Early start with Debbie being studious on a chilly morning, receiving advice on protecting my river frontage, a clean bill of health from the dentist and a viewing of the St Neots general auction before the kids enjoy the pool and I watch the World Cup football. This as Thatcher is still set on tax cuts to solve all ills, the print unions reject Murdoch’s latest offer and South Africa bans all meetings on the anniversary of the 1976 Soweto riots
Groggily awake this morning to my tea, but at least we were on time. I lay recovering and Debbie came in to pester me to find her ‘project’. She is copying Daniel’s attempts at doing a paper on ‘The Battle of the Somme’ and her enthusiasm at the age of 7 contrasts with his reluctance at 14. Showered, dressed and down to breakfast, spotting that Debbie had left her room in a mess, despite being told to clear it up. Ready at 8.30am for the visit of the AWA river engineer, who spent an hour with me examining my 200+ feet of frontage and advising me on its protection. He is not able to bring much new advice and can only recommend T Harrison Chaplin, who I will now contact to plan and quote for the work.
Then the birds – I think that one of the younger chicks will be white and the other blue – until Di was ready to go to St Neots for the dentist appointment. My teeth were OK, but Dr Osborne decided that Di would have to come in again for a hygienist’s appointment to remove the scale or plaque. Then a coffee, a look in at the general auction showroom to see the bedding plants for tomorrow, and then home to a scampi lunch. I checked the pool and found the chlorine level lowering again – some function of the 80+ temperature we keep it at and the heavy use it gets. A rest after lunch and then out to my workshop to slowly and carefully sharpen my three chisels, plane, spoke shave etc., so that later I could a start on the house door fitting problems. Then, in again to watch the Epson Derby horse race on TV. An exciting event on an obviously very enjoyable day for those participating. A riding error cost the favourite, Dancing Brave, the race by half a length. Daniel and his friends swam with Debbie this evening, in spite of a chilly breeze. At least today was mostly dry. More televised football today. The news tonight is of yet another Thatcher speech insisting that tax cuts and inflation control are still the key to creating jobs – a thesis that most of us can hardly give credence to any longer. A huge heroin drugs haul has been recovered by Dutch police at Rotterdam, in Europe’s largest ever drugs haul at 220kg or £14million value. Mexican football fans celebrating their teams 2-1 victory in the World Cup, ended up rioting and 100-200 were injured, with Scots fans inadvertently involved. The NGA members have rejected Murdoch’s latest offer in a ballot and SOGAT’s decision is now awaited. In the published report into last year’s Legionnaires disease outbreak at a hospital, staff were blamed for a number of mistakes that led to the death of 28 people. More repression in South Africa, as the government imposes a blanket ban on meetings to commemorate the 1976 Soweto riots and new measures give the police yet more power. After today’s chilly weather, there may be frosts overnight, as the temperature drops to 7degC or less and tomorrow will be even cooler and with rain too.