Catching up on paperwork and chasing the actions of others and noting the decision of St John’s College not to sell Little Paxton manor to me as Diana was baking mince pies for Christmas but just prepares a salad for lunch. The Government makes the US AWACS decision and leaves an unlucky GEC in the lurch and more City inside dealing complaints are investigated. Now CIA Director William Casey is diagnosed with a brain tumour as conflicting evidence surfaces about what Reagan knew about the illegal arms sales
Awoke feeling tired again. My problem has always been that of working at all things as if my life depended on it, instead of taking things easy. The problem is that I know that and am reluctant to ease up on the Little Paxton History, lest I lose interest and fail to finish it. Shaved, showered, dressed and down to the breakfast table, when everyone else had already left it and then read the paper in my office, before starting work. I was thinking of going to Huntingdon today, but then decided that there was still so much work to do on information that I had already found, that it would just overwhelm me. In the end, settled down to going through my desk, filing all the old visiting cards and generally clearing a proper space. Then attacked a range of correspondence and mail, chasing up all manner of people and matters.
I received a letter yesterday from St John’s College saying that they are not prepared to sell the Lordship of Little Paxton Manor, which is a pity. I chased up the situation on the sale of 39 Gordon Road and, after threatening everybody with taking it off the market for a sale at a better price in the spring, the exchange of contracts is now arranged for the 23rd December. Wrote to Elm Leisure to get them to address the swimming pool problem by planning the remedial work and a few other things. Another salad lunch. Di spent the afternoon and evening making mince pies etc and putting them in the freezer for Christmas. She just about managed to keep control of her diet and avoid eating them. Tea with the family and then back to work this evening, starting the chapter on the Paper Mills, running out of time late with still much to do. The government made the decision to buy the American airborne radar system today instead of the GEC Nimrod. This was very hard luck on GEC who had always been faced with trying to install a system in a small aircraft and with the added need to monitor cruise missiles thrust onto them half way through the contract. The Americans, with their integrated defence technology and larger budgets, were always in the best position and it seems that all high-tech contracts must be surrendered in the future this way. Even so, the GEC solution was working and a less defence-Gung Ho party would have given them more time. As it is, nearly £1000 million is down the drain. The City of London ‘insider dealing’ investigations are now also pointing at civil servants such as those working in the takeover panel group and the DTI regulation authorities – the very people we look to for protection and high standards! Following the President of the US, Ronald Reagan’s need for an operation, yesterday the CIA Director, William Casey, was diagnosed as having a malignant brain tumour and is being operated on. One of Reagan’s aids is saying that he did know about the illegal arms sale to Iran, but others say the President only found out afterwards. The MI5 case has ended in Australia and the judge will reserve judgement until the New Year.