Visit to Bedford with the family and a look at Peacock’s auction and then home after viewing a nearby field but neither of interest as I resume work on The Lady after some tennis on our lawn with Daniel playing and Della fielding before he and his friends worry Diana by flirting with the girls who have come to swim. More Commonwealth Games boycotts as Thatcher resists South African sanctions and is more preoccupied with reducing inflation beyond its current 2.5% and the marching and conflict season is underway in Ulser again
Another restless night, feeling a bit warm and uncomfortable in bed. Sat groggily with my morning tea for a while and then got up to wash my hair, as well as shower and shave. Thus down late to breakfast and unable to eat my boiled egg, so I had cereal instead. Dressed in sports jacket and trousers, because after reading today’s paper and mail, I set off to Bedford with all the family, except Debbie, who is still at school.
Daniel and I took his BBC Micro into a computer shop to get it repaired and then re-joined Di and Della for coffee. To the auction, but nothing much of interest and so no bids left. To Gibbs and Dandy Gale to buy a few tools, before lunch as usual in Debenhams. Di’s letter has yet to do any good, as they seem as disorganised as ever. On to Eaton Socon to our butchers and, on my advice, Di bought a leg of lamb. Because of scares over Chernobyl radiation, prices are down by 25%, though no affected sheep have even been slaughtered yet! Home via the A1 at Little Paxton to see one of the late Farmer Brittan’s fields, which is being auctioned next Friday. I do not think I will be bidding, as the access is too exposed to the A1 traffic. Once home I got Di to make some tea and we drank it in the riverside garden, before I played Daniel at tennis. Della retrieved the balls when we lost them and put them in our box. I then put on the new rear runner on The Lady’s port side, drilling and inserting preservative tablets underneath and then bedding it into mastic and cleaning up the result. Dan and his friends swam with the girls again tonight and worried Di by flirting. News today is of the Commonwealth Games boycott spreading with Uganda joining Nigeria and Ghana. Also Winnie Mandela confirms that Nelson will not be willing to meet Sir Geoffrey Howe later this month. In the month of the S African emergency there has been widespread death and unrest, despite the governments PR to the contrary. Record numbers of whites are leaving the country. In the UK, inflation at 2.5% in June is the lowest for 19 years, but Mrs Thatcher wants it down further, in spite of rising unemployment. Security forces in both parts of Ireland are on alert tonight, as trouble is expected in Portadown, when Protestant Orangemen try to march in historic tradition through Roman Catholic areas. The weather forecast is reasonable for tomorrow and so it looks as if I’ll be working myself silly again!