Further day working alone on the house decoration, with Diana to Bedford for her hair-dressing appointment, with a poor salad for lunch and an overdone trout for dinner as I supervise Daniel’s homework and read to Debbie as the builders work slowly to nearly finish the wall. The US Senate votes by 78-21 to overturn Reagan’s rejection of South African sanctions despite threats of grain reprisals, Ghandi narrowly survives an assassination attempt and Libyan Airlines flights to the UK are banned over fears of arms being brought in.
A somewhat restless night ended rather rudely, as Di had overslept and brought the drinks late. At least there was no fog this morning and, after a quick wash and toast breakfast, I was soon out to continue my toils. First I fed the doves and had a word with the gardener, who was mowing all the lawns this morning. Di’s mother arrived and looked after Della whilst Di drove to Bedford for a hair dressing appointment. Pity our visitor parked her car in front of a neighbour’s drive, which caused some consternation.
Managed to do the final gloss coat to the dining room and Daniel’s bedroom and also the front door frame before lunch time. Di arrived back and got another salad selection, but we had a trifle to follow. She was pleased with her hair do and it did not cost too much either. The afternoon on my office window, then its French doors, before finishing by scaling the ladder to paint our en-suite window before tea. Ate grilled trout, a little overdone for waiting, and then set Daniel to his homework, before preparing and undercoating the outside of the gallery window before dusk. Then the process of clearing up and putting things away until dark. Then read another Country Companion volume to Debbie, who appreciated the attention. Then to relax with the TV news and my journal, until Di joined me with my bedtime drink and we went up. A poor effort from the builders today, but only the coping left to do. The news today is of the build up to the Senate vote on sanctions, where the upper house of Congress are all set to override Reagan’s veto on South African sanctions. Controversy also over South African Foreign Minister, Pit Botha, phoning Senators to try to influence their voting. He promised to retaliate by not buying any more US grain and by preventing the carriage of grain to neighbouring African states. A plot to assassinate India’s Prime Minister, Rajiv Ghandhi, failed when a gunman, hidden in a tree, missed before and after the Premier passed the hiding place. Police chiefs were suspended after it was revealed that it took ½ hour for his security guards to realise the danger. They first thought the sound was a firecracker and then a car backfiring. The UK government has banned flights to the United Kingdom of Libyan Airlines, after their alleged complicity in smuggling terrorist arms to Britain. At the Labour Conference, Neil Kinnock has won support for his non-nuclear defence policy. Late tonight we hear that Reagan’s sanctions veto was overturned by a massive 78-21 majority.