Easter Sunday Late rising on a cold and windy day in a spell that has discouraged birds from nesting yet and that today has kept Daniel and his friends inside for much of the time as the Reagan rejects the Soviet call for an arms summit, religious leaders call for peace, James Cagney dies, aged 86, and SOGAT settle with Maxwell in Scotland to avoid the closure of Scottish
Couldn’t get warm on a chilly morning. A cold westerly wind and temperatures that seemed close to freezing. Stayed in bed to read the papers, update yesterday’s journal and then Daniel’s friends started arriving, one after the other. Last night we were supposed to put the clocks an hour forward for the start of British Summer Time, but I had yet to change from GMT. Strange to think that in previous years we were often on the river at Easter and, when Di was carrying Daniel, she sat out regularly in the warm spring sunshine. After February it will be some time before the ground, sea and air warm up.
Showered, shaved and dressed at last and then, after Diana let out the ducks, we had morning coffee. Daniel’s friends Gary and Steve were round today and they alternated outside and in, trying to do things on the boat, but driven in by the weather. I managed a few small things in the house today – adjusted the shower room curtains, put up a towel rail and a few other things – but I could not really get going, as we all have coughs and colds. I did beat the boys at two games of chess, but watched alone the Moby Dick film on TV as their attentions were elsewhere. When I took a walk round the gardens today, all of the rose bushes seemed to be sprouting at last and I do not think we have lost any to the frost. The river is high and coloured with all of the rain we have had lately and not much sign of birds nesting yet, though the doves are still incubating. Tea with the boys still there and then Di got the girls bathed and turned in to bed. I hope she is well enough for our St Ives outing in the morning. News tonight is of a British soldier seriously ill after being shot in the face in Northern Ireland. It also seems that the latest little girl to go missing, 10 year old Sarah Harper, may be in danger. Both the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope speak out against violence in their Easter Sunday messages to C of E and Catholic followers. James Cagney has died, aged 86, and was one of the most imitated of actors ever, though he claims he never said ‘You dirty rat!’ The Russians react sharply to the Reagan rejection of the latest test ban, after accusing the Americans of challenging world opinion in the process. Meanwhile, there is not any news of the CND Easter anti-nuclear demonstrations, though I did see two numbered police buses returning to police headquarters in Hinchinbrooke yesterday. The blacks have called off the school boycott in South Africa, but are still pressing vociferously for a range of racial reforms. The Scottish branch of SOGAT announced agreement with Maxwell in the latest press war and called the management moves in announcing the closure of the Scottish titles as ‘Absurd and unnecessary.’ The weather today had been 6-7degC and it will not be much warmer for a few days.