To Bedford on a frosty day of snow and sleet in order to undertake Range Rover repairs in an atmosphere of conflict after differences with Diana over Della’s behaviour and to buy Quadro for the children and then to take Debbie horse-riding and welcome Daniel back home after his second Maths paper and to prepare him for his last examination as building society rates are cut by 1%, to a common level of 11 ¼%, rows continue over the soundness of PC Blakelock outcome and President Reagan answers Iran gate questions sticking to a prepared brief with more US finance scandals breaking. An Italian Air Force General, Licio Giorgieri, has been shot dead
Slept well, but needed a little help out of bed this morning, due to my stiff back. In fact, I sat in the bedroom chair, instead of bed, to avoid further exacerbating it. Glanced at the morning paper after breakfast and then read to the girls for a little while, but not much mail came while I waited. Then to the kitchen to prepare the money for our daily and gardener and by then it was time to get the Range Rover out for our trip to Bedford. I was upset with Di this morning and she was upset with me for criticising the way in which Della got into another crying fit. Di seems not to be able to avoid these conflicts and I was totally undiplomatic through being grumpy with my back.
Drove in mutual silence (which is only one decibel less than Di’s normal conversation) to Marshalls of Bedford, where we had booked the vehicle in for more fault rectification. Arranged to collect it by 1.00pm, which was not long enough for them to repair the radiator leak (is had to come back) but time enough for them to tighten the bolts on the suspension (again!) and adjust the choke/slow running adjustment. Di and I made friends again over coffee at Debenhams and then we went our separate ways for half an hour, me going to Bedford Library and looking at some books on architecture to find out about conservatory building. I then got a couple of books on fish keeping from W H Smith and took over Daniella from Di at the Early Learning Centre for ¾ hr, until lunch. Whilst there I decided to buy a sectional, constructional playground climbing frame toy called QUADRO. A salad lunch back at Debenhams and Della ate well enough to earn a chocolate cake as well. I then went to retrieve the car from Marshalls, whilst Di bought the toy and I then brought the car to collect both it and them from outside the Early Learning Centre in Bedford High Street. Home via Harry Kitchener Marine to check on Daniel’s tachometer (but they were closed for lunch 1.00-2.00). I made a pot of tea and covered the Quadro leaflet and handbook in transparent protection film, to enable them to survive the wet grass and rough treatment at the hands of the children. Soon the children were home from school. Daniel had not taken the second of his papers today and so must finish his exam tomorrow afternoon. An early tea and then took Debbie to Offord for her delayed horse riding lesson. Much upset, as she was given a cart horse called ‘Dolly’, but she eventually settled down and controlled it quite reasonably. She will have it for a further 2 weeks, until she has mastered it and will then get another to control. Home to supervise Daniel's work for this evening and he is as ready as he will ever be for the maths test. Debbie also worked on her maths and started book 2 of Peak Maths, with which event she was thrilled (!). Time then to write my journal before the TV news. I was horrified this evening to find out that Debbie had not fed Goldie the goldfish for at least two weeks. The poor thing had survived on weed and by routing around in the gravel, which proves how well they can manage for a week or two. Another chilly day, starting frosty and clear, before turning to flurries of snow and sleet. The news today is of the building societies deciding to cut their rates by about 1%, to a common level of 11 ¼%, anticipating a further ½ % cut in bank base rates to make it possible. The societies are still struggling, however, to keep their deposit levels up and they have yet to change investment rates. Despite mounting criticism of the PC Blakelock trial’s discovery that the main culprit was already on bail charged with murder, the government will not be making any changes to the law. More criticism from the ‘Residents Defence Committee’ of local Broadwater Farm (Tottenham) residents, who say the convictions were unsound, due to lack of forensic or any corroborative evidence to back up confessions under pressures already criticised by the Judge. President Reagan has answered impromptu questions at his first press conference since the Irangate scandal broke. He answered questions competently according to a prepared brief, but still left much unsaid. The latest revelation in the US stock market is in respect of Boyd Jefferies, a founder and Chairman of a stock broking company, known for out-of-hours trading, who has admitted handling stock for Ivan Boesky when he should not have under US rules. The net seems to be spreading. An Italian Air Force General, Licio Giorgieri, has been shot dead by two men on a motor bicycle, thought to be members of the Red Brigade. Captain David Lewry, the master of the Herald of Free Enterprise, has spoken out on the ordeal today, but did not comment on the reasons for the capsize.