After some emergency lawn-mower repairs, this was mainly a planning day; arranging to go to The Chelsea Flower Show on Thursday, to see my Mum & Dad on Sunday next and take The Lady to The Norfolk Broads with The Little Lady in July and August. Thatcher’s unemployment figures are down due to her 20th change od statistical criteria, a last minute £450m loan to BAE for their European Airbus partnership, a military coup in Fiji and now the South African government have expelled British ITN and BBC television news journalists for screening and reporting civil unrest, even though it was in accordance with the rulings of the South African High Court.
A little earlier to bed than of late and was awoken this morning to an early drink of tea and sat in bed for a while coming to. Then my shower & shave and took so long that I was the last one down to breakfast! Debbie wanted to be taken to school by me this morning (I later learnt that it was in the hope that I would allow her to take a large teddy bear!) and so I walked off with her in the pouring rain and duly obliged. Poor luck for Debbie; I did not allow the teddy to come too. We walked to school with her friend Amy and mother Pat Law and we chatted at the same time. Once back, I started work in my office, but did not achieve a great deal, apart from processing today’s post. I did phone both of my favoured conservatory companies, Imperial and another, and gazed at the two plans and quotations until lunchtime, having great difficulty in choosing between the two. Over lunch, at last Di and I agree on our proposed visit to the Chelsea Flower Show, which will be next Thursday in the afternoon and evening.
Then read several conservatory books this afternoon and am leaning towards having double glazed glass for both the walls and roof, rather than polycarbonate. Daniel had been home today – a school CCF day – and worked quite well on his studies this morning and then went off to his voluntary work at St Neots Oxfam in the afternoon. This evening, he played on his boat and enjoyed himself, before watching TV. After tea, I watched TV as well, at the end of what has been a fairly-unproductive, if relaxed, day. We heard from Mum & Dad this afternoon, and they accepted an offer to visit us on Sunday next, which is a relief. I also had to help Pete with the mowers. The main one had failed with a clutch problem and we got out the reserve and started it - a Mountfield. With all repairers inundated with a spring backlog of mowers, we are pleased to have a spare, as the repair delay could be 2-4 weeks. Pete cut the riverside lawns only and put the first consignment of clay on the summer house foundation, after the early rain had given way to sunshine on a cold and blustery day. We also decided on a plan today to take The Lady to the Norfolk Broads for a month in July and August, trailing The Little Lady as well – we shall see. News today is of the latest political developments, as the new polls show the Tories ahead, with Labour improved and the Alliance going backwards! Thatcher gave a pep-talk to her troops, urging no complacency. The latest unemployment figures are down, but the opposition reject the figures due to the 20th change of statistical criteria and demanded an independent inquiry into these changes. The government agrees a £450 million loan to BAE for its European Airbus development at a late hour, even if this amount is less than that being granted by other European governments to their aerospace manufacturers. The British government has voiced concern at the military coup in the Fiji Islands and followed condemnations from the governments of Australia and New Zealand. An extraordinary report and arrests of four people over the threat to release Dioxin poisonous gas over Cyprus if a ransom of £9 million was not paid. In an even greater foray into extremism, the South African government have expelled British ITN and BBC television news journalists for screening and reporting civil unrest, even though it was in accordance with the rulings of the South African High Court.