Feeling much better today and able to start work on cleaning the swimming pool, putting up shelves in the boiler room and putting the ducks away as the Westland helicopter saga smoulders on, there is a growing US/USSR détente to aid arms negotiations, a huge heroin haul is made at a London McDonald’s restaurant and Princess Diana breaks a taboo by shaking hands with AIDS patients to prove it is safe to do so.
Awoke this morning feeling much better than yesterday, but opted to stay in bed with my drink and to receive my breakfast there. After this meal, I got up and collected today’s paper and the post from the other side of the house. I sat in my room and opened the post. Pleased to hear that Huntingdonshire District Council Planning Department have refused the developers application to build 5 houses at Paxton Hall following my objection. I must now await their next move to see if they are to appeal. A letter from Di’s parents, who had enjoyed our balcony at the theatre on Tuesday evening.
A lot of computer magazines and the first two brochures from conservatory manufacturers. I was particularly impressed with the Marston & Langinger, as well as Halls and I noted that both are exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show in May. Showered, dressed and then made Daniel and I a morning drink before Di got back. Then started work on the swimming pool – vacuuming the bottom and turning the pool boiler on. I have decided that Spring has arrived (!). Lunch with the family (less Debbie who is at school), then worked on this afternoon and evening putting up shelves in the boiler room and tidying things up. Put away the ducks and doves (6 duck eggs and two doves brooding) and went in at dark to lock up and secure the house. A little TV this evening – a very interesting programme on the excavation of a Saxon grave (see above) then time for my journal and the news. Found time to get Dan to do more maths. The news stories today split between a number of topics vying for priority. The recent speculation on Westland, the helicopter company, are confirmed in the House of Commons today. A government order worth £300m is not enough to prevent 2000 redundancies. The Westland hope that they could get UK orders for the Sikorsky Black Hawk was unfounded and criticism may return that a European solution to the negotiations may have been best. The Russians have counteracted the US criticism of espionage by displaying evidence of US attempts to breach Russian security in the past and the Americans are now cooling the dispute to facilitate successful arms talks. The Warsaw Pact have suggested a mutual arms freeze to NATO, with a two year freeze on arms spending the means. Gorbachev is now in Prague visiting the Czechoslovakian leader, Husak, after a delay due to a diplomatic ‘cold’. They are now out of step with Moscow and are being asked to be more liberal in the way of the latest fashion. Princess Diana visits the special AIDS unit today and shook hands with the staff and victims, to prove that there is no medical risk in normal social contact. Police have broken up a heroin dealing ring and seized £1 ¾ million-worth of drugs at a London McDonald’s restaurant.