Putting the swimming pool to bed and making other arrangements for us being away for four weeks, loading up the Range Rover and retrieving The Little Lady on a trailer from St Neots public slipway as Debbie has her last day at Little Paxton School. News f Dad and his tests for suspected stones, Geoffrey Archer wins his court case despite damning testimony, the Herald of Free Enterprise management and officers are roundly criticised in the enquiry and a compromise is reached over the ‘Spy-catcher’ book reporting
A nice reunion with Di in bed last night and, both warm after on a chilly night, we slept soundly enough. No company for my morning tea, which was a blessing, then down, after my preparations, to find that the others were already eating before 7.45am! Just cereal for breakfast and after I got Daniel to help me put the swimming pool to bed. We vacuumed the bottom, cleaned out the filters and then back-flushed the sand filter to remove all vegetative material from the system. Then I added a large quantity of granular chlorine to the water, packed chlorine pills in the skimmer basket and added plenty of algaecide to prevent the pool going green while we are away.
Then, on with the debris cover and everything left in the boiler room, where the boiler was locked and put out. I telephoned Brooms of Brundall today and confirmed that The Lady had arrived safely and was sitting at a mooring ready to be collected tomorrow. Next job was to get the trailer out of the garage, unfold and connect it to the back of the Range Rover, then drive to St Neots public slipway to collect the Little Lady, which Daniel and friend Jason had taken along there ready. We loaded up the boat fairly easily, but just had to adjust the trailer supports where the settings had changed during the recent anti-fouling. Home then and put it in the back drive ready for loading with our belongings later in the day. Lunch made by Daniel, Jason and I, as Di had taken Della to a playgroup sports & barbeque and Debbie was having her last day at Little Paxton School. We made salad and then pie & ice cream to follow. This afternoon I watched the second day of the test match between Pakistan & England and the Pakistanis built up an innings of over 400, which was disappointing. Later, I supervised the packing with everything taken to the boat so that we only have our pyjamas, toiletries & pillows to load in the morning. After a brief breakfast we shall have a flying start. Saw Joan & Pete today. Paid Joan for her two weeks money in lieu of 4 weeks inactivity and advanced a sum to Pete, as we will not be here for 4 weeks to pay him for working normally. I also saw Marilyn, who will look after our ducks and doves. Goldie, our goldfish, is lodging with Pat & Amy Law opposite, who have some of their own. Today was drizzly at times, but much warmer and it was dry later when we were loading up. The forecast is still fine for Saturday and Sunday, which should get us going. My Mum & Dad phoned last night. Dad has had more tests for suspected stones, but must await 2 weeks analysis. The new roof has been fitted to the mobile home and they are pleased with it. News today is of Geoffrey Archer, the former Tory vice-chairman, winning the libel case against the Star and getting £1/2 million-worth of damages. This despite a prostitute’s testimony that she had him as a client, which the court failed to believe. Next the Zeebrugge Judicial Enquiry presented its findings. Townsend Thorenson’s management gets a pasting from the top to the bottom. The directors seemed not to have any idea of their responsibilities, the management did not listen to ship’s officers warnings and the crew were negligent – Captain, 1st Officer and Seaman. There was also criticism of ferry buoyancy design and of lack of checks on lorry and passenger load weights. The Transport Minister, Paul Channon, announced measures in the Commons this afternoon covering many of these items, but nothing to attack the fundamental problem of ferry design and the open freight decks. In a compromise in the Court of Appeal, the injunctions against three newspapers about the MI5 case were amended so that there could be general newspaper reports on the book, but no actual quotes from the book. Typically British. Another hijack at Geneva Airport and the assailant was captured, but only after one passenger was murdered.