A very cold morning with no bedroom heating and more freezing weather which is set to continue and worsen tomorrow so then out to tend the doves and ducks before taking Diana and the girls to Bedford to buy more tiles and a Little Chef meal out before home to find no heating engineer or pool contractors but a postal invitation to join the exclusive judging panel for the industry RITA awards which I would have to decline following my industry retirement and then to read stories to Debbie and supervise Daniel’s work after which my finances and tax affairs. The NGA have driven Murdoch to ACAS and dodged the sequestration and fighting has escalated in the Iran/Iraq gulf war as Iran has crossed the intervening waterways and are on the receiving end of a counter attack. More faults found on Boeing 747s
Awake after a sound night on a very cold morning, made chillier by the lack of central heating in our bedroom. A little time with the paper and then down to breakfast. Pleased that my mouth had healed up a fair amount and so able to enjoy some toast and fruit juice for a change. A civil meal and then to the shower room, where I washed rather than showered to avoid creating too much steam whilst the heating was low. Soon dressed and ready and just time to feed the doves before Joan arrived and Diana was ready to leave.
I had decided to take Di shopping in Bedford and to ask Joan to undertake a spring clean of my office and she did it meticulously whilst I was out. In Bedford we had coffee and doughnuts in Debenhams (2x65p + 42p for an orange juice for Della), then looked around the store before going across to Gibbs and Dandy Gales to find some more Bloomsbury patterned, blue and pink shower curtains and blinds for the new bathrooms. I went off to Peacocks to view a poor selection of general auction lots and then rendezvoused with Di in Sainsbury’s to help her with the week’s shopping. How crowded it was there, with 10 queues, 10 deep. I reckon that the older and infirm shoppers, who normally come earlier in the week, had put off their trips until today in the hope of better conditions – in the event it was less frosty, though chilling with the breeze. Eventually back to Di’s car and loaded up to drive back to Little Paxton. Di treated me to a cup of tea and a waist-preserver at the Little Chef before we went home. No heating engineer yet, no builders (awaiting the sanitary ware) and no pool men, as they had finished the steel mesh and await the end of the freezing weather. I enjoyed my office this afternoon and was encouraged by the space and tidiness to catch up on some correspondence, whilst Di entertained some friends and their children in the kitchen and playroom. In today’s post I had received a couple of notable items. An invitation from Cahners to join the prestigious and exclusive judging panel for the industry RITA awards and the expected formal letter of complaint from Hunts. RDC about the grass verge damage. I replied to both. In the circumstances, and with genuine regret, I had to let Cahners reconsider now that I am retiring from the computer industry affairs. A flattering suggestion though, and one I would have enjoyed taking up. I also reassured the Council in a nice letter, after calling Mr Monks of Elm Leisure to check our intentions. Several other letters before time for tea and a date with the ducks and doves. All safely fed, garages locked up and then in for a tea of shepherd’s pie, which was soberly received by the family. After, I continued my work, read Debbie 1 ½ stories (to make up for ½ yesterday) and supervised Daniel closely. As well as his homework in full, he had to clean my car and write to my mother before having some time to himself. My journal in the warmth of my office and then more work with the word processor and on my tax affairs. News tonight is of the second Fleet Street union – the NGA – tangling with the courts as they escape sequestration by removing the blacking order – only to put it back on after the court hearing, after a ballot. All this as the Murdoch management agrees for the first time to go to ACAS, the conciliation people. In the Philippines, the church comes out against the fairness of the Marcos election result, pointing to blackmail, violence, murder and election fraud. As the Bishops announce their view, another opposition figure is undergoing a funeral and another politician was shot at dawn by 6 bullets of a sort only issued to the armed forces. Mrs Thatcher admitted today how difficult the last few weeks have been, but refuses to be drawn on the budget. The takeover bid for Distillers by Guinness was referred to the Monopolies Commission today, after both they and Argyll had spent millions on a saturation newspaper advertising campaign. Fighting has escalated in the Iran/Iraq gulf war as Iran has crossed the intervening waterways and are on the receiving end of a counter attack. After more faults found on Boing 747s, the makers have recommended even more structural checks and I do not think we have heard the end of the matter. The forecast tonight is for another severe frost and then freezing temperatures will prevail all day tomorrow.