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A struggle to get to Cambridge for the exchange of contracts for 39 Gordon Road and to feed the family as we were all sick with colds etc and then to sit roasting chestnuts with Debbie at the end of the day. The long-distance Challenger experimental plane completes its world circumnavigation on a single tank of fuel, Sakharov is free and mobbed by journalists in Moscow, Thatcher’s Ulster visit is marred by demonstrations and the Balance of Payments plunges into the red with Christmas imports
Stayed up until the early hours finishing off the lettering on my map and came to bed late. Di was awake anyway, as Daniella was coughing badly with her cold. Remade the hot water bottles for warmth on another cold night and was soon asleep. Awoken to my morning tea by a Diana who was very sick with diarrhoea. Debbie and Daniel also feel sick, Della is still ill and my cold is accompanied by a splitting headache – what a start to the day! Daniel gets breakfast, as I shower and then he brings me up the post, which includes his school report. He is trying harder than before and has obtained some favourable comments, but the marks are only satisfactory. Di and I have to go to Cambridge to sign our sale contracts on 39 Gordon Road and so we struggle out with Daniella, leaving Dan & Deb with Joan, the cleaner, for company. Not a bad visit to the city. Most shoppers were leaving for lunch by that time, but there was a chilly cold wind. Parked in Lion Yard, did our deed, and then drove home quickly, stopping on the way to buy some fresh vegetables from the Coton farm shop.
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Tragic car crash on an icy day with a Northerly chill breeze kills Cornish Liberal Party star, David Penhaligon , there are more riots or ‘demonstrations’ taking place in China and OPEC agree production limits to peg oil at $18/barrel as Sterling and the Stocks rise in sympathy and I continue my map-making
Slept well and was slow again to get showered and dressed before breakfast. The meal with the family and then, it being after 9.00am, I drove into St Neots to the office supplies shop and bought a new mapping pen, nibs and ink. I also got some tracing paper, in case I was to start some more maps of later Little Paxton development. Soon home and resume my map drawing project. I work the whole day, stopping only for meals, listing and understanding the Little Paxton enclosure awards until, later in the day, I was ready to transcribe the details on to the map. I stay up late to finish the task, as there had been plenty of interruptions earlier and I was anxious to get finished. News is of two surprising deaths. First of the actor who played Dr Finley in the Casebook television series of the same name. Then in a motor car crash of the Liberal Party Home Affairs spokesman, David Penhaligon, who will be sorely missed by his hard-pressed colleagues. More riots, or at least ‘vigorous demonstrations’, in China and the authorities begin to grow impatient with these student and worker protests for more freedom. OPEC oil ministers have agreed an oil production limit that will raise the crude oil price to $18/a barrel in the short term, but whether they will actually stick to the new targets remains to be seen. The pound sterling and UK Stock Market rise in sympathy with the news, but Wall Street is more sceptical. Another cold day, with the fresh and cold northerly airstream.
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Working further on my Little Paxton map after a hard frost this morning as Debbie mimics my efforts and our turkey is safely delivered after 64 cards have been received. Scarborough football club Chairman Barry Adamson dies intervening in a fight between rival fans and Boy George is arrested on drug charges as his companion dies of an overdose
Another nice lay in and down to breakfast in my pyjamas for a fried breakfast. The morning papers – full of MI5 scandals and the involvement of two Tory MPs, Winston Churchill and another – and then very late upstairs to shave, shower and dress. Came down again and went out to feed the ducks and doves, but managed to get Daniel to do it for me and so saved myself the trouble. His friend Steve was over for the day and had been working himself silly since school broke up, plucking turkeys, chickens etc for a neighbouring farm. He was glad of the rest today. More work on my map, starting to colour in the rivers and brooks and then the involved process of Sunday lunch. Helped Di in to the kitchen with the tray then layed up the dining table and brought out all of the best china and silver.
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Swimming with the family at St Neots indoor pool, Ernulf, on a cold day and then shopping after lunch before drafting a map of Little Paxton at the turn of the 18th Century as Mum makes arrangements for her Christmas visit. More revelations about MI5’s attempts to discredit Harold Wilson’s ministers and IRA bombs explode across Ulster, there are more rumours of insider dealings in The City and the AWACs contract seems to be lost
A nice lay in until 7.00am, now that both Daniel and Debbie have broken up from school. A breakfast late as well, but I got up in time to enjoy it with the children. I had promised Di a trip out with the children to any activity that would be warm and where all the family would be happy and cheerful. She chose swimming and, Letchworth being closed until Jan 1st for maintenance, we went to the new St Neots indoor pool at Ernulf School. A very new pool, with a water chute and rather unconventional layout. A good swim, but both Di and Della went under water after the chute and neither liked it. A warm drink and relaxation period before we left and then on to the Happy Eater as usual for our Saturday lunch. I will be glad when this restaurant publishes its new menu, as they have discontinued all of the prawn dishes and have yet to offer anything in return. Home via St Neots, where Di got the special eczema ointment for the children and I got some cartridge paper and carbon paper from the stationers. This afternoon, I joined together two of these sheets and started the process of drawing Little Paxton as it was at the turn of the 18th Century – the old strip common field systems being replaced by the enclosures. I got as far as using carbon paper to trace the east of the Parish from the Award Map and then had to magnify the west part from smaller scale maps, using a graticule on a scale of 2:5. Di did her usual job of ironing and cleaning up and Daniel just relaxed in front of the television, as he has been doing ever since he broke up from school. Mum phoned and plans to come overnight on Christmas Eve, but hopes for an operation in the New Year and so is anxious to avoid catching colds etc and Della has just started a new infection. The news of more revelations about MI5, with detail being given of plots to discredit senior Labour Government Ministers in the Harold Wilson era. Now the Americans say that they are not sure that Iran arms deal money actually did get to the Nicaraguan contras, but the intentions were clear. A chain of IRA bombs explode across Ulster in a pre-Christmas bombing campaign. The rumblings over City of London insider-dealing go on. The Government’s ploy of announcing the AWACs decision just before the Christmas hols seems to have paid off. A cold night last night and another planned for tonight. No snow yet here, but it is forecast.