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A day working on my Paxton Park chapters interrupted firstly by my dental hygienist appointment and then to take Debbie horse-riding as I am again let down over my Canon photocopier delivery, Gorbachev still holds out hope of nuclear disarmament despite the US resuming tests, Terry Waite is found under the custody of Islamists, Sit Michael Havers admits having given two interviews to Duncan Campbell, the BT strike continues and Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, Liberace and Fyfe Robertson all die today.
A very late night last night, working on my Paxton Park chapter and did not get to bed until 1.00am. Little Della had an accident before then and wet her bed, but luckily Di was still awake and tended to it. Even then some trouble getting to sleep, but then was deep asleep for the last few hours, even though my side of the electric blanket had been left on in the very hot position! Up and dressed straight away, after my morning tea, and in sports jacket and trousers for a visit to the dentist after breakfast. I was due to see the hygienist last Christmas Eve, but cancelled due to a heavy cold. Drove into town first thing for the date at 9.00am and was subjected to the normal unpleasant scraping and polishing that costs £5 for the privilege. Home ,without taking up Di’s offer of a coffee at Tooks and got down to my work again. I spent the rest of the morning on Sir Williamson Booth, before it was time for lunch. Back to it this afternoon, until an early tea at 4.00pm and then it was my duty to take Debbie horse riding.
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A fair night’s sleep to start a long milder day avoiding the trip to Cambridge and getting on with my Little Paxton history editing instead, transcribing the Jack Ramply interview tapes and also working on the Paxton Park chapter. The emergency debate today in the House of Commons where Thatcher denies involvement in the BBC raids and the Vicarage rapists are sentenced as Reagan tries to press on with Star Wars anti-rocket programme with the nuclear de-escalation talks being threatened.
A fair night’s sleep and then up and dressed in some old clothes for a day’s work in the office. I had decided not to go to Cambridge with Di this morning for a change – my back does not seem to be too bad – I hurt it yesterday trying to lift Della and keep her away from my computer at the same time and dropped her as a consequence. A little look at the paper and then straight to my office. At first I copied all of the topic files onto a master and then created a diskette for each one of them, for old and new files and ease of subsequent editing. Chased the photocopier twice again today and it seems that a wrong address may have disoriented the carrier. I am promised delivery of it by Thursday, or a replacement instead. Once I had sorted my diskette files, I then loaded the Jack Ramply interview tapes and sat playing them and typing a transcription onto the word processor.
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A long day working on my local history data files, sorting the content into a single file for each chapter and then starting the editing process, contacting the St Nots LHS ex-Secretary and my photographer Howards to chase him an then the photocopier supplier as it has still not arrived. Sometime organising Daniel and Debbie and ricking my back trying to constrain Della. The news is of a big furore over the Special Branch searches of the BBC and confiscation of film and material which is against proper press freedoms and an emergency debate in the Commons has been forced for tomorrow. Alistair McLean dies, three Italian policemen are convicted of raping a prisoner and the Philippines constitutional referendum seems to be going Cory Aquino’s way.
A better night’s sleep, but very slow to wake up and get washed and dressed in time for breakfast. Dressed in some old clothes and then straight to my office. The start of a long day working with the VDU, sorting record files, so that I ended up with files of each chapter that is to be updated with the scrap book data. Heard from the secretary of the St Neots L.H.S. (Linda Read), who is interested on my results and information on the Reynolds family. She has now given up the post, and also left Nigel Smith’s Modus, and so I suppose she has more time to pursue it. I chased the photograph copies with Howards this morning – he will finish taking the shots and return the originals probably tomorrow. He needs special film for the pencil drawings (or rather, photographic paper) and so I won’t get the copies back before the end of the week. Agreed with him that I should get the negatives back as well, because it seems he is closing the shop down. Also chased the delivery of the Canon photocopier – I received the invoice today, but god knows where the equipment has got to. A salad lunch and a fully cooked tea made me feel full today.
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Looking after the children after a disturbed night and then driving them to Stanton to visit my Mum and Dad, Grace and Fred Broad and then an evening writing before an early night. This as a massive hunt continues into finding the missing Terry Waite who has ruled out any ransoms to be paid in his farewell note and Special Branch is criticised for an oppressive raid on BBC Scotland over the ‘Secret Society’ documentaries, McGlinchey’s wife is murdered and HMS Splendid’s towed sonar is captured by a Soviet submarine
A better night, but still lost a fair amount of sleep, as first, Debbie came in to the room during the night having ‘had a bad dream’ and climbed in beside me. Then Daniella was awake early and running about the house. Di called me at 8.00am with my morning tea and I got showered and dressed on a very chilly morning. There were cracking noises during the night, as the river ice was fracturing with the changing water levels. A nice fried breakfast and then the morning working at the Paxton Hall files. Della kept coming in and Diana was in one of her Sunday moods. Late, I laid the table, we enjoyed roast chicken for lunch, and then I did the washing and drying up. Quickly changed, out to feed the ducks and doves, then I got the family in the car and the house locked, so that we could leave. The roads were quiet during our drive to Stanton to see my Mum and Dad, but the girls (particularly Della) misbehaved.