New Years Eve – The entire day at home as Diana struggles with her tonsillitis and I watch a documentary about Great Ormand Street, watch an old variety show and listen to Radio 4 plays whilst I write up a summary of my investments at the end of this year and then send copies to my advisors Elsewhere, the Dollar has been weak overnight in Hong Kong, the LSE falls heavily the New Year’s Honours list is full of establishment cronies and the Ulster police chief expects even bloodier IRA violence next year but Gorbachev voices new year’s optimism
Has stayed up later than intended last night watching a moving TV documentary on Great Ormond Street, the London children’s hospital. It is strapped for funds, has certain wards closed for lack of money for specialist staff and is appealing for a huge sum of cash for a new building programme. Then I sat still and watched the end of an old recording of a ‘Saturday Night at the London Palladium’ Granada TV show. It starred Norman Wisdom and Bruce Forsyth and displayed such talent and versatility in these two that I fear is no longer available from entertainers today. Slept long and sound and was thus late up again this morning. Diana eventually got up, her bodily pains subsiding to leave only a bad case of tonsillitis, which has been her lifelong affliction. All showered and prepared quickly for breakfast and by this time Joan and Pete had arrived, but we ate our breakfast regardless.
The morning post was full of more stock brokers accounts and documents, but we also got letters from both of our parents. Mr & Mrs Jackson were pleased and thankful for our transport and film show the other day – and my parents were even more thankful for the Christmas we had given them. All seem well and recovered from the exertions. I went out early today to brief and supervise Pete over the way in which I wanted the games lawn edged and this was to be the first of three such conversations today, as I made sure he did it right. Then I spent most of the morning reading the FT and monitoring the state of the stock exchange. After the $ had been weak in Hong Kong overnight, it was weaker still this morning and the London Stock Exchange fell heavily. All this despite Central Bank support of the US dollar, which bodes very ill for the New Year, when more traders return to their desks. By 12.30am, Diana was back from the shops. She had taken all of the children to town for the weeks major shopping and to do a few chores. A modest lunch and then I spent the afternoon in my office, updating the remainder of my investment summaries by hand, before starting to update the computer files. Broke off for afternoon tea and then, getting tired and bored, persuaded Diana to make an early tea after putting the ducks and doves to bed. Though rainy yesterday, it was blustery and dry today and much of the ground had dried out surprisingly well. Pete had managed to complete the second side of the lawn, lay a land drainage pipe, and shape the bank with turf. This evening I locked and alarmed the house and then worked late in my office, keying into my word processor the last of my changes by 11.00pm. I had also been listening to an evening of Radio 4 plays and current affairs programmes, which made it less of a chore. The radio had to go off then as I started the computer printing out the result and wrote up my journal at the same time. I made one top copy and three carbon copies on good carbons for my financial advisors, which came out quite well. I coordinated the changing of the paper by hand with my writing, so as to use the time most effectively. The family were well in bed by this time and I was left to see in the New Year by myself. The main news story today is of the Ulster Police Chief giving warning that he expects the IRA to embark on an even bloodier campaign of terror in the New Year. He concedes that not all of the sophisticated arms supplies have been intercepted and that the IRA may be training their men in the use of anti-aircraft missiles (!). As if to add strength to this warning, an arms cache has been found in North Belfast that included machine guns and ammunition. Gorbachev has broadcast optimism in his New Year’s broadcast message that was beamed all across America. No such optimism in Sri Lanka, where the latest problem was an explosion causing deaths during a religious procession. The Sun newspaper is duly chastened after defying the Government Embargo on releasing details of the New Year’s Honours List before Christmas Eve. The list itself contained some heroes, sportsmen, actors and personalities, but was dominated by mandarins and political stooges.