With Diana suffering on this cold and showery day from her cough of the last few days, I fed and looked after the children and then had Debbie’s help earning pocket money as I carried on screwing down floorboards and dropped in to Kimbolton Castle to view the antiques auction lots and Daniel had his friend Steve Hicks round to use his boat. This as Ulster seems to be on the brink of anarchy as 16 police houses are bombed and some destroyed but UK politics carries on as usual with a Fleet Street union rally in Trafalgar Square whilst 400 Strathclyde steel workers are sacked whilst striking and Winnie Mandela speaking out for sanctions against South Africa is locally reported for the first time
A lay in today as Di had retreated into the box room with her cough and Debbie and then Daniel came in looking for their morning drinks. In the end Daniel went down to get them, but fell foul of the security alarm and woke the rest of the family up. Down to an eventual breakfast of fried egg, bacon, bread and tomato/mushrooms, which I had done to a tee. Then my ablutions until it was time to return to my ‘hard labour.’ By now the electric screwdriver was fully charged and I swept half of the floor, moved across the furniture and started on the last half. Same procedure as before – the metal detector to avoid pipes/wires and nails and allow me to mark the positions, then the 3 in 1 countersink drill to make the holes and the electric screwdriver to drive the screws home. Little Debbie also helped by putting in the screws for drilling and I paid her ½ p each for a 20p fee. The screws were put along the joists, in the centre of each floor section and towards each side. Where the sections joined end on, a double row of screws was put in for each. It is rewarding to see how much of a transition it makes, as it removes the creaks.
Lunch of roast beef and poor Di was a bit upset as the cooking time was really that for medium-rare, when she always has meat well done. Still we enjoyed it and the rest was done a little more and put away for the next day. I went out between chores today and went to Kimbolton Castle for the antiques faire. Not much of interest, but a butler’s tray (oak tray and pine stand for £60-odd) and an oak joint stool/table, which was quite unusual for £75. I decided not to buy either, but dropped round the Ekins catalogue for Tuesday to Hail Weston House and both Smiths will be coming. Dan’s friend Stephen Hicks is staying here for the night and he played with Daniel on his boat for much of the day. The doves seem to be incubating their eggs with more dedication (both pairs). The weather was again cold and showery today and at one point the snow was falling heavily. Roll on warmer weather! A film tonight with the boys, the news and then bed. The news is still dominated by the attacks on policemen’s homes in Ulster. 16 were attacked and two homes destroyed, but politicians refuse to be intimidated by this violence. The country seems on the brink of anarchy. In Trafalgar Square, a union rally in support of the Fleet Street unions heard Brenda Dean of SOGAT refusing to ‘accept property for jobs’ in response to the Murdoch offer of the old printing plant. The British Steel Corporation has made 400 Strathclyde steelworkers redundant, whilst they were striking over imposed job cuts. European Finance Ministers, meeting to consider realigning currencies under the EMS, have agreed a package, but still the UK does not yet join it. Six more die in continued unrest in South Africa and Mrs Winnie Mandela speaks out for sanctions and for the first time is reported by newspapers within the country, despite government bans. More poor weather forecast for tomorrow, with a frost, then rain and some snow.