Solving our heating problems on another bitterly cold day and then completing my re-organisation of my files before filling log baskets, looking after the children and completing other chores as The Westland European bid fails and Sikorsky/Fiat win the day as cracks and failures in Boeing 747’s are worrying and a major toxic leak takes place at the ICI plant at Grangemouth
A poor night as I went to bed very late and then had a restless time worrying about the heating and arrangements for the morning. Breakfast of toast and fruit juice again and it highlighted the mouth ulcers I have been plagued with for some time – nothing like sharp toast and citric acid to make them worse! Back to bed, having re-lit the boiler and let the house warm up whilst I read the FT in bed.
I had put up the boiler thermostat to full and done the same with the radiator controls and so was avoiding relying on the pilot. Quickly to my office and started a day of paperwork and file organisation. But, before I could get going, I spied Pete and dressed up to go out and get him started on the fence repairs at No 39. We carted off the old broken ones and then took round two of the whole replacements from our outer garage, tipping them all over the fence by the footpath as we went. Out with the ducks and fun to see certain of them actually flying over the ice. I will leave them with untrimmed flight feathers for now, but will surely cut them when the weather improves. One egg today, which was good news for pancakes later. Also to feed the doves, who were glad of the seed and the fresh water that I brought up by breaking the ice in the river. Another freezing night, but less frost again than last night. Both before and after lunch, I tackled quite a few files and thinned them out, inserting the remains into folders and putting them away in the Firefile. By the end of the afternoon, I had finished most of it and in my next session will bring down more old documents from the loft and sort out the archives for safekeeping. The pool men continued the slow process of stringing the steel reinforcing rods to the shape of the pool, the carpenter was back to strengthen the cupboard shelves and trim the doors with skirting board and the plumber made an early appearance to do a little. As darkness fell after 5pm, I put the ducks successfully away, locked up the outer garages and filled up the log baskets ready for a warm fire tonight. The Gas Board called again today, cleaned the burner, but this time seemed to fix it, which is just as well, as the clear sky portends another frosty night for this cold spell. We shall all be glad when the milder weather comes. This evening I read Debbie her customary story, examined Daniel’s schoolwork very thoroughly and then watched a skating rink, ping-pong game of football between QPR and Liverpool on that daft, Loftus Road, synthetic pitch. Sad news today that Westland shareholders voted in favour of accepting the Sikorsky/Fiat rescue package by a 2/3rds majority and an attempt by Lloyds Bank to get an adjournment also failed. It had emerged that 6 shareholders, three with Swiss bank nominee anonymity, now own another 20+% of the remaining shares, which made the task of Lloyds consortium getting their 20% tender impossible. All very unsatisfactory. As a class 4 action, no shareholder with an interest in benefiting from the deal is allowed to vote in favour. The firm themselves were pleased with the results and the twin flags of the United States and Italy were hoisted above their factory. British Airways have found further structural cracks in three more Boeing 747's after the new electronic screening tests. The calls have increased for a ‘tear down’ or dis-assembly on an old 747 to check for all wear symptoms, but the air carriers are frightened at the prospect, as it may lead to a degrading of the aircraft’s planned working life. There was a major leak of toxic gas by an ICI chemical plant in Grangemouth, central Scotland today and locals were upset by delays in giving warnings of the leak. The formal Channel Tunnel Treaty was signed between President Mitterrand and Mrs Thatcher today, or rather between their ministers, and both droned on about the historic significance of the event.