Trips to St Ives Auction viewings, Jordon’s Mill at Biggleswade and the Sandy RSPB headquarters for bird song records, before a family Happy Easter meal at Croxton and then time painting Lady Martina’s cabin roofs as Di took Daniel to Coton to stay with the Skinners. The news is of the demise of the eight IRA men who were ambushed and killed with their digger bomb and of the Polish airliner crash near Warsaw airport, killing all 183 people on board. The Rolls Royce giveaway flotation is nine times oversubscribed as Thatcher and her inner cabinet are ensconced at Chequers relishing their favourable polls and planning their June election
Rather hot last night, but slept well enough and then awoken this morning by Di with a drink in the company of Daniella. Tried to keep her happy for a while, then eventually had to get up, wash my hair and shower. Dressed in sports jacket and dress jeans for breakfast, but was very late by this time and Daniel had already gone to school. Out to tend the ducks and doves after, also to get out the Range Rover, and then I locked and alarmed the house so that we could take the trip to St Ives. A fine, sunny and still morning, which was quite glorious. Once we arrived, I took a look around the general and antique auction viewings, bought catalogues, and then met the girls for morning drinks in the welcome cafe. A little longer viewing the antiques (an SHDC caddy spoon, which is of interest) and then we all met up in the car park at 11.00am for the drive to Biggleswade and Jordan’s Mill. Bought a bag of layers’ pellets and another of mixed corn, whilst the girls looked around the wholemeal shop, buying wheat flakes and other things. Back in the car and then on to the RSPB headquarters at The Lodge, Sandy, where I bought some records of bird songs and a log book, whilst the girls got some odds and ends.
Off a little late to get to St Neots and collect Daniel from his morning’s school. On to the Happy Eater at Croxton, then I was dropped off at home, whilst Di took Daniel over to Coton to start his weekend with the Skinners. I got down to work on painting the cabin roofs of The Lady with cream colour non-slip deck paint. Due to the problem of being careful with the edging and lack of time, I could only do part of the job and doubt whether I can finish it before the moorings are piled. As darkness fell, I carried planks across to the new mooring positions to give some footholds for us to move the boats out of Mr Larkin’s way tomorrow. In to listen to some bird songs on my new records, listen also to the news and write up my journal. News today is dominated by the details of the IRA ambush. 8 IRA men were accompanying a digger (with a bomb in its bucket) in a van and were all shot dead. The bomb exploded during the gun battle, destroying the police station as well. A Polish airliner crashed today, near Warsaw Airport, killing all 183 people on board. It caught fire, tried to turn back, and then crashed into woodland. The Rolls Royce (aero engine) share floatation was over 9 times subscribed. Reagan speaks out optimistically on arms control agreement and Thatcher stays at Chequers with her inner cabinet, analysing the local election results and pondering on when to call the General Election. Another opinion poll for the marginal constituencies has given her fresh confidence to go to the country.
Note: Later historical evidence has revealed this alternative version of the Loughgall event in January 2016 when the SAS soldiers acted excessively, a lawyer for the bereaved has claimed. ‘Solicitor Peter Corrigan claimed the targets could have been arrested as they entered the Co Armagh village of Loughgall in May 1987, avoiding the bloodshed which followed. Mr Corrigan called for reopened inquests into their deaths to be held speedily. He said: "The reason for the promptness and expedition is so that there is no perception in the public that the state is colluding or acquiescing in an unlawful act." The SAS intercepted the IRA unit as it launched an attack on a police station in the village. An innocent civilian, Anthony Hughes, 36, was killed after being caught up in the gunfire. Mr Corrigan added: "The state authorities had prior knowledge and did not effect arrests when they entered Loughgall - they acted disproportionately and excessively." He said the case should be among the most urgently dealt with by a coroner's system in Northern Ireland which is under great pressure with a backlog of dozens of legacy inquests. The lawyer said: "It flies in the face of expedition and promptness that we still don't have a date set for an inquest...so that the public can have confidence that the state is properly investigating controversial murders like this case." Lord Justice Weir is reviewing all the inquests to determine when they can be held or if the coroner's system is not capable of dealing with some of them. Controversy has long surrounded the Loughgall ambush with claims the SAS team continued to fire on a number of the IRA men with heavy machine guns as they lay wounded on the ground. The IRA members killed were Jim Lynagh, 32; Padraig McKearney, 32; Gerard O'Callaghan, 29; Tony Gormley, 25; Eugene Kelly, 25; Patrick Kelly, 32; Seamus Donnelly, 19; and Declan Arthurs, 21. The UK's Advocate General ordered the new inquest after considering issues of national security. In 2001 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that ten IRA members, including the eight killed at Loughgall, had their human rights violated by the failure of the British Government to conduct a proper investigation into their deaths. The court did not make any finding that these deaths amounted to unlawful killing.