Sadness watching the Cenotaph procession on Remembrance Sunday but pleasure at joining Debbie and her Brownie’s troop at St James’s Church for our service after which I was making decisions about acquiring forestry land in Broubster and Manorial rights locally whilst welcoming Daniel home from his weekend away and spending more time with Debbie later. More speculation about the credibility of US Secretary Shultz after his arms for hostages stance revealed, and about Thatcher going to the country in June but action from anti-whaling activists as they sink two whaling boats in Iceland
Another late night, finishing off those typed notes on Paxton Park, and a lay in with my tea, reading yesterday’s paper. Had to get a move on to get showered and dressed in time for my fried breakfast, which I had with the girls, as Daniel was still away. A wild and windy morning and so I stayed inside after breakfast and wrote up yesterday’s journal, which took a while. Then out to tend the bonfire – I struggled to push together the remaining logs and get the fire started again, before feeding the ducks and doves. I am not getting any duck eggs at the moment and the ducks need cleaning out badly. In to a coffee, as I kept Della happy at the same time. She had developed a lisp, which is natural for babies struggling to talk, but it is still a bit worrying. Then I turned to my financial affairs and started to write up details of investment income that we had recently received, but I broke off to help Diana with the laying of table for lunch.
A nice meal of well-formed chicken, washed down with some of the Paxton Crest wine that we had recently bought to try. It is quite nice in my opinion – a little dry and rough and not quite as good as Liebfraumilch, but at least the vineyard is almost within view across the river. Di and I did the washing up after and we were so sleepy and engaged with it, that we forgot to watch the time. It was already 2.40pm and we were supposed to have got Debbie to St James church by 2.45pm in her Brownies uniform for a Remembrance Day service. (Earlier this morning I had watched the service at the Cenotaph at 11.00 and seen the ceremony and the formal grief. I am always moved by emotional events and, getting steadily more upset, was finally overcome by the sight of the blind St Dunstan’s disabled servicemen walking past the Cenotaph and, prompted by their sited escort, giving the ‘eyes left’ salute. I had to leave the screen at that point, and after recovering my composure, found Di, who remarked that it looked as if I had been crying. She may have had a point). I offered to take her, whilst Di looked after Daniella, and quickly put on a dark sports jacket and trousers and overcoat and pinned on a poppy and we were at the church by 2.53! Debbie joined her fellow Brownies and I took a seat in the body of the church and we took part in the service. The vicar, who I think was a naval padre, lectured the congregation on duty for his sermon and the children got a little bit bored. Still, a pleasant and solemn enough occasion and good to see the old church full and ringing to the sound of bells, organ and hymn. Home after and quickly changed to get out to do the ducks and doves again. A pity my bonfire seemed to have gone out, as the logs are too large and gaps too open. Tea of cheese scones and bread, which we followed with fruit for slimming. I returned to my office tonight and planned my income tax estimates and decided on 50 hectors of Broubster forestry development to keep me out of the 50% tax bracket. Did not do much else, as I was deep in thought over the Lordships of Manor auctions this week. Another firm are auctioning a further 30 on Monday and the Sunday paper is full of it. I am having doubts about purchasing a Manor outside the local area and may well wait for the results of my researches. Daniel came home and we chatted about his weekend – he had really enjoyed going to see ‘Top Gun’, a film in Cambridge. Some time with Debbie on rocking horse, Noble, pretending it was Flint and getting Debbie to talk reassuringly to it and give commands more firmly. At last, the children to bed and a chance to write up my journal and have a bath. News tonight is of another prison escape, as an inmate holds a prison officer at Peterhead, and others get up to the roof. The talks between teachers and employers have continued today and will go on into the early hours, but the sides still report a wide gap between them. A Canadian anti-whaling group has taken the law into its own hands and sunk two whaling boats in Reykjavik harbour, by opening the sea cocks. The Chancellor is ruling out an early election, but if the Tories are ahead next June, they will surely go to the country. There is speculation about the future of Shultz in the US, after his comments about negotiating with terrorists. The wild weather continues and it will be windy again tomorrow.