Full day of activity, working on the Hayling View radiators, trying to choose new curtain material and submitting four dozen duck eggs into Shawe’s auction. Some timber purchased, some transactions and a Little Chef lunch before Diana takes the girls swimming and I relax with Daniel putting up cabinets and then watching Dallas on TV when he gets home. 32 more killed in South African unrest and a big UK clamp down on soccer hooliganism but the main news is of continued US strikes on Libya.
Still tired this morning after Monday night’s power cuts, but caught up on some of the sleep anyway. A slow start to the day, competing with the girls for use of the bathroom. The plumber arrives this morning and fits the replacement urinal and the last radiator. Whilst he does this, I put on the thermostatic valve tops and then turn each of the ones in the house so that they can be operated easily from the front. The swimming pool men are here today rendering the sides of the blocks to form a smooth curve. Nothing much in the morning mail and so out to the ducks and doves, who are quite hungry (only) 8 eggs today. Then to get ready a lot of jumble for Shawe’s auction, before relaxing with the family in the playroom with a mug of coffee.
Then too late for our planned 10.30am departure, so a bit of bother getting ready and locking up as Della fretted in the car. All off to St Neots on a milder day, gradually turning more windy. First to Shawes auction rooms, where we deposited 4 doz eggs in three lots and also our other two boxes of scalextrics parts and jumble. Then to park in the market square, where we went our separate ways; Daniel to find a video film for his birthday entertainment, Di to get a few things and me some money and materials. I got more money than usual from the Abbey National building society, as I will now keep a spare £100 in the security safe for rainy days! Then to buy some all-in-one drill bits from the Handyman, together with 3 6ft lengths of 3x2 P.AR timber and accessories. We rendezvoused back at Brittain’s and, after some difficulty picking one material for the hall curtains, we take a couple of samples home to dwell on it. Back to the market square to meet Daniel and collect his video and then off to the Little Paxton Little Chef for a nice lunch. Della had been off form all morning, but cheered up at the prospect of food. Home after and the afternoon with Daniel putting up two cabinets in the utility room, which was quite a job and needed the two of us. At 3.30pm Di took the girls to Bedford for a swim and I was not hungry enough to take my tea then, and by the time I was later on, the others had ate it all! Worked on putting up the electric radiant heater and bathroom cabinet in our en-suite facilities, but in the evening lacked energy and health to do much more and so collapsed in front of the TV watching Dallas with Daniel. An interruption to help Di collect her car from Marshalls, but the TV news without time to write my journal today. News today was of 32 more killed in the South African civil unrest. Also of a remarkable police clamp down on soccer hooliganism, as 7 are arrested after much investigation and video research as part of a new policy. An opinion poll puts the Alliance and Labour level in the lead, with the Tories a third place. Yes, and I forgot, I watched the England football team beat the USSR 1-0 in a thrilling live televised game. There is widespread discussion of the US vs Libyan naval engagement and, though the conflict has aroused American jingoism, they are criticised internationally for provoking the confrontation. The truth is that this is the retaliation for the terrorism in European airports. Lastly a debate at the Labour NEC meeting to consider the Militant cases, where 7 left-wing NEC members walked out and deprived the meeting of a quorum.