Poor and unexpectedly mild night and day commencing with the gardener’s frustration with Marilyn’s rabbit’s effect on our plants and ending with it being snared and disposed of after a successful day selecting wall tiles and kitchen equipment and then planting the ‘Daniel oak’ tree in the Hayling View gardens at some cost to my back. US fighters force down the Boeing 737 with the PLF hi-jackers aboard and three youths are detained after the Policeman was knifed
A poor night as I worked late on my abortive video copying and then lay awake thinking of our kitchen problems. A warm night too as the weather had turned unexpectedly mild. Down late to breakfast as I updated yesterday’s journal and then to quickly read the paper before my morning wash, shower and shave. Kode shares had plunged 10 pence yesterday, plumbing new depths at 85p. Out to feed the doves and to chat with the gardener – he had to chase a rabbit away this morning and grows daily more frustrated. The birds fed well and I finish up quite a bit of seed before setting off with Diana and Della for our car journey. First to Bedford and, whilst Diana did some shopping, I looked over the Peacock auction viewing. Nothing of any interest whatsoever. Then to rendezvous with Di at the Gibbs and Dandy Gale’s home improvement shop where we looked mainly at the wall tiles. Poor Di is suffering from the first day of a period today and, the baby reflecting her pained mood, is having all sorts of trouble with her. We just managed to find some tile designs for the kitchen and bathrooms before we were all exhausted and had to leave for St Albans. By car via Luton and the A6 and just in time for our 12 noon appointment. Di stayed in the car with the baby as I went over our preferred appliances with Smallbone and then I relieved her whilst she looked at the design with them. We finally got them to plan for our Moffat oven and hob, Hoover dishwasher & Leisure sinks, but we agree to have the Neff fridge/freezer and extraction accessories.
We also choose Ipswich tiles and will have to arrange the fitting of these and the lighting ourselves. Over to the café opposite for a lunch and then home as quickly as possible and in time for Diana to collect Debbie from school. I get myself and four builders a mug of tea and then change to go out and do some gardening. I plant the rest of the box hedging and then prepare the ground for Daniel to plant the oak tree on the far corner of our old riverside garden. He obliges and we shall now call that tree the ‘Daniel’ oak. Unhappily, I hurt my back again during this exercise, after it had begun to heal up. I wonder how long it will now take. In to tea of a poor variety and then out to finish the job and do some watering of all of my recently planted shrubs. As darkness fell I again had to take action on the second rogue rabbit, snaring it and then throwing it in the river. Sad, but necessary, and the most humane thing in the long run. I only regret that people do not look after their animals and allow them to be a nuisance and source of damage to others. In after the ducks and darkness to check Daniel’s classwork and test him on a few points. Then to read Debbie half of a Winnie-the-Poo story before to go, clutching my back, into the relative comfort of the lounge. News today of a remarkable mid-air coup as US fighters forced down a Boeing 737 containing the terrorists that recently hijacked a liner and killed a passenger. It was diverted to Italy and the terrorists now face trial in Italy, the host country of the hijacking. The Americans and Italians are jubilant, pausing only to argue over their eventual fate. Thatcher lectures the Tory Conference again, but protests that there will be no reflation to ease the unemployment, even though there is no prediction as to when it would fall. The new Vice-Chairman has made another PR mistake and I do not think he will last long. Enquiries into the murder of the knifed policemen has led to the charging of a 15 year old and detention for more youths of 13 and 14. Sikh extremists are being rounded up today ahead of Indian Premier Ghandhi’s visit later this week. A few days of fine weather are forecast, which is a blessing.