A cold start and a stormy end to a day spent mostly in Cambridge at St John’s College and The Cambridge Collection studying manorial history either side lunch at The Copper Kettle and before home to a meal of Dover Sole as Myra Hindley has confessed to two more murders, Reagan is isolated over his Iranian Arms deal , Thatcher is on the defensive over an Officer’s MI5 memoirs, and The Broads Bill has its first unopposed First reading professing to make the Norfolk Broads into a National Park
Was up until midnight last night on my Little Paxton files and had trouble getting to sleep as the bed was cold and my mind was still active. Arranged to sleep in until 8.00am though, and so was quite rested when it came to breakfast. Showered and dressed afterwards, for once, and then had until 9.00am to get ready to go to Cambridge with Di and Della. Was there by 9.30am and caught both Charles and Norma in Eaden Lilley and so had a chat over coffee. His Latin is still good and, with a dictionary, he feels able to help me if needed. Then to St John’s, arriving at 10.30am, and resumed my task of transcribing the Court Rolls. Have found that the other landowners allotted enclosures under the ACT are still in jurisdiction of Little Paxton Manor at St John’s and have now found three other allotments treated thus. Hope eventually to find that most of Little Paxton was in this Manor. Stopped at 12.30pm to meet Di for lunch in the Copper Kettle, then went to the Cambridge Collection whilst St John’s were at lunch. Copied the Linton entries out of the Victoria County History and also some excellent notes by a local author on recent Lordships, finding the link between Linton with Little Paxton that I searched for in vain the other day.
Went to several bookshops on the way back to St John’s and was therefore only able to spend from 3.00pm to 4.45pm back at the task. Rushed out to buy some St John’s history books from Bill’s Bookshop, which I then read on the way home by bus. They will be most useful in making the most out of St John’s archives. Once home, had tea of Dover sole, put the girls to bed with Di, and then showed Daniel how to use the word processor to type out the results of an interview he had done on a classmate for English prep. News today is for a new hunt for bodies near Manchester, 20 years after the Moors murder case. Myra Hindley has confessed to two more murders, after a letter from one of the children’s mothers, pleading to know what had happened. Thatcher has defended Reagan’s arms deal with Iran, but two previous Presidents, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, decry the moves and the incumbent President is under mounting pressure with Foreign Secretary, George Shultz, still distancing himself from the policy. Beirut TV will broadcast appeals from the relatives of a Briton, McCarthy, and a Belfast teacher, Keenan, whomay also be well after several fellow prisoners were released. The Australian courts are hearing submissions by the UK government, who wish to stop publication of MI5 memoirs by a former Officer and in the House of Commons, the Speaker ruled that Thatcher’s submission that the matter was subjudice was wrong and that she must answer questions. She then refused to answer questions on the grounds of national security. With one day to go in the 1st test in Australia, England were within sight of victory, with Australia only 30-odd runs ahead, with 5 wickets down in their second innings. The ‘Broads’ bill, to make the Norfolk Broads into a National Park, has passed its first stages of parliament without opposition. Storm force winds are due overnight and, as I sit here, I can hear the gales tearing at the doors and windows.