Sunday 23rd November 1986 A walk around Little Paxton boundaries as research for my book which upset a depressed Diana and then back for Sunday Lunch and some TV as a stricken ore carrier is evacuated off of Ireland in suspicious circumstances, Reagan and Thatcher remain in trouble over the Australian MI5 book trial and rockets and bombs explode in Baghdad and in Middleton, Co Armagh, and up to 1,000 campaigners peacefully protest at the nuclear pre-processing plant in Cumbria
A little lay in after a cold night. Even though Di was wearing a long nightdress, socks and a dressing gown, Di said it took her an hour to warm up. She was grumpy and unsociable at bed time and continued today in the same mood. I was up and showered by breakfast of a nice fry up and then found out that the boys had also slept well. Settled down to reading the newspapers with the girls in the playroom and also read Della three of her books to try to cheer her up. Was not getting very far with my other work and so went out to feed the ducks and doves, drank coffee, and then set out on a walk down to the Little Paxton Parish boundary with Southoe. I went downstream and along the river bank to Wray House and passed the Little Meadow & Great Meadow on the way (although they are all ploughed up these days). Then cutting across and along the old course of Southoe brook, I found that it is lost in a huge gravel pit lake. But at least there is the mature trees that used to line it, sticking out on peninsular banks on both sides to mark the Little Paxton/Southoe Parish boundary. I still fail to see why the pits cannot be connected to the river at this point and cannot believe that the pit would drain into the river, as the Planning Authorities maintain.
The walk home, going via old Green Lane and the church in the process. I noticed that there was still an old cottage/tenement opposite the connected building of the Old School, but it is now tiled and not thatched. St James’s Sunday School is at 10.00am each Sunday and under the organisation of Mrs Rocket and I shall try to get Debbie interested in it, as it is Church of England, rather than Baptist. Di was upset at my going out and had deepened her depressed mood to include the normal Sunday element. She hates staying in and cooking and makes the day worse for herself, as well as us. This afternoon, I watched a ‘Police Academy’ film and video with Daniel and Gary and could only switch to the live football when it had finished. Everton and Liverpool drew 0-0 and the game lacked the goals to add excitement. Out to feed the ducks and put them away and then in to tea. I had mine and left the children to it (as they were so misbehaved) to see a Doomsday programme on TV, but it was very disappointing and superficial. Took the chance this evening to write up two day’s journal, even though I still had a dull headache from walking in this morning’s cold wind. News today is of craft in severe difficulty off of Ireland. Seamen’s Unions call for an enquiry, as men are lifted off of a stricken ore carrier. A sister ship sank in mysterious circumstances six years ago and forty-four people died then. The Government’s handling of the MI5 trial in Australia is still attracting intense criticisms, with the UK being made to look very silly. Reagan is also having a bad time at the hands of the media and now Jordan and Egypt have come out against the US in selling arms to Iran. Iran have rocketed the Iraqi capital, Bagdad, for the sixth time in recent days. There has been another IRA mortar bomb attack on an RUC station, this time at Middleton, Co Armagh and many are injured, though none seriously. 50 local families have also been evacuated, as one of the bombs failed to fire. Up to 1000 anti-nuclear campaigners have been protesting at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria today, but it was a peaceful protest with no trouble for the police.