Some time making breakfast for the family myself after Diana had complained about me ‘making her ill’ over the whole barn dance row and threatening to leave me, which she easily could before Daniel cycled off to see Steve and the rest of us had a fine roast chicken dinner on the best silver and china. The rest of the day sorting out Bill’s Shed and my other sheds and then relaxing with TV hearing that US/USSR relations are deteriorating, the South African Dutch Reformed Church is debating Apartheid as their government resumes eviction plans for the black townships causing another outcry
Went to bed last night and had some very bitter words from Diana before we went to sleep. She accused me of making her ill over the barn dance and said she would leave me if she had access to her money (which she has, as it is in her name!). Some time talking and then both eventually to sleep. A lay in, after a warm and restless night and Di only brought the morning drink at 8.30am. Up to shower and shave and then Daniel came up whilst I was dressing (and then Deb and Della) to say that Di had yet to start breakfast. Once dressed, I went down and cooked the fried breakfast. Egg for Della, egg and bacon for Debbie, and egg, bacon and bread and lastly all of those plus mushrooms and tomato for me. Di just had toast and ‘marmite’.
Daniel cycled off this morning to his friend Steve at Gransden and I started sorting out the workshop, putting away tools and trying to clear a space on the floor and workbench. Called into lunch at 12.30pm, with half an hour to lay the table with best silver and china in the dining room. A nice lunch of roast chicken and the more comfortable for the absence of Daniel moaning about the forthcoming washing up. A while doing this task with Diana and, whilst back in Bill’s shed, sorting out the fishing tackle and half-restored antique chairs, had a visitor brought from the house by Debbie. It was the man who viewed the house at 39 Gordon Road last Sunday and was most disappointed that Noakes had found a buyer, as they wanted to make an offer for the house themselves. In to make me and Debbie an afternoon drink and then I watched the World Hockey Cup Final on TV and saw England unlucky to lose to the Aussies by two goals to one. Worked on with Bill’s House, before and after a jam scone tea, putting the fishing tackle in one seat space, the paint supplies in the other and moving the folding chairs to another shed. Then laid an old green carpet and the result was quite a transformation. In late and watched TV snooker and updated my journal. News today was of deteriorating US/USSR relations, as the Russians expel 5 Americans for spying and Reagan continues to talk of the importance of Star Wars. The news spotlight is back on South Africa, as the Dutch Reformed Church (formed mainly of Africans) debate the condemnation of apartheid, after pressure from affiliated churches abroad. At the black township of Oukasie, near a white town of Brits, the 10,000 residents were told that the town was no longer existing and that they would have to move to a new site. This return to a policy of forced removals has outraged civil rights workers, who understood that it had been frozen, pending review. The Liberal leaders, meeting at David Steel’s house, agree a new policy on defence that fits in with the SDP and will now seek to get the rest of the party to endorse it. Following the death of a man in police custody 11 days ago, 500 blacks marched to Notting Hill Police Station and protested. Some threw stones at the windows and four policemen and one protester were injured.