Striding to meet with Mr Jeeves, headmaster of Little Paxton CP School on a mild and breezy day to review Debbie’s Kimbolton assessment and then home to receive my new photocopier and my architect and satisfied on all counts before the rest of the day on paperwork. Working with Daniel and Debbie on their homework as the fate of the hostages in the Lebanon hangs in the balance and15 plus people are killed in a car bomb and 7 armed men escape from a French bank siege through tunnels. Back home, the AIDS infection grows amongst mainly homosexuals, and the government reacts to food surpluses by relaxing development controls on agricultural land
A sound night’s sleep and struggled up this morning to wash my hair, as well as showering and dressing for a morning’s activity. Breakfast of wheat flakes, then relaxed for a short while, before striding off to Little Paxton C.P. School to see the Headmaster, Mr Jeeves. I raised with him the problems that we met at Kimbolton and he will contact them to make sure they have a copy of Debbie’s report. He will also speak to her teacher about the questions that she could not do – he did, however, confirm that their letter had been very supportive and so we shall see. Back home to the office and at last the photocopier had arrived from Canon. I unpacked it and was just about to try it out, when David Stokes arrived for an appointment (my architect). We spoke for an hour or so and agreed a course of action that should represent a compromise between the additional funds that Aldridge & Cooper (the builders) are claiming and the items for which I am prepared to pay. Once he had gone, I started clearing away the excess paperwork and then tried out the copier, that worked fine.
Lunch of yet another salad with Di and Della, then the afternoon in my office, typing up letters and attending to many matters that have been left this last number of weeks. Popped out to post an important letter to Mr Donaldson, the Kimbolton Headmaster, trying to press Debbie’s case. The rest of the day paying bills, reconciling bank accounts and filing the additional papers that it corrected. Managed to clear my desk and briefcase by late evening. Helped Daniel with his homework, but he seemed a bit off-colour tonight, but Debbie went to Brownies and still came in to do some maths with me. She’ll be all right. The news today is of the time ticking away towards the Lebanese deadline for killing three American and an Israeli hostage. The Americans are all professors and personal messages are relayed from them via the news agencies and the will die at midnight their time (10.00pm our time) tonight if the Israelis do not release a large number of Palestinians. The US has warships off of the coast, but it seems that there is very little they can do. 15 people are killed and 80+ injured in a car bomb explosion in Southern Lebanon and the capital city is in virtual anarchy. New figures from the government show that AIDS claimed 62 victims last month – equal to half of last year’s complete total. 90% are male homosexuals, but others have died, including three babies born with the disease and subsequently dying. A 12 hour siege in a French bank at Marseilles has ended with 7 armed men getting away free, after releasing a score of hostages. They escaped, via vaults and tunnels to nearby sewers, after keeping police at bay with a spurious request for ransom. There are new government plans to widen the use of agricultural land to tackle food surpluses. The proposals would allow 85% of agricultural land to be released from the current presumption against permission for house building. Forestry and golf courses and industry will be encouraged. The two Soviet cosmonauts are conducting experiments on their station in outer space. It has been mild, but a bit more breezy today, but it is due to get a bit colder again.