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Using my computer to catalogue and attack a long list of outstanding chores such as creating my Children’s Trusts, updating my financial holdings on-line as Daniel went to the supermarket with Di and then had friends round afterwards. Ulster Unionists are protesting and their leader Peter Robinson was arrested over sectarian grievances, Baker fools nobody with his exaggerated teacher training claims, the US lose a CIA agent to the USSR and the Libyans are suspected of attacks on British bases
A good night and even better breakfast, as all of the family (except Diana) enjoyed a nice boiled egg with toast fingers to dip into it. Di has had a poor dietary upbringing – eating no fish, eggs, seafood or much of what the world has to offer, but at least I am introducing the children to a reasonably wide selection of food. Showered, shaved and dressed before this breakfast and out to the doves after, feeding them mixed seed in another gusty wind. All the remaining three chicks seem all right.
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Spending a dry and windy day looking after my doves, Trust affairs and family whilst Nigel Smith drops in after which I take Daniel for a good evening’s fishing. This as Boy George’s American song writer, Michael Rudetski, dies in his mansion of a drug overdose, Thatcher has her finger operation and £4Bn is knocked off the Stock Exchange in its biggest one day fall with lots of bad news at home and abroad
My turn to sleep poorly, as the upper sheet became untucked and I was in contact with the rough blanket, instead of a smooth sheet. Woke Diana to get the drinks, then shaved, washed and led the move to breakfast. Cereal and croissants for this morning’s repast and then out to feed the doves on a dry, but very windy day. They struggled to keep their feet, but their hunger and the demands of their offspring ensured that they persisted. The young white squab keeps straying out of the nest and so I have now removed a solid ramp-like platform of droppings that should ensure that it stays in from now on. To the office, where I made a start on the paperwork, updating statements and working out how to transfer funds.
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Family day in Cambridge with me getting a University Library readers ticket and researching my Harraden painter’s life and times before home to find a serious field and tree fire opposite. This as Thatcher is now totally isolated over South Africa and now makes cuts to English schools, the IRA threatens further contractors who rebuild Ulster police and security buildings after their bombings but North Sea crude rises $4 per barrel to $15 following OPEC cuts to their joint production from 20m to 17m barrels a day
Woke to find Di gone to get the drinks and she brought them in shortly. A better night, showered, shaved, dressed and down to find the others already started breakfast. All soon ready and I get the car out to allow Di to get the children loaded, whilst I feed the doves. They seem to be favouring the larger seeds at the moment. A good car journey to Cambridge, with the recent roadworks now a thing of the past. To Marshalls in Cherry Hinton Road, where we left the Jaguar for service for the day and then walked to the town centre on a fine, sunny morning, if a bit cool. Went to Eaden Lilleys for coffee and met Di’s parents there to chat about our enjoyment of the boating holiday, before I went off to the Cambridge Reference Library and the rest went shopping.
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Home to the very different experience compared with our time on The Lady and to progress some outstanding matters before we were inundated by Daniel’s friends as Thatcher’s South African deal is rebuffed at the Commonwealth Leaders Conference and 100 Hong Kong British soldiers are sacked after a brawl on the Queen Mother’s 86th Birthday
A poor night. After the softness of the boats cushions, our bed seemed hard and uncomfortable. Di left for a spare room in the middle of the night and we both slept OK after that. Awoke to a fair day and quickly took advantage of the shower room to wash my hair and showered in relative luxury after the boat. Breakfast in the kitchen and how large and commodious the table seems after the confines of The Lady.