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To Cambridge on a cold day after near freezing temperatures overnight for coffee with Di’s parents, to sign papers with Vinters concerning my Linton Lordships and to visit Marshalls to see a new Daimler that we are buying overcoming problems with the children. Elsewhere, Gorbachev denounced predecessor Brezhnev for secrecy and corruption, worries grow about Terry Waite after 11 more hostages are taken and nothing is heard from him, a pro-Marcos rebellion in the Philippines has been crushed and a confused US staff leaks contradicting content of President Reagan’s ‘State of the Union’ speech.
A poor night, feeling too warm and having to get up several times during the course of it. Was very much asleep when called with my morning tea and so sat groggily and listened to the radio for a while. Up, showered, shaved and also washed my hair, before dressing for breakfast in my sports jacket and trousers. Prepared a few things and then, once Di had returned from taking Debbie to school, we set off in the Range Rover for Cambridge. Sped to the round church car park and got to Eaden Lilleys in good time to have a drink of coffee with Di’s Mum and Dad. We raised the question of Mr Jackson’s forthcoming 70th birthday and agreed that we will take them both out for a special meal. Charles has just lost another (half) brother and was buying a black tie in Cambridge today, for the funeral to be held on the south coast later this week.
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Some time with the family with their ‘homework’ on a dull and murky day, spending lunchtime together in St Neots after I had chased the photographers about my precious copies of photographs and stocked up with stationery at Clover. Back to work on the Little Paxton Scrapbook all afternoon before hearing of the results of the Sizewell B Nuclear Enquiry, the longest in history, which will now allow the project to proceed. The BT engineer’s strike starts to bite, Special Branch officers continue to hound those involved over the Spy Satellite revelation, and Iranian forces are within a few miles of Basra with huge casualties claimed on both sides
Slept well enough after a late start and was deep in the land of ‘nod’ when awoken to my morning tea. Up to shower and shave and then across and down to the kitchen, opening curtains, switching off lights and generally checking on how the children had left their rooms. Di had left the light on in her ironing room all night! A breakfast of wheat flakes and apple juice. We are getting more and more interested in the type of ‘E’ numbers, or additives, in our food and will be the healthier, I am sure, for avoiding the unhealthy ones. Dressed in my old sports jacket & trousers today and went with Di and Della into St Neots for once. Had a drink at Tooks bakers (Di got my coffee free with theirs by using a voucher) and then I tackled the photographer and office stationers, whilst Diana took Della around the shops. I worry more and more about Howard Photographics, they are turning people away for photocopying and film developing and seem to be going out of business. Not very encouraging, when I am trusting them with precious old photos!
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More work on my project, despite it being Sunday, but we did enjoy English breakfast and a roast beef lunch together on our best china and silver. Diana and the girls visited Di’s parents today and neighbour Marilyn’s David took one of their boats out for a spin as it was milder and free of ice. Kohl is the probable victor of the West German elections, Special Branch officers are tasked to try and incriminate investigative journalist Duncan Campbell over the Spy Satellite disclosures and the political aftermath of the Wapping violence will move to The Commons tomorrow
A sound night’s sleep and no early morning call from the alarm system. I shower and dress quite early and am well ready for breakfast and so set up my office for a day’s work before going back to eat it. A nice meal of fried egg, bacon and tomato and the children all had fried egg and extras as well. Then down to work, until time for coffee at 10.45am. A nice drink, out to the ducks and doves after, and then a little read of the papers before resuming. Worked on until 12.30pm and then it was time to prepare the silver and china for lunch, laying up the table at the same time. Soon lunch was served, nice beef, and then we had finished the washing up by 2.30pm.
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A milder but mixed day after an ‘alarming’ start, working on my history project as the river ice melts, Diana and the girls goes to Biggleswade and Daniel to school before all together for a ‘Happy Eater’ lunch and the afternoon until Daniel leaves with his friend Paul’s family to a firm’s disco and I could resume working. Civil unrest outside Murdoch’s Wapping plant on the first anniversary of its sacking of printers with 150 injured and Terry Waite still seems to be stuck trying to free a few hostages in the Lebanon by secret bargaining with Pro-Iranian Shiite Moslems
Awoken with a start at 6.00am by the burglar alarm suddenly sounding for no apparent reason. It could be that in my haste last night, I did not disable all of the internal zones and that Daniella had opened the relevant door whilst doing her normal early morning ramble. Down, and having disabled it, an early morning drink with Di in the kitchen. Sat and chatted for a while and then went to shower and dress for the day’s activity. Chose a spare sports jacket and trousers for a mixed day. First to the office and the whole morning continuing my transcription. Di and the girls were shopping in Biggleswade, Daniel was at school, and so I stayed in and worked on.