers. By the end of the afternoon I had finished the speech and will shortly be ready both to write a synopsis of it and complete the detail. At 5.00pm, Daniel arrived from a good day at school and reported that pens, instruments and case were all working well. I put out our tea on the lawn and we ate and chatted pleasantly enough and then we covered his new exercise books. Unfortunately, Jason Chambers was pestering and was swapping a £10 note with Daniel that upset us. A quiet evening watering the garden and enjoying my outside chores in this beautiful weather and setting. News tonight that the two Handsworth bodies were the Postmaster and his brother. They had died from smoke, not beating as first thought. Trouble outside the local magistrates court today with scuffles and more arrests. No trouble yet reported tonight, but it is still early yet. Last night the riot police were there in full force, but their presence is more discreet tonight. The police are still receiving criticism both on their slowness of the response to the riot, taking two to three hours, and also by the black population by provoking the riots by insensitive policing in pursuit of drug pushers in the ghetto. Tomorrow’s Cabinet will be briefed by the new Home Minister, Douglas Hurd, but I doubt they will recognise unemployment as the true cause. Thatcher assailed inhabitants of Newcastle today in her first visit there to “stop being moaning minnies,” which will not help. In South Africa, President Botha is giving back South African citizenship to the 5 million ‘Homeland’ blacks, but only the release and negotiation with Nelson Mandela will satisfy his critics. He seems in much better health and of less worry to his visiting wife. * There is more trouble as a plain clothed policeman in a funeral procession shoots dead a man which reveals his presence and is then kicked and hacked to death. The SDP conference finishes with a 50 minutes masterpiece of a speech as the best SDP conference there has been with David Owen well in control. The weather forecast is for another fine and warm day tomorrow, but colder breezes will spread to us by late tomorrow night. *As a late item on Nelson Mandela, it is now reported that he has an enlarged prostate gland and cysts on his liver and kidney and, at 67, needs surgery. After 21 years in jail, his family want him examined by his own doctor.