Difficult day recovering from my eye injury as it was not comfortable to read but I made up stories for Debbie at bedtime and she was first to use the pool as Daniel went off in his boat. Gales In Zeebrugge broke the lines securing the wreck and delayed recovery of the bodies and it is the eve of last-ditch talks for Reagan with the USSR for an arms deal but the Russian space craft finally docks with the space station after problems are surmounted
A sound and comfortable night during which I slept well. This was a relief after all of the problems and worries of yesterday. Laid in bed a while, listening to the religious programmes on the radio and also farming programmes reporting the distress of dairy farmers due to the milk quotas. Then showered and shaved and got down to the breakfast table in time to help Daniella avoid a tantrum. It was fried egg, bacon and tomato and fruit juice to drink. Debbie’s friend ,Amy (and her family), were away for the weekend and so Debbie could not go to St Neots evangelical church. I offered to phone Mrs Rocket of the Little Paxton C of E Sunday school, but Debbie did not want to go there today. A restful morning resting without doing much. The TV and any reading make my eye irritate.
Di cooked a nice roast beef lunch and we made the decision not to drive over to Bury St Edmunds today. The girls,, therefore went off to a show farm and fishery, Daniel went out on his boat, and I watched the second FA cup semi-final on TV. Sheffield Utd beat Leeds 3-2 in an exciting match that extended to extra time. The weather started dull, with a cold wind, but as the day wore on, it became milder as the wind dropped and sunnier as the pressure rose. Debbie was first to try out our pool before going to the animal farm. The temperature was 52degF outside and 71 ½ degF in the pool. When they returned, both Della and Debbie went swimming and enjoyed it. Tea of cheese rolls etc in the lounge and then Dan joined Debbie in the pool, but only briefly because they felt cold. As I had just been given some more eye drops and could not read, I made up some stories to tell Debbie at bedtime – about bears, treasure, and horse riding. Persuaded Daniel to do some more maths tonight (he badly needs some more reward petrol). In all a rather poor and unproductive day. My cough, cold and sore eye rules out almost everything, though I did have a look round the garden, spoke to both Mum & Dad on the telephone, and was pleased to see my efforts in heating up the pool not going unrewarded. The news today is of the aftermath of the Ulster shooting yesterday, with the previously untroubled holiday resort shattered by the event and police morale damaged. Gales off Zeebrugge have broken the lines securing the Herald of Free Enterprise and the wreck has heeled over 15deg, halting efforts to recover the remaining corpses. A 4 year old girl was sexually attacked in Hamilton, near Glasgow, last night and she is in an injured and shocked state, needing hospital treatment. The Russian spacecraft has now overcome problems to successfully dock with the other craft. It seems a ‘foreign object’ had to be removed. Tomorrow George Shultz meets the USSR in the latest arms talks and it might be Reagan’s last chance for an agreement during his Presidency. Dr David Owen of the SDP holds forth today on what the two main parties would have to agree to, if they wish to form a coalition in the event of a hung parliament. The motor racing Grand Prix competition opened today at Jacarepagua, Rio de Janeiro. Britain’s Nigel Mansell had another burst tyre and could only finish 6th behind Prost, Piquet and others.