A busy day of visitors and contractors as the supply was laid to the new swimming pool gas boiler in the garage, the final building work was discussed with the builders and architects and the letting contract for 39 Gordon Road finalised. This as speculation grows over those responsible for the TWA bombing, Keith Joseph is given the cold shoulder at the teacher’s conference and Thatcher again rejects South African sanctions
Another late lay in, as Diana only brought me my morning drink at 8.00am. By the time I came down to breakfast, there was already two of Debbie’s friends in for the meal and then the Gas Board fitter was waiting for me as I washed and shaved. Dressed in my own time and then down to see him at the back door and brief him on the route to be followed from the house to the gas pool boiler in the garage. Then to the morning mail, but no time to read the daily paper all day. Later in the morning, I took the step ladder and a notebook all over the building and listed the outstanding building faults. Then Brittains phoned to say that bedroom carpet would be ready for installation on Tuesday and so I phoned the architect to get him to chase up some urgent rectifications in the en-suite bathroom.
Later Mr Cheeseborough called me back and arranged for the plumber to call and the tiler to return. Before lunch I had started to type up the letter to David Stokes. Lunch with the girlfriends of Debbie again and I was appalled by their lack of table manners. This afternoon the supreme frustration of typing up the long list, only to lose it in a disk overflow. The rest of the afternoon doing it again and then just getting time to type it out before tea. Real sausages for tea, bought from our new butcher – no additives or preservatives in these and we thoroughly enjoyed them. Daniel spent the day with the Blooms and went swimming. The pool men came and repaired the rain damage to its surface. They also helped the gas man lay the pipe across the path, by digging a trench and I followed up by laying my alarm wires along with it, as I eventually intend to wire the garages as well. As Di cleared up after the day’s excesses, I worked in my office clearing up my papers and studying the letting contract for No 39 Gordon Road. We have to give the tenant notice to go shortly if we are to keep them to the originally limited 12 month term. Together into the lounge to watch the TV news, then time after to update my journal. It was fine, but cold today, as I tended my birds. 10 eggs today, which was good. News today is of further progress in identifying the person responsible for the TWA bomb explosion. A female passenger, ‘Mansour’, was in the seat in question for a previous leg to the journey. It seems to be a Syrian-backed Palestinian organisation. These incidents may well put off more US tourists from coming to Europe. Keith Joseph confronted the teacher’s unions at the annual conference today and criticised their GCSE examination embargo, to a critical background of complete silence. Following attacks on police in Ulster, the Northern Ireland Chief Constable has set up a committee to look after the welfare of the police officers. Three more South Africans have died in renewed violence and an experiment of discussions is being held in Chief Buthelezi’s KwaZulu (a so-called SA ‘Homeland) to see if multi-racial government can take place there. Thatcher has rejected the call for South African sanctions, which is a pity. Woolworths is the subject of the latest bid from Dixons. Another torrid time for the England batsmen in Trinidad, falling to 167 for 7 to the West Indies. A brighter start is forecast for tomorrow’s weather, but showers will again follow.