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Another warm and sunny day painting and varnishing The Lady before taking Debbie horse-riding and swimming with the girls whilst supervising Daniel’s exam revision as Thatcher still holds out against South African sanctions in an EEC meeting despite five more blacks being killed today with 11 townships under curfew and the whole state under repressive censorship. South African Dutch Reformist Church Cleric, Allan Boesak, justly accuses Britain of, ‘hypocrisy, selfishness and indifference’
A very stiff start to the day – all aches and pains after yesterday’s exertions. Breakfast of Jordan’s wheat flakes and then out to feed the doves. Both dove chicks now come to the table and so we can say that they have been the first ones we have successfully reared. A warm start to the day and so put on my shirt and shorts earlier than usual and made a start on The Lady. I sanded off the front windscreen and cabins, then, after coffee, started to paint the cockpit roof with deck paint. I had tidied up the pool area earlier, but I might as well not have bothered,
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Working outside varnishing The Lady on a warm and sunny day before taking a break with Di and Della swimming in the pool before joined there by Daniel and his friends later as my £ ¼ million cheques for the sale of our Kode shares arrived today and were quickly paid in! At last Britain is acting against South African apartheid atrocities but is also secretly planning the sale of British Leyland
A late night and paid the price this morning. Still, down to a cereal breakfast on time and checked that Daniel was ready for his next day’s exams. I had forgotten to put the ducks away last night and they roamed the river, quacking, as I fed the doves. Then to The Lady and a tough time preparing the for’d cabin for varnishing. A few breaks in the existing coats and I also dug out and replaced a section of the cabin-to-deck coving. A warm day and I had to change into shorts to keep comfortable. In for coffee and, as I sat relaxing, the River Bailiffs came by and queried Daniel’s boat registration – which was OK, but concealed. A coat of varnish before lunch of meat pie and another after.
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A very busy and productive day researching my Harraden paintings in Cambridge Reference Library with Charles Jackson’s help, back to supervise the children, varnish The Lady (twice) and clean the swimming pool thoroughly as Britain starts talks with Oliver Tambo of the ANC, poor Barry McGuigan loses his title boxing in unfairly hot Santa Cruz conditions and Ulster Unionist MPs are ‘up in arms’ (literally) for being ejected from Stormont
Early to rise and, drinking my tea quickly, soon to get washed and dressed for breakfast. I put on my new sports jacket, white shirt and tie and reasonable trousers for today’s planned visit to Cambridge. Breakfast of croissants with the children, then time to feed the doves and scan the paper, whilst Diana took Debbie to school. I made sure that Daniel had a working pen and sharp pencils for his examinations today. A little look round the garden and pleased to see the showers of yesterday had freshened up the place.
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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.