Recovering from my exertions of yesterday and working on my financial summaries and tax return information instead whilst Daniel seemed to have managed his Maths exam paper today and then out to sink moorings posts for The Lady later and to get Daniel to return The Little Lady into the new boat harbour. Thatcher is completing more sweeping changes to her junior ministerial team, the SDP/Liberal discussions stall due to SDP reservations and Sgt Nathaniel Cush, a UDR members, is killed by car bomb in Ulster
Slept well enough and was off in search of Diana and the morning drinks again. Had a mug of tea in the kitchen and then shaved and dressed, having had a bath last night. Breakfast and then to my office for the working day. I was very stiff and tired from yesterday’s exertions and the weather forecast was rainy and so it seemed the best thing to do. I read some outstanding papers and then collated my financial summaries, so as to be able to send copies to Accountant and Solicitor. Then I started updating my copy with all of the transactions since May, which was quite a job. Reconciled my bank and building society accounts and then it was time for lunch. I was quite hungry and bored by now, preferring the outside work really. The rain was teaming down, saturating the ground once again and leaving pools of water everywhere. This afternoon I wrote letters to Roger Brittain, my accountant, giving information for this year’s tax return, paid outstanding bills and filled in forms. Decided to pop into St Neots before tea and did some building society transactions and bought some maggots as bait for tomorrow’s start of the fishing season.
Also picked up a drum of barbeque briquettes and was slightly late for tea at 5.00pm. Daniel seemed quite satisfied with his second half of the maths ‘O’ level today, and I went through his schoolwork with him after tea. This evening it was dry, though still cold at 50degF, so I went out to the river and hammered in four mooring posts of oak timber into the lower moorings. Moved round The Lady and got Daniel away from the TV to put his Viking back into the boat harbour. Came in at 10 when it was dark and Di made my Bournvita and I watched the TV. Di had been to her slimmer’s club tonight, but had put on a little weight again, which was a shame. After the limited changes at Cabinet level by Mrs Thatcher yesterday, there are sweeping changes at the junior levels. Gone are Geoffrey Pattie, Dr Rhodes Boyson, Alick Buchanon-Smith & Richard Tracey amongst 13 resignations. In are Lord Sanderson, Robert Jackson, Patrick Nicholls & Ian Grist. Solicitor General, Patrick Mayhew, is replaced amongst many other changes. Another former UDR member, Nathaniel Cush, was murdered in Northern Ireland by a car bomb. The SDP Executive had a meeting today and put off any discussion on merger with the Liberal Party for two weeks. They feel that the SDP are being ‘bounced’ into considering a merger. I disagree and cancel my £120 per month donation standing order to see what transpires. This afternoon I buy £50,000-worth of Allied-Lyons shares as my only share purchase, as the stock markets are so high and frothy over the Thatcher victory. I shall wait for a stock exchange setback before using any more of our cash deposits. Stayed up until midnight watching a fine film ‘Return of a Man Names Horse’, an Indian Western.