Early morning reading and resting and then sharing time between organising the builders priorities and making a shopping trip to Cambridge with Di and Della before home to care for the new doves and work with Daniel on his Prep as the South African authorities swamp Johannesburg to suppress demonstrations and press coverage . HM the Queen runs into demonstrations in the West Indies due to Thatcher’s rejection of sanctions , the USSR rejects the latest US proposals in Arms Control and the TV companies fall out with the Football league over live coverage. The new Arc Royal is commissioned by HRH The Queen Mother today amidst concerns about privatisation of the maintenance yards.
Tired and so slept well and was awoken by Diana and took some time to come to. I tottered over to my bedroom chair to sit and save my back and looked out over the gardens when not reading today’s paper and writing up yesterday’s journal. No deer today, but perhaps the quieter weekend will herald its return. At breakfast I discussed my video problems with Daniel, who was unable to suggest any credible reason for them. I was so distracted that I retired to the lounge to be reminded that I had not eaten anything and so was brought a slice of fresh toast to make amends. A fair time sitting there and reading the paper, the local papers, and the post and much troubled by the competing designs of the girls for the lounge; but held my ground until finished. Up to get washed and dressed after and then out with Della to the birds. No eggs again today. As I fed the established doves, I threw a few more seed grains in and around the nest holes in order to tempt the new arrivals out as they were cowering inside at their first experience of the open air (being raised as inside birds). The weather had started with a shower or two today, but it soon brightened up and the sun shone.
Off with the girls by Diana’s car to Cambridge this morning. Coffee and shortcake at Belinda’s and then to Dixons in the Lion Yard to collect my Canon video camera from repair at last. I also got some new batteries for my torch. On with Diana to a toy shop and then to Eden Lilley’s department store to order our wallpaper for renovating the front bedroom, formerly Debbie’s and now to become Daniella’s. On the way back to the car we dropped into W H Smith’s for some magazines and then Heffers for a book on Royal Doulton pottery, which I am thinking of collecting. A quick lunch of burgers and chips at the Wimpy, which was full of people and mothers with restless children, and then back to the car for Diana to drive us home again. By now the new doves had ventured out, the sun was shining and I had a progress meeting with Mr Cheeseborugh. The Anglia interiors man had come today to move the fitted wardrobes and, of course, the decorating had not been done and we were unprepared. The fireplace was finished in the sitting room and plastered and so we now need the bedrooms finished for the carpet fitting on Thursday and the sitting room even earlier by Wednesday. It will be touch and go, but we will just do it, even if the wardrobe mover and decorators will jostle for time and space. I was chasing Smallbone for the service plans for the kitchen, as we were supposed to get them by today, and it is now decided that the work will commence in No. 6 next Tuesday, by when we will have to give up use of the kitchen, dining room, and upper two bedrooms, which will be quite a turmoil. Today the plumber was relaying pipes and removing radiators to fit others. We are getting thermostats on each one and the decorators also need to get behind them to do a good job. The builders put in the two eaves lintels for the link building, building up the front one up with brick and block to roof level. We shall have the roof on in a few days at this rate. Diana had a couple of friends to call, with at least five children and a grandmother (!) It seems that she is using today as the last occasion for receiving her friends before the disruption so as to rely on them during it for hospitality. Diana’s diet went reasonably well today – so far, so good. I fed and put away the ducks as the daylight faded and then went down to the new doves and popped them physically into the nesting holes. A frost is forecast for tonight and these creatures have been too molly-coddled to have enough sense yet to get in, out of the cold. In to a tea of grilled trout and apple crumble/cream to follow. This evening I had time to go over Daniel’s prep with him, update today’s journal, and still manage to do some reading in a more relaxed mood than yesterday. News today of new South African attempts to suppress the international press corps and this morning the government swamped Johannesburg city centre in a ‘crime prevention exercise.’ The UK Government has announced its delegate for the Commonwealth delegation to S.A. and it is Lord Barber, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Queen ran into anti-British and anti-apartheid demonstrations during her West Indies visit at Port of Spain. The Dutch Government confirmed its acceptance of Cruise today, in spite of anti-nuclear demonstrations. The USSR has rejected the latest US proposals as seeking inequitable missile reductions, but will study the detail. Talks in London between the TV companies and the Football Leagues broke down ‘irretrievably’ after two hours today, over the amount of live games (vs recorded games) broadcast and it seems there will be no football broadcasts this season. The NUT domination of the Burnham Committee has been ended by government reorganisation, but they should not expect an easy time from the other unions either. After the commissions of the new Ark Royal aircraft carrier by the Queen Mother today, there is a growing row over the intended privatisation of the navy’s maintenance yards. The Public Accounts Committee and Defence Select Committee do not concur with the governments cost saving projections. The weather will get cold and showery over this weekend.