Whisky Barrels flooded out of the Long John Distillery at Westthorne
Whisky Barrels flooded out of the Long John Distillery at Westthorne

A very busy and eventful day after a diabolical night with both Debbie and Della coming in to see us ill and then to St Neots for a host of transactions and chores before a combined trip to Bickerdikes Garden Centre after a bread roll lunch and home to frame my Hayling View plan as The Mexican earthquake death toll rises to 5,000 and may reach 20,000, the US dollar is devalued and the arms control talks reach a critical stage, the French Greenpeace ‘Watergate’ rumbles on and eight inches of rain in Glasgow release thousands of empty whisky casks on to the Clyde!

A diabolical night’s sleep as firstly I had difficulty getting off and then Debbie came in twice and Daniella was sick and needed tending. A groggy start to the day in consequence but, after a breakfast of toast and fruit juice, I managed to read today’s Financial Times and also catch up on Saturday and Sunday’s papers. Then to wash and dress and go out to feed the doves. Daniella joined me for a walk and we both enjoyed another fine day. It started a bit chilly, but was fine and sunny, getting quite warm in the afternoon. Then the ducks, but only two eggs. I chatted with the gardener, who was most impressed by the clearance of the heap of litter, the new clematis and the weeding of the shrubberies. He had bought in a quantity of flower bulbs and also some bedding plants, which he planted in our new front garden borders. To the office, where I worked a little, filing excess papers, making a few phone calls and reviewing my finances. Later in the morning, and heavily lumbered with chores, I drove to St Neots. I collected my bank statement, visited the building society and then walked across to Fishers and bought a convertible step/loft ladder.

My best suit to the dry cleaners and then some food shopping at the Co-op for Di. Debbie had stayed at home today with a cold and she could not easily get out. Back to deliver the bread rolls for lunch and, after eating them, we all set off for Sandy and Bickerdikes garden centre. No greenhouses of interest, but we looked at a lean-to conservatory, although I do not think we could accommodate one. Back home and we sat out thirstily on the front lawn and drank tea and viewed the gardens. During my chores this morning I managed to lose this pen, but was fortunate to locate it at my second phone call this afternoon, at the post office. Off then to collect it and then to take my Hayling View plan into the print shop to try to copy it. I could only copy parts of it, but bought a good pin-frame to hang it as a picture to assemble and take apart at will. On to Eaton Socon, where the design studio had long gone, though I looked around the garden centre. Home for tea of pork then, with Daniel’s help, we put our excess things in the loft ahead of Wednesday builders start. Then to Daniel’s prep, to mount my plan; then my journal and the TV. Then the TV news and main story tonight is shared between three items. Firstly the full scale of the Mexico earthquake is only now being seen, with the death toll up to 5000, and the final toll could be 20,000. Still live victims are being brought out, including most of a ward full of babies in a maternity hospital. Next a series of stories on child abuse; one 3 year old girl has starved to death, the mother of another charged with a double killing by strangulation, and the death of Leoni Keating is linked with two other recent attacks. The dollar fell heavily on the international exchanges as the Western nations agree moves to organise its de facto devaluation. The move is designed to help the US balance of trade, but it will now adversely affect Britain’s, unless interest rates are reduced and the pound allowed to fall. High level Foreign Secretary meetings in New York today between the US and USSR and hopes of a Russian arms control initiative. The UN meeting was quite a security problem with delegates from 30+ nations converging on the US capital. It is revealed that some French secret service files have been destroyed to attempt a cover up of the responsibility. Increasingly the Greenpeace affair is likened to US’s Watergate. A civil servants strike vote is won in Liverpool and increasing anarchy is threatened. Another fine day is forecast here for tomorrow, but not in Scotland where, after 8 inches of rain in Glasgow recently, floods have released thousands of empty whisky casks on the Clyde!