Working on Bill’s Shed and tending the ducks and doves today with Della enjoying the flowers and shrubs and then some ‘borrowing’ sums with Debbie as conflicts with Syria and the Lebanon dominate the news and pickets complain of last night’s police horse charge at Wapping
Slept well again and I doubt I shall have any further trouble now that the heating is off. Morning tea a little later than normal, as we have a small lay in and then washed and dressed for some chores today. A good fried breakfast, which I enjoyed, and then out to Bill’s shed. I moved away all of the rocks, bricks and tiles from the rear of it and drove in three poles to support as many rows of planks. The idea is to keep the earth away, as we build up the start of the causeway. This took most of the morning, what with tending the ducks, doves and Della (who follows me around like a little lamb, now I am home more often).
Lunch of roast pork and Gary and Steve join the family and we all eat a good meal. There is a large amount left, which we shall have in sandwiches during the week. This afternoon, I removed the roofing felt from Bill’s shed and with it all of the clout nails (and a sparrow’s nest in the eaves). I measured up for a list of things I need to buy from the shops tomorrow in order to put the new felt on securely. By this time Di’s sister, Sue, had arrived to visit and we had afternoon tea outside on the steamer chairs, which was nice. Then I took her around the garden, whilst Di changed Della’s nappy. The day was mild and bright, if a bit windy. The daffodils are nearly over now, but we have lots of tulips and all of the shrubs are now growing again. Later, we had Daniel’s friends to tea again and after, I went to my workshop to sort out several boxes of screws into individual types and clean up the place. At dusk, I put the ducks away and fed the doves before coming in to do some sums with Debbie – she has been worrying about ‘borrowing’ lately. Then to my journal before the TV news. New pictures have been released by the Soviet authorities on the stricken Chernobyl power station. They now claim that the crisis is over. The inevitable retaliation has taken place, with Syria now expelling three Diplomats from the British Embassy in Assad. A Tunisian has been arrested in France and accused of bombings at the London and Paris bombing of Marks and Spencers. Three blacks were shot dead in South Africa, as Africans attacked an Internal Affair’s Officer’s car. The 1st anniversary of the Bradford football fire was commemorated in the town today by the unveiling of a memorial statue and the singing of the football hymn, ‘Abide With Me’. There was more violence on the Wapping picket line last night, with the demonstrators claiming that it stemmed from an unprovoked charge of police horses. The forecast tonight is for stormy rain spreading overnight, with showers and strong winds tomorrow.