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This cold and wet month delivered suitably miserable health for us and news with the Thatcher government courting unpopularity, worst of which was allowing the US to use UK bases for an illegal and provocative strike on Libya which promote a host of murderous reprisals from extreme Islamists. More industrial collapses, steel, mining and print closures and redundancies, teachers and prison officer strikes and Unionist attacks on Ulster police in the wake of the Anglo/Irish agreement but government reverses over Sunday trading and the Disablement Bill. The emergence of the grisly horror of the Chernobyl nuclear explosions in The Ukraine, could well emerge as the most significant development this month. Better news is the Queens 60th birthday celebrations, our Hayling View building work coming to an end and Debbie and Daniel enjoying their horse-riding and boating pursuits respectively.
The coldest start to April since 1948, some 4degC below normal, and the month proceeded with rain and chilly winds to become both the coldest and wettest on record. The gardens are well behind in their development with the daffodils now out and other flowers only just coming. This was just as well, in some ways, because I might not have had the patience to stay in and away from The Lady. She still has her winter cover on and this will not now come off until May. My health is much better, but, as much of my time was spent screwing down squeaky floorboards before the carpets went down with my new cordless drill (and I also got out to move my workshop, help with the paving and did some garage door repairs), I ended this month with hands cut and blistered and nursing my injured foot. Though I wait to hear formally, my Urinary Tract Hospital tests and scans seem to have proved to be clear and reveal no waterworks blockages. Less fortune for Di’s relatives, as both Aunt Bobby and Grandma Kitty are in hospital and very ill. My Mum is still in pain, but seemed in better spirits than when we last heard from her. Certainly I have more energy and am keeping quite busy, visiting antique auctions in St Ives, Bedford and Kimbolton. My last Computer Industry job was to respond publicly to Alan Sugar taking over Clive Sinclair’s micro interests and this was followed by the fulfilment of my retirement from Micro-industry affairs as Gerald Frankel of Imtec took over as BMMG Chairman and started to integrate this trade association within his interests in the new BOTMA.