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Managing chores of overhauling two outboard motors, repairing the Blue Peter dinghy and supervising Daniel’s maths studies as I gradually deteriorate with a chill and can only read magazines later as efforts to raise the Herald of Free Enterprise are also accompanied by arguments about compensation for the victims’ families, the good news concerning the arrival of the Lebanese relief convoy is tempered by the death of one of their escorts and a warden is still held hostage in a stand-off at Magilligan Prison.
A very poor night’s sleep, and I had a cold/sore throat coming on. Eventually to sleep, but was awoken early, at 6.45am, by Di anxious to get Deb off to school. Up, dressed and to breakfast with the family. I limited my meal to a small bowl of cereal and then read today’s paper afterwards. Got Daniel to join me outside on a sunny, yet cool day and we started to clean up the Blue Peter dinghy that had suffered in the winter gales (being blown onto the slipway from its trolley). We also started to overhaul the two 2hp outboard motors (the Evinrude and Mariner) and then had to go off in the Daimler to Colnworth and St Neots for spark plugs and resin filler gel coat. Once back, we used some blue stain to tint the gel coat and filled the dents and scrapes on the dinghy, using thin matting to support a cracked section. Then we tried out the two motors and both worked fine.
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Touring our old haunts in Brighton Lanes and surveying the surviving Palace Pier and rue the wreckage of the defunct West Pier before lunch in The Druid’s Head and then the journey back to Paxton to find the swimming pool now blue again and all else well apart from Daniel and his friend Gary struggling back late on his boat. The Tories doing slightly better, the odds are shortening on an early election as a trade war with Japan is threatening, six lorries of aid get through to the Palestinian refugee camps and two funerals of IRA victims take place today
Laid in until 8.30 this morning, after a good night’s sleep in the luxury of our Grand Hotel king size bed. Di made the drinks with the room supplies and we both had a bath and completed our ablutions in a leisurely manner, before taking our breakfast late at 9.45am. A nice sunny and still day and, once back in our room, we opened the balcony doors and viewed and photographed Brighton from this vantage point, which was very pleasant. I sought the head doorman’s help in finding my Daimler in the local car park. It had been in the staff section under the eye of the kiosk and I tipped the attendant for his trouble. This seems to be the way of looking after the expensive cars – all unofficial, but very effective and suiting every one. Loaded up the car, checked out of the hotel, and drove a while around central Brighton to take in the scenery. Then parked the Daimler off the Old Steine and we walked round the Lanes until finding coffee served outside in Brighton Square. Enjoyed the refreshment and walked on, joining the esplanade and then going to the end of Palace Pier. The old pier is suffering the ravages of time and the elements.
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Diana and I continuing the Brighton weekend without the children with me rather distracted, enjoying the food and events but rather disappointed by the demise of our Grand National choices and especially the demise of the handsome Grey, Dark Ivy, who had just won the ‘Best Turned Out’ prize for his mortified stable lass, Tracey Halstead. This as the Tory record on inner-city deprivation warranted scrutiny, IRA gunmen in Ballynahinch ambushed two policemen and violence disrupted a mass by the Pope in Santiago
A warm but comfortable night in the king sized bed of the Grand Hotel deluxe room. Slept in a little and then persuaded Di to get up for the task of making the morning drinks. Our toilette before going down to breakfast around 8.30am. We sat in the hotel’s conservatory overlooking the sea and were able to get a good view whilst being protected from the mist and rain of this early spring morning. We walked out after, along the sea front towards Hove and then up Sillwood Road Hill to join the west road and see the shops. In and out of several of them to dodge the rain and then morning coffee at a cafe in the new square, west of the clock tower. A good vantage point to see the shoppers bustling backwards and forwards. It is ‘Flag’ day for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and they were out in force, rattling their tins.
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Off in our Daimler to Brighton on a cool, windy but dry day, dropping off all three of our children to Di’s parents on the way, to buy extra tall clothes in High and Mighty, and then to relax and enjoy Di’s split nightie as we retired. News of the UK seeking more access to Japanese markets, which is rejected and sanctions may be considered, breaches in US security at their Moscow embassy are serious, and the ‘sale of the century’ of the jewels of the late King and his wife has finished in Switzerland, with many of the jewels fetching much more than their estimates
A slightly unsettled night, with mind still active from an evening’s thought and the room a little too warm as well. Still fast asleep when awoken to my morning tea and slow to get washed and shaved in time for breakfast. Last to the table and cornflakes and fruit juice was the fare for each of us. Time to spend a couple of hours before our trip to Brighton and so I scanned the local papers and pasted two weeks of cuttings into my Little Paxton scrap book. Soon it was time to get ready and so I brought the Daimler round and sent the family out. A long while turning off the water, heating, and then unplugging all of the electrical appliances.