Supervising Daniel and serving boiled eggs to him and the girls as Debbie suffers badly with hayfever and then a difficult letter for Freda and a mountain of other paperwork with lots of transactions for Diana to do for me in St Neots later. Terry Waite returns with harrowing stories of repression in South Africa and at last they may start talks with the ANC. Riot police charge 300 protesters at Stormont Castle and the Thatcher government suffer two defeats in The House of Lords
A sluggish start after a late night. I had stayed up to watch a rather classical war film (The Sinking of the Tirpitz) and then a Belgium vs Spain Cup match. Shaved and a quick wash down and only just in time to intercept Daniel to get him to clear up his room before breakfast. A boiled egg each to eat and poor Debbie seems so tired with her hay fever that she slept in this morning. 8.00am and young Andrew arrives. Chris is on jury service for a fortnight and Di has agreed to take the little lad to school.
Out to feed the doves, who are quite hungry by this time. Good to see the young white dove down on the table quite regularly now, but the dilute indigo is still being fed by its father. Then to my office to start the awesome process of catching up on my paperwork. First the bank statements and reconciliations and I gave Di a detailed list of transactions to do in St Neots during her shopping trip. I also asked her to open her own bank account with Barclays whilst there, as I am quite weary with her depleting mine and generating piles of transactions for checking, which are beyond my control. Lunch of Sunday’s cold beef and salad rolls and then to the word processor for the afternoon, making arrangements for my trip to Caithness in July and also writing a long and difficult letter to Freda about Stacey’s future. Tea and then the evening printing my letters, before watching the TV news and updating my journal. We are back to 9 eggs from the ducks after a feeding effort. News tonight is of the government changing tack on South Africa – they will now hold talks with ANC leader, Oliver Tambo, a banned SA party leader. Thatcher will now be urged to consider measures against South Africa. The emergency restrictions are still in place and Terry Waite is now out of the country and free to deplore the evil system of repression. At the end of the Brighton bomb trial, Patrick Magee has been given 8 life sentences and four accomplices have had one each. Magee will serve at least 35 years. Police in riot gear charged at least 300 demonstrators outside Stormont, when protesting at the closure of the assembly. The government suffered two defeats in the House of Lords tonight over housing benefits and the government has also backed down over plans to pay the new family credit benefit through employers, rather than direct to recipients. The showers and heavier rain of this evening will lead to mist and fog overnight, but tomorrow is forecast to be a bit brighter.