A fine, cool and windy day spent mainly inside with Daniel reorganising our rooms, moving furniture and generally tidying up until a water leak requires the builder’s presence after which I relax more, having got quite tired. The Glenholmes fiasco continues and there seems hope for British Leyland as The general Motors deal breaks down, but Thatcher is in trouble for share dealings in an Aussie mining company and the NGA secretary was arrested in the demo last night
A fair lay in and tea in bed in comfort, as the heating had been on for some time. Down to start cooking my own breakfast, which I did with some skill and then enjoyed my fried egg, bacon, tomato, bread, sausage and then to the Observer for a while, but not much coverage of the Budget that had not been seen elsewhere. Showered, shaved and dressed and then, with Daniel, a start on the house furnishing. We first set up the nursery with the single bed from Debbie’s room, with a new pine headboard. Also the cot and other accouterments. The small bed across to Debbie’s room, that allowed her bedside cabinet to be put back in position. Then to Daniel’s room, where we take his older single bed away, move the model railway cabinet across to the box room, and then bring in and set up the oak double bedstead.
A massive sort out of his room left it completely unrecognisable, but very much neater as a result. A rest for lunch and Di had cooked a nice one of roast chicken. Debbie played outside this morning and I got her to let my poor ducks out, who had been trapped inside until midday. More work on the removals after lunch, but I did spend an hour recovering as I watched the rugby on TV. Then, as I tried to get some tools for Daniel and Steve, I spotted a cascade of water coming from the attic and our webbed-footed plumber had done it again. A call brought Brian Cheeseborough to the scene and we ended up not quite so bad as it appeared. Tea after feeding the ducks and doves and then more work until watching Hancock with Daniel on TV. Too tired to do much else, I pottered about before surrendering to TV snooker & motor racing. News today of the continuing recrimination over the Glenholmes extradition fiasco. Extra care is being taken over the third warrant and meanwhile, Glenholmes is free and under cover in the Republic. General Motors has confirmed that negotiations to buy British Leyland have broken down and all-British solutions now seem more possible. Heseltine attributes the government’s problems with Westland and BL to a lack of a Tory industrial strategy. Mrs Thatcher is under more personal pressure, as revelations broke out over her share dealing in Broken Hill, Australia’s biggest company, which is alleged as ‘unprecedented by a post-war Prime Minister.’ In last night’s demonstration outside Murdock’s Wapping works, NGA General Secretary, Tony Dubbins, was arrested for obstruction. The weather was fine, if windy, and cool today, but is forecast to be very windy and stormy tomorrow, with heavy rain as well. I shall spend the day inside working