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Visit to Bedford with the family on a cold day, with a sharp north-westerly breeze, as I study The Curia Regis Roll transcripts for the early 13thC and then home to write up the rest of the history on Little Paxton Paper Mills before starting to read up on the Norman Conquest and Manorial history. Sad news as former champion jockey, Lester Piggott, has been arrested on charges of fraudulent tax evasion but better news as the Russian authorities allow Andrei Sakharov back to Moscow and out of political exile in Gorky Russia but the Russians now say that they would resume nuclear arms tests, after the first US test. All routine operations have been put off at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, today and patients are sent home after an outbreak of a a virulent and antibiotic-immune virus.
A little more rested this morning, getting up without too much prompting and then being reasonably on time for breakfast. Had a couple of croissants for this meal, which may not have been all that wise from the slimming point of view, then to my office for a short while, catching up on yesterday’s journal and reading the paper. Planned a little of my trip to Bedford Library this morning and was then interrupted by the need to pay and tip both the milkman and domestic staff. Di had returned by now and, joined by Daniel as well as Daniella, we set off for Bedford, parking in the multi-story and having coffee as normal in the coffee house. Then I went to the inner reference room of Bedford Library and studied the Curia Regis Roll transcripts for the early 13thC and found but a few references for Paxton. Back to Debenhams for a Christmas lunch and then home by car, after a dispute over who left who behind in the shop as we got parted! This afternoon and evening I wrote up the rest of the history on the Little Paxton Paper Mills and that is another section done.
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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.
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Indexing my Little Paxton History script and adding sketches on a pouring wet and cold day, the first day of Daniel’s school holiday, whilst also shopping and going to the dentist and then taking Debbie for a disorganised Xmas riding party before she then enjoyed a combined Brownies/Scouts disco party as the Cabinet Committee backs the US AWACS project, Reagan is undergoing a prostate operation and Glen Hoddle leaves Spurs for Europe
Daniel did not have to go to school today, but this did not seem to make much difference to our getting up time. All up, washed and dressed with our breakfast at the normal time and then I started reading the paper. I had thought of going out this morning, or later in the day, but in the end I opted for my office and more work on the history book. Di and I felt tired after yesterday’s excesses and, in addition, most of the family have colds. A fair morning’s work, improving the index and contents list, before a lunch of scrambled egg. This afternoon I started taking sketches and mounting them in the text.
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Printing out a copy of my Little Paxton History manuscript for neighbour Marilyn to show to her old Paxton lady friends and then stranded by Diana who had taken my car and so by bus to recover it and drove to Huntingdon to resume my researches before to Eaton Socon for a Christmas meal with Diana’s friends and husbands. Controversy in Parliament over the Nimrod contract and the more so over local authority spending where the government needed an emergency bill to regularise illegal actions. The ethnic violence in Karachi is continuing and an Ulster Police Station has been wrecked by another IRA bomb
A warmer night, but felt cold towards morning and welcomed my cup of tea. Up to my normal routine and then a breakfast of wheat flakes, before reading the morning paper briefly. I had started the computer printer going upon waking up and kept renewing the sheets to keep it operating until after breakfast. By the time that Diana had returned from taking Debbie to school I had printed out almost all of it and was typing a preface and contents sheet. I bound both copes and lent one to Marilyn of Willow Close – she is to discuss it with her old Little Paxton ladies (that come to have their hair dressed) to try to get even more information for me. Then, Di getting impatient, it was time to leave for our shopping trip to Cambridge. Di’s mum was still waiting in Eaden Lilley’s, even though we were later than usual, and we had a nice coffee together. Then, as the girls marauded around the toy section, I went up to buy cards for Di for Christmas & anniversary and we met again to buy Daniel’s present. I got him an all-singing-and-dancing watch that stores a database of dates, phone numbers etc., but we shall conceal it in a briefcase to make him think that this would be his only present.