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Tour trip to the Nene Valley Railway to take a ride on ‘The Santa Special’ after a Little Chef lunch More trouble in the Gaza Strip, occupied by the Israelis and the Israeli soldiers use live ammunition against stone-throwing youths leading to UN condemnation The Takeover Panel is allowing the BP takeover of Britoil but with a government ‘Golden Share’ and the British current account deficit on visible trade widened from £822m to £1.19Bn
A restful night that was quite chilly and misty, but nowhere near as cold as we might expect in Christmas week. A lay in beyond our usual time, then Della joined us as Diana brought me my morning tea. To the accompaniment of the morning Radio 4 news, I showered and shaved ready for breakfast, but found the children in their night things at the table! The first priority was to brief Pete, who had arrived early at 8.30am. I wanted him to carry on edging the lawn with vertical planks, but also to wash the Range Rover later, when Di was back from shopping. Lastly, to put a new hinge on the broken duck house and change the bedding material (hay, as we could not recently get straw). I read the paper, packaged up Joan & Pete’s wages and a £50 note as a Christmas cash bonus. I finished off checking my recent credit card transactions, but then Di came racing back at midday and wanted us to leave straight away for our trip to the Nene Valley Railway.
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Last-minute shopping trip to Cambridge and some good presents for the children aftr we dropped Daniel off to see his friend Gary before lunch at The Copper Kettle and home. More IRA violence in Ulster, another British tanker hit by Iranian missiles and a factory disaster in The Philippines kills over 4,000
I wrote up yesterday’s journal this morning, but had no time for the morning paper, as we had to get ready to go to Cambridge together. Just fed the doves and then took off. Dropped Daniel off at Croxton to see his friend Garry Skinner and his neighbour, Tiffany, who Daniel is quite fond of. The rest of us got into Cambridge quite easily, as the last-minute Christmas shoppers seemed to be giving the place a miss. A brisk walk to Eaden Lilley and morning drinks with Diana’s parents. I kept Daniella involved, whilst Di and her Mum chatted and Charles taught Debbie how to count in French. We all went downstairs to see the toy department, then I went off to get a few last-minute presents – a special fountain pen and ballpoint for Daniel (cost £225!) diaries each for Debbie and Di and an anniversary card in readiness for after Christmas.
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Back to normalcy as I get Pete to start edging the games lawn, Emma and Holly come round to play with Debbie and Della whilst Daniel worked on his revision for four hours before experimenting with trying to communicate via mains electricity intercoms. Thousands killed in an horrific ferry sinking in the Philippines as Germany and the US consider measures to relieve the depression and BP is taking over Britoil
My lateness to bed has become a habit just recently and I am continually tired as a result. Still, managed to get up in time for breakfast with the others; showering, shaving and washing my hair as well. Settled down with the paper afterwards, waiting for Pete to arrive and then briefed him on what I wanted him to do with the new games lawn. He was to start the process of edging and ditching the surrounds and made a little impact, but not much, being a slow worker. Joan, meanwhile, was busy tidying up and cleaning the house, besides finding time to tend Della from time to time. Linda had brought round Emma and Holly to play with Debbie and Della and they got on well. The novelty was that they had not played together for a long time. Soon time for lunch, then, this afternoon and evening, I worked on my financial affairs, having received more contract notes from my stockbroker this morning.
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Achy this morning after recent exertions but blessed to have Della coming in to kiss and cuddle e as her ‘bestest daddy’ as the start of a more restful day watching TV and reading the Sunday papers. The government try suggesting private healthcare as the answer to NHS funding shortfalls as they are so much opposed to more public funding and now 15 people have now been killed in the last 12 days during Palestinian protests on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Had some trouble getting off to sleep, the new sheets seem coarse to the touch and my exertions of recent times have left me stiff and achy. Eventually to sleep and next awake when Diana was off to get the morning drinks. Still stiff as I washed, showered and shaved and just got down to the table in time for a nice fried breakfast. Daniella had come in with Di to give me my morning drink in bed and was so sweet, kissing and cuddling me and saying how much she loved her ‘bestest daddy’. A nice breakfast before settling down in my office easy chair to read today’s papers, until coffee at 11.00am. It was a mild and dry day today and so, after going out to feed the doves, I stayed there and went over the games lawn, treading carefully on the prouder areas, and picking up the odd pieces of mud and earth left from the hurry of the turf laying. Then, I had just time to go all over the lawn with the wide and light roller – first along its length and then across it. A little late for our Sunday lunch, but Diana was determined not to call me and just put the meal on the table and waited for me to arrive.