The children enjoying our Hayling View swimming pool today
The children enjoying our Hayling View swimming pool today

On a fine, sunny, humid and warm day, a trip to Cambridge for both the family and our French guests and then back home with Daniel’s friend Gary so that they could both swim and play with the girls until they were exhausted. The winter covers off of The Lady today and our first trip around the island as a trial. Encouraging signs for the forthcoming East-West Summit, UN peace-keeping forces in the South Lebanon complain of an Israeli ‘scorched earth policy’, funerals and convictions in Ulster, and more Guinness revelations with £5m unaccounted for.

 

Slept well and woke to my morning tea on a mild and misty morning. Showered, shaved and was the last down to breakfast. A large table with Natalie & Caroline joining us. They ate some toast and us some Rice Crispies with various drinks to taste. A little more conversation, though not much and soon it was time for the girls to leave for their day trip. Debbie joined Di to take them to the village hall and off they went on a trip to Cambridge. It was our day to visit that city as well and we took the Daimler and dropped it off for a 1,000 mile service. A long walk into the city centre and we first had our morning drinks at Eaden Lilley’s coffee shop. Di’s parents were looking after Katherine and Della and Debbie enjoyed playing with her a lot. Daniel then went off to find his friend Gary and they rendezvoused with us later at the Copper Kettle.

In the meantime, I toured the book and print shops and bought a few items of interest. A nice lunch of roast beef and chicken then, as Gary cycled home, we collected the car from Marshalls and then picked him up from his house. He had been invited to stay and help Daniel keep the girls company and, once they returned, they all enjoyed a good swim in the pool, playing ball in pairs until they were all exhausted. I got the boy’s help in taking the winter cover off of The Lady today and took it for its first trip round the islands and it ran fine. Debbie and Della came with me. All to bed rather late tonight. The news today is of encouragement for a forthcoming East-West Summit. During a meeting between George Shultz of the US and Shevardnadze of the USSR, a letter of invitation was passed to Gorbachev for a summit in the US. The latter only wants a meeting if business can be accomplished and urgent and unscheduled talks are continuing day and night to enable it. Dr Cutting, the British Doctor, previously besieged in the Lebanese refugee camp, has been released by entry of the Syrian troops. She is welcomed back in Britain as a heroine. The UN peace keeping force in South Lebanon describes the action of the Israeli troops in raiding territory as a ‘scorched earth’ policy and due to casualties to the peace keeping forces, the latter are threatening to pull out. An IRA man, Michael McKerry, as a quartermaster for a bombing team, has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. The funerals take place of the two murdered policemen in Portrush and over 1,000 local inhabitants turned out to grieve them. More revelations over the Guinness affair, with Mr Wood and Earnest Saunders under the spotlight over a missing £5million. The weather had ended up fine, sunny and warm this afternoon. High humidity made temperatures in the mid 60sF seem comfortable and more misty and warm weather is forecast for tomorrow.