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A full day of work for Robin, and his digger, landscaping the riverside gardens, uplifting trees and bushes, breaking up paths and burying concrete and levelling area for our new games lawn before long sessions with Debbie and Daniel as we hear of the increased optimism over East/West arms reductions but also of the congested and inhumane conditions imposed on Indian immigration applicants. India’s President, Rajiv Ghandhi, condemns the governments moves as ‘racist and a reflection of Britain’s attitude to South Africa’ and he was not wrong
A restless night, listening to the rain and anticipating the work for today. It was a worry that the overnight rain might endanger the use of the digger on the riverside lands and its conveyance across the council’s grass verge. An early start, awoken with morning tea at 6.30. Complete darkness at this time and so showered, shaved and dressed with the electric lights for illumination. Down to breakfast at 7.00am and then out to meet Pete, who I had got to arrive early at 7.15am. We freed the double gates and soon the Massey Ferguson digger of Robin Colbig arrived and came quite easily onto the site.
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Day trip to Cambridge to view and order my new Daimler and to buy a pair of bed chairs and then, after lunch at The Copper Kettle, home to borrow Nigel’s chain saw for tomorrow as positive vibes emerge from the aftermath of the US/USSR arms talks but there was inhumane chaos at Heathrow prior to the midnight imposition of visitor visas for Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis without upgrades to the reception facilities that were known to be needed and called for
A better night’s sleep after managing to catch Di awake, for a change, when I went to bed! Dark as I showered and shaved this morning, with more fog and morning mist. Only just managed to get dressed without the lights on. It seems that there are plenty of accidents on the roads these days and many were blocked in the fog this morning as a result. To breakfast with the others and had a couple of slices of toast and my favourite natural honeycomb on it. No apple juice, as Di forgot to get any yesterday, after we drank most of it at Sunday lunch. To the office at 8.00am for an hour, typing up another letter and progressing the paperwork. By 9.00am, Di wanted to get going and so we set off in the Escort Estate for Cambridge.
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A productive day after a restless night before the asphalt contractors arrived and tarmacked our drives which took most of the afternoon as I worked with gardener Pete to prepare the riverside gardens for the JCB driver tomorrow and then read to Debbie and checked Daniel’s schoolwork. The Reykjavik talks break up within an ace of agreement due to their hastily arranged timescale and lack of preparation, the NCB close two Welsh pits with the loss of 1,500 jobs and the San Salvador earthquake toll is now above 900 dead and 10,000 injured with one third of the capital’s people homeless!
A restless night, struggling to get the temperature right and dreaming of writing an autobiography and being concerned at forgetting the facts! I’m sure they would be recalled if ever needed. Awoke from an eventually sound sleep and rather reluctant to awake. The normal routine (wheat flakes for breakfast today) and then out to brief Pete on the arrangements to make for the visit of the JCB later this week. I then settled into my office for some phone calls and paperwork. Arranged a number of things satisfactorily, but was soon distracted by the arrival of the asphalt contractors, who soon got down to their task.
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A nice cooked breakfast after a night alone sand to the newspapers concerning the Tory Conference before some cruises and work on The Lady each side of Sunday lunch on our best china and silver as the Reagan/Gorbachev talks break up without agreement and HM The Queen arrives in China
Late last night I got into bed with Diana on a rapidly cooling night and she fled to the spare room complaining of my cold hands and feet! A while to get to sleep as a result, but then a lay in this morning, until Di brought my drink all sweetness and smiles. Completed my bathroom routine as if it were a weekday and just got downstairs in time for a nice cooked breakfast. All of the kids now eat a fried egg and bacon on Sunday and enjoy it immensely. As my legs have been strained and tired recently, after my exertions painting the house, I rested a while this morning, reading all of the sections of the Observer. There was much scepticism about this week’s Tory Conference therein, but I know that the bulk of the papers are Tory and will be singing their praises. As the ducks were quacking louder and louder, I went out after coffee and tended them and the doves, checking my boat cover in the process, which was still on the riverside lawn.