Cutting up logs and then concreting the Hayling View slipway winch into position on a cold and blustery day by wheel-barrowing stiff mix from the lorry after taking Diana for coffee and cakes in St Neots but still upsetting her by preferring her hair long and straight. This as the US/Ussr diplomatic war continues, as does Norman Tebbit’s with the BBC and the Labour Party’s against errant local councillors. A further trade deficit causes a further run on the pound again
A sound night’s sleep and was brought my morning tea early. Got quickly showered, shaved and dressed and was accompanied by Debbie, who brought her things through to use our en-suite shower room, rather than Daniel’s. Early downstairs and read some of today’s paper before breakfast was ready. Then out at 8.00am to start work at the same time as Pete and we prepared the winch for cementing over the next couple of hours. We had to try several methods of constructing a gantry, until finally managing to raise the winch into position by using its own power. The concrete lorry was late and so we filled in by moving the rest of the logs out of the way of the rising river and then using Nigel’s chain saw to cut a few up.
I had previously taken Di into St Neots, had a coffee together with Della in Tooks, and then I bought a wheelbarrow and filled the Range Rover up with petrol, whilst Di got some shopping. Once the concrete lorry arrived, Pete and I went back and ‘fro with wheelbarrows full of stiff mix – some 16 or so I think – until the job was done. The lorry had ¾ m3 on board and this almost buried the winch before we stopped it. In to lunch of salad with Di and her Mum and I upset Di again by pointing out that I preferred her hair long and smooth. Off to get Dan for his social work, but nothing arranged for him again, and so we did some chores together. We put the tyre on the trailer and later, after tea, I spent a couple of hours working on my antique chairs. Debbie went to the Junior Disco tonight. The diplomatic war continues, with more US civilians withheld from working in the Russian Embassies in America, but no more diplomats were expelled and the USA calls for a truce in this particular game. The Labour Party head office are increasingly intervening with their errant local councillors; first coming out in support of the Brent Headmaster, suspended by the local council, and then continuing to insist on a moderate Labour candidate for Knowsley North and fighting off the threat of a High Court injunction. The writ for the latter by-election was moved in the House of Commons and it will take place on Thursday November 13th. The Tory Party Chairman, Norman Tebbit, is still trying to wind up the BBC dispute and a Labour MP, Mr Campbell-Savours, accused the Tory head office of applying pressure on the witnesses in the recent libel case, and asked for an emergency debate. The jury is out on the Hindawi trial, but they have yet to agree on whether he put a bomb into his girlfriend’s hands. Another trade deficit last month and, though better than the previous month, were bad enough to cause another run on the pound. A woman, who has been blind for 15 years, saw again today after banging her head! Today was quite cold and blustery, but the sun shone to make it quite bearable outside. A frost is forecast for tonight and tomorrow will be bright and clear, but cold.