Dark and drizzly start to the New Year with the river up again but within its banks as Marilyn put me in touch with Mrs Davies, Mrs Bunnage and Jack Ramply for old Little Paxton photos and press cuttings. A gas explosion in Dublin demolishes the front of a block of flats and only kills 2 but a Puerto Rico hotel fire has 80 people killed and 93 hurt. 1,000 students ignore bans on demonstrations and march in Peking and 60 are arrested out of 50,000 celebrating in Trafalgar Square
A lay in after the very late night and was dead to the world when given my morning tea. Up in time for breakfast with the others and I switched the balcony lights on for the day, as the weather was dark and drizzly again. A happy meal, with the children behaving themselves for once, and then I read the Investors Chronicle that had arrived today in the absence of any newspapers. Then I followed progress in the one-day cricket international in Australia. England raced to a towering 272 for 6 in 49 overs, with a steady start by Broad and Athey, before Botham lashed out to increase the run rate. The Aussies tried hard, but the score was too much for them and they could only score 235 all out. Out to the ducks and doves, finding that the river was up again on yesterday’s levels, but not yet out of its banks. I took a walk up to the Paper Mill and weir and noticed that the levels upstream are quite low and so perhaps the worst will not happen. After lunch, I phoned Marilyn and she came round to show me Mrs Davis’s photographs again and returned my manuscript. She also arranged for me to visit Mrs Bunnage of 6 High Street and I went round for an interesting chat and took many notes. She had not got any books – only some trade directories, which are available elsewhere – but her stories of the Old Post Office (where she was born), the Anchor public house (owned by her father & grandfather) and the wartime fires, added to my history of the recent times.
I also found the stone column in her garden, moved from The Anchor in 1950, but now missing the crown from the top. She put me on to Jack Ramply from Southoe and, once home, I phoned him and arranged to view the old photos and press cuttings put together by Sir Williamson Booth’s butler. The news today is of a massive explosion in a Dublin block of flats, thought to have been caused by gas. The front section of the 5-story building collapsed, but luckily only 2 people were killed, as the building was largely empty. Worse luck in the Puerto Rico hotel fire, where the final death toll is 80 people killed and 93 were hurt. Peter Chmilowskyj is charged with abducting Samantha Ettridge, with intent to have unlawful sexual interest. He had already been remanded in custody on a similar charge with respect to another teenager, Catherine Ainger. The political scene of China is hotting up, as a 1,000 students ignore bans on demonstrations and march in Peking. I hope that these developments will not cause the Chinese government to go back on the recent liberalisation programmes of reform, or change their policy with respect to a liberal regime for Hong Kong when the British lease expires. A bizarre incident leads to a 13 year old schoolboy’s death, as he takes his father’s car and then crashes it on the main road in a joy ride. The two climbers missing on Glencoe are found to be dead after an avalanche and other climbers are warned to take care. Student John Taylor, 22, is killed in an accident on Ben Nevis and several other climbers were hurt in a spate of accidents in the area. In fact, New Years Day has been a tragic start to the year, with emergency services working flat out in the early hours, as a record number of calls for help flooded in. Most were for drunks that had hurt themselves and 60 were arrested in Trafalgar Square out of a crowd of 50,000, when they started fighting and were a danger to themselves and others. More rain forecast for later tomorrow.