Feeling even more ill today and so stayed in bed, tended by Daniel, whilst Diana took Della to Cambridge after which I got up a little this afternoon and then enjoyed Dover Sole with Debbie later but we had to give up our Cambridge Theatre Box to Di’s parents for I was still not better this evening. The Herald of free enterprise was righted and many more bodies found, the new US embassy in Moscow is found riddled with listening devices after the US Marine protection was compromised, protests in the Falls area in Belfast follow the frustration of an IRA funeral, Westland unveil a new helicopter joint venture with Augusta but face 2,000 redundancies, we are warning Japan over unequal market access and the A1/M1 link past Huntingdon is given the go-ahead
A poor night getting to sleep and then again woken early at 6.45am. Felt quite unwell and elected to stay in bed. Could not face my morning tea and only had a little breakfast. Rested in bed all morning and then managed to read today’s paper. Di had taken Della to Cambridge, but Daniel stayed here and attended my room several times during the morning to make sure that I did not need anything. The rain poured down today and he only had a very few opportunities to go out and see his boat. Di brought back some sandwiches for my lunch and then, this afternoon, I read the remainder of my conservatory books, which were quite interesting. My ailment is strange. I have a slight cough, temperature, aches in my body and intense listlessness. Also the headache, which came from the combination of reading and temperature.
Di had her friends around this afternoon, with their small children for Della to play with. Poor Della is still stammering, but does not seem to mind too much. As my legs were achy and jumpy, I got up a while this afternoon and joined the family for tea. Debbie shared my dover sole with me and we all had strawberries to follow. Today was the day that I had booked a box at the Cambridge Arts Theatre and, whilst I could not go, we passed the tickets on to Di’s parents and I think that they went anyway. Back to bed this evening, to watch some televised boxing and to do my journal, before an early night in bed. News today is of the righting of the Herald of Free Enterprise. It is still on the sea bottom and now the task starts for British and Belgian divers to find the bodies of the missing passengers. The weather was as calm and favourable as could possibly be hoped for. President Reagan has hit out at the Russian penetration of the US Embassy in Moscow. A new $200m building is thought to be riddled with listening devices, after the Marine guards had been thoroughly compromised. Soon, US Foreign Secretary George Shultz will have to use a ‘trailer’ in the compound to have a secure environment for preparations for his forthcoming talks with Shevardnadze. In Ulster, an IRA paramilitary funeral was thwarted and has been put off for a third day. In following protests in the Falls area of Belfast, vehicles were set on fire by youths. British Education Secretary, Kenneth Baker, has announced plans to introduce a national school’s curriculum in the latest move to centralise education decisions. Mrs Thatcher tried to dampen speculation on an election date today, after the Conservatives were given a 13% lead in the opinion polls. Labour launched a campaign today for women’s rights and announced plans for a ‘Minister of Women’ if elected. They are less keen on black sections in the Labour Party, despite the calls from radical black members. The Westland Helicopter Company has unveiled a new helicopter, produced in a joint venture with Augusta of Italy, but its well-publicised shortfall in orders will lead to up to 2,000 redundancies. Trade Minister, Michael Howard, has issued his bluntest warning to Japan yet over equal access to Japanese markets for British firms, but his words are unlikely to be heeded. The government has given the go ahead for the A1/M1 link road, which will pass through near Huntingdon.