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Better night as the clocks changed from BST and then we used our Explorer tickets to go by tube to the Camden Lock craft fair and market and then the Guinness Book of Records Museum before taking a sight-seeing bus around the centre as Prince Charles joins the inner-city poverty campaign and as journalists are targeted by South African Authorities and immigrants by Britain as signs of authoritarianism mushrooming out of control
We slept reasonably last night, but not as well as at home. It was a while to wait for our 7.00am drinks as, with the time change from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time, it was really 8.00am as far as our body clocks were concerned. Then there was no chocolate for Daniel and so I did not tip the room waiter. In turns to use the bathroom, with me last and then down to breakfast in the restaurant. We like the Holiday Inn breakfast buffet routine, as the children can get what they like straight away. But if I were eating on my own I would prefer to have a waitress service. As it was the bacon was cold, the eggs congealed, but that is how Diana seems to like it! After getting ready we set off for our day trip around London. First to the underground station, where we get our London Explorer tickets with our Holiday Inn vouchers and then set off for Camden Town station where Diana wanted to visit the Camden Lock markets. A very wide choice of goods on sale and we walk through many of the areas. There are several separate open and covered market areas, also speciality shops in the vicinity and Camden Lock seems to have developed as a special Sunday shopping area.
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A slow start after a troubled night but soon impressed with Daniel’s use of his Commodore 64 before I make for St Ives Auctions to find more SHDC tea spoons for my collection before we pack up and leave for the start of our Holiday Inn London Weekend where we settle in, get some goodies and then use the swimming pool. This as huge CND demonstrations in London and in Holland oppose Cruise Missile deployment and two more die in South African clashes
An unsettled night, troubled by a stiff neck, some loose bed coverings and also by Diana being restless as well. Reluctantly awake to my morning tea and then forced down to breakfast with the others, as I gradually come too from my slumber. I decided to shower after and, before dressing, I looked in on Daniel. His computer games for his new Commodore 64 are quite remarkable; sound effects and rhythmic movements and complex animated adventures and games that renders all before them assembled to spend more time than they ought. Today was the turn of Wizards and castle adventures, which makes a change from the American software of yesterday. Dressed and then out in Diana’s car and on my own to St Ives for the Ekins antique auction viewing and general auction sale. I bought catalogues for both sales and then looked around. Straight away I spotted a mahogany folding steamer chair with foot rest in the general auction and, therefore, stayed longer looking around the antique viewing until it came up. There I found a set of 6 SHDC tea spoons 1838, which were in quite good condition and I shall bid for them on Tuesday.
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To Bedford for house accessories as the builders work on a much nicer day and then back for a later walk around the garden with Della before a builders meeting to organise more work as several news items talk of domestic and international failures of organisations and South Africa extends the State of Emergency to Cape Town and rounds up scores of anti-apartheid opponents
Diana & I started the night together, and both being the warmer and more relaxed for it on a cold night, we slept well for the night afterwards. Awake to morning tea and then to sit out of bed and read today’s paper before breakfast. Showered, shaved and dressed and then out to the birds alone this morning, as Della was a bit irritable with her cold. I fed the doves and also the ducks, who were very hungry as I had not put them away and fed them last night. A much sunnier morning today after the persistent and sopping wet of yesterday, and a full complement of builders are already at work. Then to get ready for a trip to Bedford with Diana and we finally set off at 9.30am. Straight to the multi-storey car park today, before morning coffee together and a short walk to the builders merchants. Diana chose our taps for the kitchen, and we bought a Monobloc mixer and a separate single cold water tap of the same design for unsoftened drinking water. Now we have ordered all of the kitchen items for which we are responsible and hope the builders and Smallbone fulfil their part of the bargain.
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The morning spent with Della and then on getting Daniel’s bicycle and his spare outboard motor repaired and then to entertain Charles and Norman Jackson to lunch before completing some industry work and resignations now that I am retiring from that and then ordering appliances for our new kitchen as the builders press on and I video their progress. This as Reagan and Thatcher combine for anti-Soviet ‘Star Wars’ measures and she refuses to see Tambo of the ANC and also plans more welfare cuts whilst the Queen visits St Kitts, our first colony there.
Took two aspirins and slept well with my cold symptoms last night as a result. Heard the sound of wailing fire engines late last night and learned this morning that they were attending a large fire at Brampton. Evidently 2/3rds of the offices and papers of RAF Support Command were destroyed by fire, but there is no comment on the probable cause. I rose early this morning without reading the paper and saw the builders, when I let them in before breakfast. I pointed out the problem of the location of the new balcony and they conceded the point later and levelled it to be the same as the other one. It was a cold morning, with a heavy mist that showered from the overhanging trees like rain. It was well into the morning before the sun broke through and it became quite warm. After my concerns and discussions, I returned to the house to find Daniella desperate for her morning walk to the doves and ducks, which we then did to a martial pace in view of the cold. She chortled when she saw the ducks eat and run to the river, which is her favourite pastime.