Flights with Daniel to Wick to see progress on planting up my Thormaid plantation at Broubster and the evening at the Ladbroke Mercury hotel where Daniel visited the local fair and I took a walk. Sonny Ramphal, the Commonwealth Secretary general appeals to Thatcher as she also receives advice from the Queen as the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth itself is at risk due to her obduracy
A poor night. The hotel, though well appointed, is very stuffy and the beds small, soft, noisy and covered in man-made, synthetic bedding, which is the worst of all combinations. A timely call at 5.30 and we had washed and showered (with me shaved and hair-washed) and dressed by 6.00 to go down to breakfast. An old chap, with a Yorkshire accent, was the night porter that prepared our breakfast and he did it very well. We were only led to expect a continental breakfast, but cereal and a pot of tea were there to start with, then toast and two boiled eggs each completed the treat. We tipped him £2 for his attentions and were away by 6.20 and at East Midlands Airport by 6.30.
A little time checking in and through to the departure lounge to find the last call in progress for our flight to Scotland. I had thought that the flight was at 7.30 and it was at 7.00 all along! An uneventful flight up at East Midlands, down at Edinburgh, then Aberdeen, before changing plane for the final leg to Wick. Daniel’s ears were pretty bad, but could have been worse. Met at Wick by George McRobbie and taken to the Fountain Forestry offices in the old Herring factory in Telford Road, Wick. A fine, calm and warm day, which was in sharp contrast to the windy, wet weather of last year. A long discussion, where we talked about the progress of planting at Thormaid. Another 40+ Ha planted this year, with some broadleaved trees at points of amenity. No problems reported and so I pressured them on the variability of planting costs and the budgets for next year. As it was approaching midday, we drove to Thurso for a bar-snack lunch of fried scampi and shandy, before driving out to the Estate to see the trees. A long walk up and down the furrows of the new plantings, round by the hook that we own in majority and then down the other side to see the state of last year’s planting as well. The work of this year had gone well, with the peaty areas faring better than those in the dry and stony sites. The weather has been dry and warm, after a cold spring, and so we could really use some more rain. The more disappointing then when we came to last year’s planting, where the cold winds had killed off the lodge-pole pine in places and most of the crop had only made minimum progress. Still, overall quite a satisfactory situation and well satisfied back to our hotel – The Ladbroke Mercury, by the river. We walked in the warm sunshine, before making some afternoon tea in our bedroom. Then out together to the shops, where we bought presents for Debbie and Della, before having tea at a nearby café. Back to the hotel, where we replayed a video tape that we had recorded at the plantation today, then Daniel went to the nearby fair, whilst I took a walk round the neighbourhood. News tonight is of the South African effect on the Commonwealth. Secretary General, Sir Sonny Ramphal, appeals to Thatcher to keep the window of hope open and to the African states to keep their options open. The Queen’s audience with Thatcher today must have been a significant contact and certain of her Cabinet colleagues are also very worried about the ruination of the Games and split-up of the Commonwealth. In the House of Commons, Thatcher was still obdurate, but we must hope that the Cabinet can have a moderating influence on Thursday, before the African front-line states meet on Friday and India take their lead from them. After days of violence in Northern Ireland, a catalogue of arrests take place within rival sectarian gangs, involving violence to persons and property. We had been fortunate with the weather today, as rain and wind is forecast for tomorrow. It seems that weather back home is still hot, with temperatures of 28/29*C forecast for tomorrow when we get back.