A poor night but a better start to the day with a fried breakfast to sustain me whilst I then wrote this journal with little Debbie accompanying me as she tries to write hers! Then a day working on my alarm system again as the children have friends around to play before ensuring the right rooms were emptied for the return of the builders tomorrow. This as the Westland European Consortium complains that their bid is being ignored, Libya threatens the USA and the NCB avoids the blame for underground fires in Leicestershire
A poor night. Too warm from the extra food we had last night and couldn’t get comfortable. Got shaved, washed and dressed as Di made the breakfast and then came down for a full English breakfast of fried bacon, egg, mushrooms and tomato. After, I settled in my office to read the Sunday Times and then write up my journal for yesterday. Little Debbie comes to join me, but couldn’t find her diary to write in it. Morning coffee and then out to feed the doves and ducks. The ducks had been up on our riverside land again, ferreting around, and I was in fear for my plants. But first I had to bring into the riverside shed two bags of layers pellets that Diana had bought yesterday to do it. Then the doves and they feed quite happily together and should mate next spring.
Then in to my alarm system. What should just have been a wiring job to the switcher for zone 3, turned out to be a problem as the pressure mat under the dining room carpet stays short circuit under the carpet’s weight alone. Zone 4 is less trouble and all other aspects of zone 3 check out fine. Lunch of chicken again, but this time in the kitchen and after, I mount an assault on the front of the house on zones 1 and 5. I have to drill through three walls and cut wide strips into skirting boards in the utility room and kitchen, which is a bit distressing, but will achieve the best finish. Diana and the children play Trivial Pursuit in the lounge and thoroughly enjoy it; Daniel having Paul round and Debbie having Amie. Now that Debbie has mastered the telephone, she is getting Amie over much more often and they continue to play ‘Carebears’ and ‘Little Ponies’. Tea of pilchards and then working until late. Then I had to empty the rooms for the builders, which was a chore. Nevertheless, reasonably on time to bed. News tonight of the European Consortium demanding a meeting with the Westland Board of Directors, after they had been denied such access over the last two weeks. They say Westland have not considered their offer seriously. Two men died on Glenn Coe in a climbing accident in bad weather and the other two were injured, one with a broken leg. Winds of 80 mph, a sudden thaw and avalanche caused the accident. South Africa threatens incursions into Botswana, after guerrilla attacks and a land mine recently killing two whites. Gaddaffi of Libya threatens more retaliation against the US if the Americans attack Libya. He says that guerrillas are in place already to mount the attacks and warns Reagan of the ‘start of world war III’ if he is hit. The NCB will carry out more tests in the Leicester village of Oakthorpe to see how an underground fire that threatens dozens of houses can be put out. They are trying to evade claims of compensation to the annoyance of local residents. After a cold, but mostly dry day, overnight showers and snow is forecast, turning to sleet by morning.