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Some family successes with Daniel and Debbie at school and some illnesses overcome and Daniel gets ‘Little Lady’ for his 15th birthday as we turn to outside pursuits as the Spring weather takes its time to come and I hatch plans for a new conservatory and koi carp pond, looking to bring my Little Paxton History project to a conclusion. Thatcher’s Tory government is losing popularity and by-elections despite her visits to Russia where she at first opposes arms limitation but then becomes more optimistic but she makes some controversial political/industrial calls favouring the US and many of our arms weapon scientists are killed in suspicious circumstances. More problems between Iran/Iraq, in Ulster, with industrial relations as the budget solve little and unemployment is high. The Herald of Free Enterprise sinking and mass Spanish food poisoning deaths leads the stories of other mass disasters to boot.
March has been a poor month for weather that may have started and ended mild, but had some very cold, windy and wet weather in between. Gales carried our dinghy across the lawn and into the river one night and the so-called ‘Killer Storm’ produced 99mph winds which ripped down branches, whipped up spray from the river and demolished some of my fences and others locally. It also toppled Waresley Church Tower, shredded two airships in Cardington and killed ten people throughout the UK. The buds are waiting ready to sprout and the first daffodils are just out and so spring should soon start, after its delay. I was nursed a sore back much of the time and Della has had chicken pox but still retained her appetite, but we have been saved any heavy influenza this winter. My mum Grace has had her hip operation and is half way through a long period of confinement to bed and we visited her in hospital but only after she had a relapse with chest pains from a possible blood clot. Daniel celebrated his 15th birthday, has started shaving and rejoices in my gift of his new boat, a Viking 17 ‘Little Lady’, and petrol supplies are granted for his hard work at school.