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Very ill and feverish in bed with just the open log fire for comfort whilst the bitterly cold Easterly wind continues and will continue more and the snow and river have still to melt but the US comes out against Marcos and asks for a peaceful handover of power, a Russian cruise ship sinks with 35 people missing and the Wapping ‘battle’ continues
Awoke this morning feeling quite ill – shivery and with a bad headache to boot. As I passed water, I realised that I had got another infection of the urinary tract and so had to spend the day in bed. Lots of orange juice, occasional tablets for the headache, and a bit of TV. It got worse as the day went on, which was a pity, as the Tomblins came over for tea and I had to stay in bed. At one stage, I couldn’t keep warm and was shivering, despite wearing my dressing gown under the bed clothes. Came down later to hasten Diana into bed, but did not sleep too easily after all.
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A fair frost on a bitterly cold day with 40 league football matches called off whilst at home the heating kept failing and we were relying on open fires and fan heaters and I was ill with a worrying urinary tract infection and late to take Debbie and to see Peter Pan in Bedford as the Marcos regime claims victory in the Philippines as a blow to democracy but Murdoch pulls back from legal action against the NGA as they are within the law for once
Slept well and woke to my tea. A fair frost again last night and some time before our fan heater could take the chill of the house. I tried to light the failed boiler – even briefly – but the pilot light and thermostat seem to be getting much worse. Breakfast as usual, but conscious of a stinging feeling whilst passing water that normally means a urinary tract infection. Still, got ready as usual and went out to the birds, who were consequently appreciative. I noticed this morning that the dead thrush on our balcony had not died from the cold or lack of food, but had struck the window.
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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.
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A day of trial and tribulation as Daniel’s housemaster has caught him stealing money from my wallet and the fight against builders’ dust and endeavour to organise my files is a challenge but there seems a chance of buying the last riverside plot we require as Nelson Mandela appears in a drawn and pale state, 30,000 pupils commemorate the death of the first freedom casualty and a scary new police riot training centre opens as Murdoch’s Wapping plant experiences its largest mass picket yet and the 17th supporter of Philippine’s Ms Aquino is murdered during her election campaign to fight the sitting President
A bitter night and awake to my morning tea and the paper, which I enjoyed until the morning post came and was brought up. A letter from Daniel’s Housemaster at Kimbolton, David Blackburn, informing us that Daniel had admitted a series of thefts of money from me (after he had been seen with large sums of money) was a very poor start to the day. A despondent time over breakfast and dressing as the central heating also decided to malfunction again and, rather cold, managed to wash my hair and shower. Di had cut my hair this morning, as it had become very long and unmanageable. To my office for another trying time with my archives and only really got to grips with the task after a further afternoon and evening at it.