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Debbie’s 1st day back at school – A good start to this cold, wet and windy day and use of our new bed and I had a full day screwing down floorboards but the continued heating problems are now the subject of an investigation but this did not put off Norma from visiting and I also heard from my Mum and Dad and will help them with their heating too. Banker’s wife, Jennifer Guinness is kidnapped for ransom and Benazir Bhutto has returned to Pakistan, amidst crowds at the airport scattering rose petals
After the first night in the new bed with Diana (which we celebrated in appropriate style) she awoke me with my morning drink as usual. I had slept soundly, but it had been a bit strange for Di. We need to get our morning routine sorted out. Di takes ages drinking coffee, using the en-suite and then only gives me 10/15 mins in it before calling everyone down to breakfast! We will try again tomorrow. Debbie goes back to school without any problems, but, due to the wild, wet, cold and windy day, Di leaves Della at home in Daniel’s care. Dan seems to enjoy his time at home with the family when he is banned from going out. Di’s Mum comes today and enjoys the time with Della. Dan & Di go to St Neots, but cannot tempt me to join them and the hall curtains stay un-chosen. I phone David Stokes this morning and discuss the heating faults at length. He is going to get the heating consultant to phone Eastern Gas and resolve the issue between them.
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Hospital Appointment – A day sorting out our new bed and bedroom and attending Hinchinbrook Hospital where blood tests are taken and my history of two infections of the urinary tract was sufficient to warrant further investigation and then on to Buckden marina for some boat issues before visiting Offord Riding School and arranging for Debbie to start riding lessons soon as the Tories push ahead with Sunday Trading despite wide-spread opposition, the US escalates its threats towards Libya and the Land Rover/BL sale debate rumbles on
A good night for both me and Diana and a calm awakening with my morning tea. The paper, but no time to read it until later. Actually in the shower as Di called us in for a hot toast and marmalade breakfast. Shaved after and then to liaise with the pool men and bed delivery men. The boiler and filtration units were put into position today and our bed was put in pride of place in the new master bedroom. Time for Di to furnish it with some temporary coverings, as I got my things together. All off to St Neots to do some shopping. I helped Daniel to get £37 out of the building society, but was not pleased with his purchase later of a personal stereo, as he is already banned from using his old one.
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St Ives Antique Auction – Better day for Diana but busy one for me responding to Alan Sugar taking over Clive Sinclair’s micro interests before off to St Ives for the antique auction where Lynne Smith was there but Nigel was ill and working again as the Ulster police attacks continue without the Unionists condemning them, a helicopter crashes taking a family to Alton towers and the US conveniently finds ‘technical reasons’ to delay its nuclear test in Nevada, allowing the USSR to continue its own ban
Awoke to find Di was still in the bed and had managed to control her coughing after an initial fit last night. Morning tea and then time to read half of the paper before breakfast. Down to my piece of toast and marmalade and then back to finish the other half. Full of Clive Sinclair and Alan Sugar and I was to spend a lot of the day responding to questions from all and sundry as to my views on the subject. For the record, it is an obvious and predictable end. Clive has never been a computer man, knew little of the business market and, by not confiding with and taking advice from others, was always due a fall. The C5 fiasco was a prime example with such close secrecy and personal domination of the project, that an obvious nonsense of product need and launch timing was perpetrated. Clive has always been a loner, a self-described boffin, and his business ventures always resulted in tears. Still, he has been (quite wrongly) dubbed the founder of the home micro industry (which others, including myself, pioneered five years earlier) and got his Knighthood as a result of that and being in favour with Thatcher. Alan Sugar will have to be very careful and have some very clear ideas for the future Sinclair/Amstrad business if he is not going to be dragged down by the demands of the micro manufacturing business.
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Diana still suffering with her coughing on this icy cold day during Steve Hicks stayover whose new day got off to an unexpectedly early start before the start of a busy builders day for the rest of us and then a nice evening meal of stewed beef with Daniel in the dog house again. The so called ‘Loyalist’ attacks on the homes of Royal Ulster Constables a real problem and the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Palestine bigger ones still.
Di had to sleep in the lounge last night as she could not stop coughing and our guest, Steve, woke up at 6.45am, thought it was 8.45am due to a faulty watch and woke up Daniel. It was only when they were eating a hurried cereal breakfast that they realised his mistake! Took some while to get into the shower room and then I only just managed to get dressed before the workmen started to arrive. First the plumber to fix the radiator, then the carpenter to fix a door. Then a builder to remove the tile ready for the coat hooks to be fitted, so that soon the en-suite shower room was as ready as it is going to be for tomorrow’s carpet fitting. Time at last for my breakfast and then I settled down to my task of floorboard screwing.