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By train to Butler’s Hall, near Guildhall, for the Bernard Thorpe Manorial Auction but there to decline to bid for any of the Bedfordshire or Huntingdonshire Manors as a deal is reached with the teachers (but not to the Tories’ liking) , Thatchers negotiates with the US to ensure we keep our nuclear weapons and the Greeks and France resist the EEC imposing sanctions on Syria
Felt cold in the night, until I deprived Diana of her hot water bottles! Reluctant to awake this morning, after a number of late nights, but then showered and donned my best suit for a trip to London. Following yesterday’s article in the Observer, I had decided to go to the Bernard Thorpe auction of Lordships of the Manor and aimed to go by train.
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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.
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Researching and writing Little Paxton history in Huntingdon on a mainly wet and windy day that cleared up later as an aid to getting the garden back to some type of normality after my very successful bonfire party. News still mainly about the North Sea helicopter crash and the US Iranian ‘Arms for hostages’ controversy, of cricket stars leaving Somerset and of whether Thatcher will call the next election in Spring or Summer
A late night, after a busy and worrying day yesterday, but glad that we took the trouble to organise the bonfire party. Up this morning and showered & washed my hair, to try to get most of the smell of the smoke and gunpowder off of my body. I must have let off a couple of hundred fireworks last night! Dressed in my sports jacket and trousers for our trip to Huntingdon this morning, for, as the wind and rain lashed the riverside gardens, there was not much prospect of clearing up the riverside mess after yesterday. The night had seen another torrential downpour and storm, but the river level is staying stubbornly down, after the drier autumn that we had. Breakfast of wheat flakes and then a scramble to get the girls ready to go. Daniel had failed to find the bus from Little Paxton to St Neots (the school bus does not run to Little Paxton on Saturday mornings and the public bus seems to have a mind of its own) and we had to drop him off at the school on the way. Arrived early at Huntingdon, which certainly aided parking and, after coffee, left the girls to go shopping, whilst I did some more research at the local reference library.
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Preparations for a successful bonfire night party tonight with lots of neighbours enjoying our fireworks and huge bonfire but I still managed to take Debbie for a successful horse-riding lesson before the event went ahead un-dampened by the light rain. I am proceeding with the purchase of the Linton Manors as US concerns mount over an Iranian arms deal being made for hostage release, The USSR mounts a huge nuclear weapons display in Red Square and Local Authorities press ahead with teacher dispute negotiations ignoring Ken Baker’s offer of 'help'.
A cold, but sound night, but was a bit tired and reluctant to wake up this morning. Struggled to shower, shave and dress and then went down to find the girls playing up at the breakfast table. Managed to bring them to heal by feeding them ‘Daddy’s special marmalade and toast’. Decided on some time outside this morning, preparing the gardens for tonight’s bonfire party. With Pete, we put up a ‘compound’ or paddock around the shed area, to keep the children out of the deep mud, and arranged the food table and floor coverings within it. I got out the table canopy to cover the food area, cleared Bill’s shed and, with Pete, carried down the hostess trolley. In to lunch, somewhat shattered after my exertions, but I had to go out again after, to move chairs out of Bill’s shed and put more combustible materials under the bonfire. Also found supports for the firework display and made sure the boats were moved and protected. Time then to take Debbie horse riding. This week she had Flint for the first time and was a bit nervous of him. He had been playing up recently and needed the exercise, but he was reluctant to do very much. Though it was not a successful lesson, at least Debbie got to know him and loved him by the end. A friendly old pony, he kept putting his head over the spectators rail and stopping!