Visit to Dr Wright to see about my bad back only to hear of it being attributed to a long-term deformity and to get an anti-tetanus booster injection for the mouse bite I suffered this morning and then a conference with my building Mr Cheeseborough after which I needed to revise our architects brief whilst also supervising Daniel’s biology and history homework. Geoffrey Howe calls off multi-party Middle east talks with the PLO amidst more suspicion and violence and Thatcher welcomes Ghandi at Heathrow as 120 cars are involved in an M1 pile-up in thick fog
A better night, but still in pain, but Diana helped me up this morning and the tea was a great comfort. It is cold these mornings and foggy too before the sun breaks through and warms everything up. I read the paper in the kitchen and, after breakfast, took my turn in the bathroom. I had milk and cornflakes this morning, and the milk was ‘Gold Top’ which is high cream milk from Jersey cows. The dairy are running a promotion on it at the moment because many customers are drinking less in fear of the level of cream on cholesterol and heart disease. But, as the milkman says, he is 60 and had had cream all of his life. A modest wash and, before dressing, I called up the doctor’s surgery and to my surprise got an appointment only half an hour later. I quickly went in the garden with the intention of feeding the doves, but got no further than the garage where I found a mouse in the grain bag. In trying to catch it, the little thing bit my finger and made it bleed. Off then to see Dr Wright, who examined my back and noted the deformity I have had since birth. My shoulders have a drop on my right side (which I already knew from my tailor) and my spine is curved at an angle of 10-15deg. It seems that he is surprised I have not had earlier trouble and refers me for physiotherapy to try to use exercises to straighten it. I walk over to the Almond Road clinic afterwards and register with them, but they will have to contact me because there is a waiting list.
I also ask the doctor about my mouse bite and he says that there should be no infection, but I should have an anti-tetanus booster and so I book in for Wednesday. In to town after to collect my bank statements for the past two weeks and then on to the Abbey National where, to my surprise, they have updated my higher interest account pass book at last. Home and then I fed the doves at last and talk to the gardener. I show him where I would like certain of the new plants that I have bought and also spot a small molehill and administer a mole-smoke immediately. Then a conference with Mr Cheeseborough, the builder. It seems that the kitchen window position has to be moved to avoid the electricity distribution meter and also an upstairs wall is re-sited due to some poor surveying. To my office and several more phone messages. I return Bill Barrett’s calls at last, but only to leave all of the action items to him as I am indisposed. Then to talk to the security safe suppliers so that they can produce me a suitable quotation and lastly I call my parents for a chat. They want to visit on Diana’s birthday, but I have to talk to them later to agree a more suitable time. By this time late for lunch and so hurried back for a light meal. This afternoon I made an attempt at revising our letter to the architect and retyped it to include all of the agreed variations and propose some new ones to accommodate the bathroom changes. In all three pages of typed text as the project becomes ever more complicated. I make myself and the builders’ afternoon tea and then rush into town to post the letter first class to David Stokes. I put the ducks away with Daniel’s help tonight and also get him to lock the garage up at the third time of asking! Then in to tea and after I light the log fire in the lounge for the first time this autumn. The logs are well seasoned by now and burn well and the experience is really uplifting. Then to my journal and to correct Daniel in his prep and test him on some biology and history. Major news today as British Foreign Secretary, Geoffrey Howe, calls off the multilateral Middle East talks today and refuses to allow the PLO to take part. The Middle East is thrown into turmoil as a result of their baulking at signing an anti-violence document in which they say new phrases were sprung on them. The teachers reject a new pay offer and on the M1 motorway and in thick fog, 120 cars are involved in multiple pile-ups. The state visit of India’s Premier, Ghandi, starts today with Thatcher meeting him at the airport, several humble speeches and high hopes of Indian air plane orders now that the Sikh extremists are in preventative custody.