Slow start from Diana on a very busy day for the builders with the close full of their vehicles during which Brittain’s were found to be much more reliable that The St Neots Carpet Company before a delightful school visit to see Debbie’s work before ballet and now Daniel does better in his Maths and Physics . This as two Sikhs are arrested for downing the Air India Jumbo Jet and the cabinet agrees the forthcoming budget details but Kenneth Baker only gets half of his bid for housing renovation
Awake at 7.00am to find Diana still laying in and so kicked her out of bed to get the drinks. Up then and quickly dressed as I heard the plumber next door. Too late to see him and he had already connected up the two radiators in the new bedrooms without thermostatic valves. Back to get showered and shaved and then breakfast in the lounge. Di had not buttered the toast and so we were all balancing plates and butter on our laps, which was a bit of a disaster. Out to the house next door, leaving Di to get the children off to school and I cleared out the guest room for the carpet company and carried on working in Debbie’s room to fit the electrics to the new wall unit. Most of the morning at this task and eventually finished it and fed some rather hungry doves. I tackled Mr Cheesborough about the radiator temperature valves and he referred me to the drawing which seemed to indicate that only some radiators were to get those valves and so I will have to query this with the architect. Out then with Diana to St Neots leaving St Neots Carpet Company to fit the two bedroom carpets. I was not very impressed with their fitters – one had an evil grin and a gold earring and looked like either a pirate or a gypsy. Brittains had called to fix a curtain pole today and showed much more concern and care and I think we will use them for the remainder of the carpets.
In town we had a coffee at the Cross Keys café and then Di went shopping whilst I dropped in at Shaws auction rooms. An interesting archery set, but decided not to bid. Home to a lunch of rolls and butter, then this afternoon to finish my work and review the builders progress. They had knocked out the new entrance door and window to the kitchen, and a number of other jobs so that the close was full of the cars from the builders, carpenter, electricians etc. Quite a day. Off to Debbie’s school where we met her teacher, Mrs McFarlane, for the first time and saw her recent work all laid out for our attentions. It seems that Debbie has good achievements, but could do more and avoid day-dreams. She had drawn a nice picture of my doves and new dovecote in a book describing family pets. Home with Debbie, safely delivering Amie to her mother as well, but she was very bad and we had to send her upstairs and miss playing with her Grandma & Grandad. Di had a busy day – this afternoon she got the children’s pictures taken, went to her keep-fit class and took Debbie to ballet. They were swimming yesterday. Away with the ducks (who were hungry again) and then I took the family to the local Little Chef for tea. They all ate well and, in particular, Debbie had soup, burger and ice cream, whilst Daniel had soup, burger & chips and pancake. Home to look around our new house and then a long time checking Daniel’s school work. It had been two days since I last did it, but Daniel is doing well in maths and physics, if worse at the others. Then to quickly update the last two days journal before letting Daniel go to sleep early for once as we left the lounge. Two Sikhs have been arrested and charged with the sabotage of the Air India jumbo jet that crashed without initial explanation this year. Still no agreement yet on the compensation for victims of the Manchester air crash as solicitors for the two sides failed to agree today. Stanley Adams, the Hoffman-la-Rode European informant, has won his case in the European Court for compensation from the EEC for breach of trust. Since blowing the whistle on this errant multi-national company, Adams had lost everything due to his persecution. The government has agreed the next year’s budget and Kenneth Baker was in the thick of it, but got only half of his bid for extra funds to ease the terrible problems of inner-city housing stock. The weather today was chilly, but fine and sunny and looks to turn windy and unsettled for the weekend with more cold weather and rain – Brrh! It looks as if we have just sealed up the house in time and are on schedule for the kitchen contractors.