After a cooler and more comfortable night and some better news on my weight, some more work decorating outside with the builders finishing off the wall as Daniel’s schoolwork is improving due to our extra time encouraging him. The Labour Party conference compromises on a slow nuclear disarmament as the Russians hint at a medium-range missile deal, the seamen’s ferry strike is growing, the British Gas flotation and installation of Tory BBC Chairman is Thatcher’s work and the black South Africans mourn the 177 dead from the toxic fumes of the recent gold mine fire
Slept OK, as the nights are cooler recently and quite comfortable. Switched on the BBC external service on the radio, as I drank my tea and then showered and shaved. I have been listening to this programme lately – mainly the news between 7.00am and 7.30am. It seems that this service is also networked across the USA, where they appreciate the news being given straight, rather than the high-power sales act they get there. I used my new razor this morning and the contrast was remarkable. I always use the old ones until they scratch and cut my face. Breakfast of more wheat flakes, but nothing else. I am now down to 13st 11lbs and need to get to 13 ½ stone.
In to my old clothes and out to prepare two more windows for painting, as the weather was too damp and misty for glossing this morning. Chose Daniel’s bedroom and the larger dining room windows and went through the normal and demanding routine of scraping, sanding and wiping down the woodwork, before applying a preservative primer and then white undercoat. Also undercoated the office French windows and the frame around the front door and so have five areas to gloss tomorrow, if the weather permits. I had opted to at least get more frames covered tonight, rather than have a fewer glossed and the rest not done. Found a large hedgehog in the back garden today, trapped in, now that the wall has risen – Pete put it back by the river. Another of my doves also fell down the office chimney and fluttered behind the safety screen, covering everywhere with ash! The builders raised the wall and left only the coping to do tomorrow. Luckily, I intervened to make sure they put the diamond block windows in the right level, as they had miscalculated themselves. After they left for the night, I used some of their left over mortar and pointed a number of holes around the brickwork in the rest of the house. Salads for lunch and tea, and later cleared up as darkness fell. Spent some time this evening with Daniel on his homework. He is getting some much better marks at his schoolwork, but I still have to keep on his tail for the subjects that do not catch his imagination. Watched the TV this evening. The news tonight is of a Labour Conference resolution to phase out nuclear power and they further voted to do it gradually, rather than quickly, as the National Union of Miners wanted. There is industrial unrest amongst the ferries, as a merger of operations between Sealink and British Ferries will mean the end of 500+ jobs. Seamen have taken over several ferries and services between Portsmouth/Weymouth and the Channel Islands are grinding to a halt. More ferries are now frozen at Harwich, as the seamen there act in sympathy with the men on the south coast. The new Chairman of the BBC will be Marmaduke (Duke) Hussey, formerly Chief Executive of Times newspapers and Director of the BBC. This appointment is made by the Prime Minister and the Labour opposition are harshly critical of a candidate who is Thatcher’s political choice and fear for the BBCs independence. The British Gas share floatation publicity campaign starts today, with share concessions announced for gas users. In South Africa, relatives claim bodies of the mining disaster and hundreds and thousands of black miners stay away from work to mourn the 177 in their traditional commemorations. The Russians are hinting at the possibility of an interim deal on medium-range missiles, which could excuse Molesworth of their deployment