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A wet and windy morning studying the Budget coverage which is widely criticised for the fuel tax increase and then some financial transactions as Prince Andrew announces his engagement to Sarah Ferguson
Slept deeply and again had my drink in bed. Down to breakfast and then read the Budget edition of the Financial Times. A lot of detail on the speech and its implications and then, once I’d dressed, there was a special edition of Moneybox on Radio 4, with an expert panel answering listeners questions. The Capital Transfer tax abolition of duty on lifetime gifts is going to have wide reaching effects on our estate. I listened to this programme as I settled down to work at my desk. A morning and early afternoon of paperwork, paying bills, making phone calls, and reconciling bank and building society accounts. I progressed the building work with the architect, instituted an appeal on a rating assessment, organised a gas inspection for the swimming pool boiler, reported the fault on the new Hi Fi and arranged for Jeckells to visit to look at the covers we need for the boats.
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Budget Day - The completion of my carved oak furniture to our satisfaction after a trip to St Ives auction with several bids accepted before lunch at The Southoe Bell on a day that started brightly but continued overcast and damp and then to hear Chancellor Lawson’s budget speech which favoured the rich but hammered petrol and tobacco as Jacques Chirac is invited to be Prime Minister of France and Swedish police charge Olof Palme’s assassin
A lay in after the latish night and then had my morning tea in bed. Up in time for breakfast and then a shower and shave to get ready quite early. To the Hi-Fi and listened to several nice tunes on the compact discs and then out to the car to take Di and Della to St Ives. Arrived by 9.30am and so half an hour to look round the auction showroom before it began. Collected a catalogue for 50p and then joined Di in the café opposite for a morning coffee. I bid successfully for an oak joint stool from Hove (£40) and an old poor-condition mahogany carriage table for £30, which was a bargain if it were not for the work it needs.
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A busy day of deliveries and installations with the latest technology HiFi from A & N Audio, pine furniture as I renovate our recent purchase plus the efforts of the carpet measuring and plumbing trades paving the way back to normality whilst the ducks return to lay with 9 egg. This as President Mitterrand of France appoints a right wing Prime Minister, Prince Andrew dates Fergie and $350 million of property in New York and a stolen fortune of up to $1 billion of belonging to Marcos and his wife Imelda is repatriated for the Philippines but a brave local rescue bid for BL trucks looks doomed.
Slept well again, but woke before my drink and so went down to make drinks for myself and the children. Debbie wanted a hot orange juice and then tea for Dan and me, made from tea leaves rather than tea bags. Di was not happy about my antics, but I did manage to get some maths tuition in for Deb, so as to alleviate her worries for today’s school. Breakfast of toast and fruit juice as usual and then a rush for the bathrooms. I started work on our carved oak wardrobes and then took Diana to St Neots once they had returned from taking Debbie to school. A chance to get my materials – dark oat filler, stain, two large ‘G’ cramps etc., and also to pay in some £2300 into our bank account to bring it back into credit.
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Tired after yesterday, I spent some time this morning spent on our newly-acquired oak furniture until held up for materials and then a family visit, by invitation, to overly-long lunch with Janis Salvadori and her husband, our swimming pool agents, where Nigel and Lynne Smith joined us for an epic session before home to watch Hancock as the French election looks to deliver a narrow centre-right coalition and police and workers clash in South Africa
Slept well, but felt tired on awakening due to my exceptional efforts of yesterday. Took tea in bed and then struggled down to breakfast, scanning a little of the Observer on the way. Decided not to shower and shave until later, so that I could have three hours working on my new carved oak wardrobe. Managed to find the materials and tools as far apart as the two sheds, the boat and my tool cupboard and then satisfactorily rotated the lower frame and glued it into position.