A good night after a friendly start to it with Diana and then out for more logs and to settle down to my history project again; this time updating Paxton park, Grove House and planning to pursue Jack Ramply to see his document collection. A busy evening with Daniel and his homework, reading to Debbie and hearing of the news of the Medway being frozen, preventing navigation and of villages in Kent, Essex and Norfolk being cut off by snow falls. Ernest Saunders is sacked by Guinness after corruption during the Distillers takeover
Snuggled down with Di late last night and we were warm enough with our electric blanket to undertake pursuits that would normally be reserved for milder climes. Slept correspondingly well and awoke slowly to my morning tea. The children off to school safely again, although Daniel keeps forgetting to bring things home and we are running out of scarves and underwear for him. Read the paper and then went out to get some more large logs and small thinning to light the fire in my office. Got down to work on my history project and spent the day at it, burning three huge logs in the process. I completed the updating of Paxton Park, post war Little Paxton (the fires) etc and then started working my way through the gazettes of buildings and people that occupied them before the changes.
Had to get as far as The Grove and its connected cottages, because it is my intention to send a copy of this, with a letter, to trigger Jack Ramply into responding to my request to see his collection of old photographs, press cuttings and letters. Stopped only for lunch and tea and then spent the evening printing out all of my changed paragraphs, which was quite a job – some 20+ pages in all – in multiple copies for consultation. Di came in to read them and quite enjoyed the new descriptions of Harold Boardman of Paxton Park and Grove House, which she always liked as a building. Had to spend some time looking after the children today. Di left Della with me when going out, Debbie had to have her Country Companion, and Daniel always needs to be driven into doing his homework. Tonight he had to do some learning of theorems, but I added some English grammar. The news today is full of more details of the cold weather, but most striking was the report that Inspector Lovelock was cleared of deliberately wounding Mrs Groce in the incident that sparked off the Brixton Riots. The cold weather has now accounted for the deaths of 40 people in one way or another. The government have turned down a request for a state of emergency for Kent. The Medway estuary is frozen, trapping small boats, and many villages in Kent, Essex and Norfolk are still cut off. Army 4-wheel drive and tracked vehicles are being used to move food and essential supplies. The Guinness saga rolls on. Earnest Saunders is sacked unconditionally now and then Swiss bankers reveal other aspects of illegal share dealing during the Distillers take over. The weather may be about to moderate, a thaw starting in the extreme north of Scotland and spreading south. We only have a few inches of snow here and I see no cause for concern with regard to the river flooding.