Dull and slightly damp day of progress with my Hayling View planning, investments and other administration but an unsatisfactory experience with my doctor’s surgery and then a struggle with Daniel over his schoolwork before we see many foreign cars featured in the Motor Show and contrast policing problems shooting demonstrators in South Africa with suffering crowd violence on Police in my former home of Tottenham and of threats to kill Ghandi when visiting Britain
A better night and then I sit up at the side of the bed to have my morning tea before laying down again afterwards. As I rest, I though how pleasant it was just to lie and think – as I could not read and the radio battery had also run out. Down to a breakfast of toast and fruit juice and then to the lounge to read my paper in my comfy swivel chair, before I shower and wash my hair. Not until 9.15am was I out to feed the doves and then a half hour sorting out the mess on my desk. Off after to the house and out to the ducks – 3 eggs today – and then in to St Neots by car for a visit to the doctor’s surgery for anti-tetanus booster injection. I waited ¾ of an hour and then got fed up with waiting and so insisted on leaving and making another appointment tomorrow. They have to be told sometimes, otherwise their service will deteriorate without complaint. Home and to hear that the architect was going to be late and so I settled into some more office work, reconciling my bank account and Abbey National account by the time he arrived. Then a meeting with Brian Cheesborough, the builder, and David Stokes, the architect, on the progress of the works. It seems that the scenario will be messy and they will need to get the upstairs bedroom wall replaced before the other bedrooms are ready and joined to the existing house.
It will be a bit of a scramble and a couple of weeks of agony, but we will manage, because we have to. Lunch then of meat, carrots and peas and then the afternoon at my desk. I update my financial summary to reflect the additional investments and changes that we have made and also talk to Roger Brittain, my accountant, about my tax affairs. Back to the house at 5pm and noted, to my displeasure, that Daniel had brought home Jason Chambers to play in his room and so I delayed tea and went out to feed and put away the ducks and doves, inspect the garden and water our new shrubs. Then to have tea with Daniel and watch the coverage of the Motor Show on TV. How depressing to see the influx of foreign models and the coverage that the media give to them. After tea I tutor Daniel on his school work and what a trial it is, but he does it eventually before Diana whisks him into the bath. Then to my journal, some reading, and the TV news. The Police Federation are speaking out critically over the riot teenagers and say never again should they stand and absorb that sort of violent attack. Another 13 year old youth is charged with PC Blakelock’s murder. In South Africa, police fired shotguns into a crowd of youths and killed three of them and wounded 20 others after stoning incidents. I hope that the British police do not wish to emulate them. These actions, condemned by other UK politicians, will lead to even more pressure on Thatcher to agree with sanctions proposed by other Commonwealth leaders. In Leicester, four Asians were charged with planning to kill India’s Ghandi during his visit to London. Scotland Yard is launching an investigation to Sara Keays love affair with Cecil Parkinson to see if their pillow talk included official secrets. Scottish teachers will be boycotting next summer’s exams as an indication of their strength of feeling over pay. In the rest of Britain the dispute still seems to be deadlocked. A dull and cloudy day, with some light drizzle today and more showers forecast for tomorrow, but getting brighter as the weekend nears.