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Recovering from the plane journey and jet-lag, catching up on phone messages and reading and progressing my history and conservatory projects and then the Priory Park fireworks display before an early night. US budget negotiations continue without agreement, an Ulster police atrocity and more tit-for-tat raids in the Gulf as ANC’s Mbeki is finally released by the South African government after 23 years in jail!
Slept very soundly last night and, at first, Di and I felt all right this morning. We rushed to get washed and dressed and then the children off to school, but then it hit us in mid-morning, as the time corresponded to the early hours of California’s night time. Could do little this morning, except read the last two day’s Financial Times and open the post, which was quite bulky after a week away. There were also tapes of 20 calls on my answering machine. Di was low as well and so I took her and Della out to lunch at the Little Chef. Della had slept continually from 9.00pm last night until midday today! After lunch, I set about the task of returning the phone calls. Had interesting chats with the owner of Mill House (who I arranged to meet next Thursday evening) and then Charles Frost, the conservatory designer. By this time the children were home from school and they seemed to manage the first day back quite well.
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The ordeal of a late and delayed overnight flight back to England on TWA but we had time to check out the Anaheim Plaza shopping mall and enjoy their very special choc-ices and then I insisted on the girls having spreads of vacant seats to sleep on the plane. We left a heat wave in the USA but we had a chilly and foggy drive back in England to find The Hayling View cold but safe and sound. Another 50 point fall on Wall Street as Congress and Presidential negotiating teams to reach a compromise on the budget deficit.
A much better night’s sleep, with few interruptions. In fact, we overslept and were still asleep at 6.00am! I had a headache to prove the point. The news this morning was of yesterday’s 50+ point fall on Wall Street, where the trouble has been caused by the failure of the Congress and Presidential negotiating teams to reach a compromise on the budget deficit. The pressure is now on for a deal by the end of the week, or the markets will enter free fall again. Other news is of Weinberger’s imminent departure and his wife’s denial that her health is the reason. All in all, the American news broadcasts are very parochial and take account of world events only if they have a close impact on this sub-continent. The weather is quite a key feature. Throughout central and eastern USA, there is a veritable heatwave going on, with record ‘highs’ in the 80degsF for this time of year. On the other hand, these cooler and showery spells in southern California are equally unusual. We went off to Coco’s for the last time to have breakfast and I had to mention to them about their non-smoking area. Though comprising most of the restaurant, it is still not large enough to accommodate all the non-smokers, who have to wait in the morning, as smokers are sat straight down.
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My 41st Birthday – After hearing of the disappointing news that Marineland is no more, vacated and sold for housing development with the animals sold or dead, we considered the trip to the San Diego Marine World but ended up back at Disneyland for our last day with Tom Sawyer’s Island the girls’ favourite attraction. Wall Streets is retreating again, Casper Weinberger resigns after conflict with George Shultz and Reagan’s latest Supreme Court nominee, Justice Ginsberg, is in trouble over cable TV conflicts of interest.
Had an unsettled night. First, my bed covers became deranged and then I lay awake thinking of a new pet project to buy up The Anchor pub in Little Paxton and convert it for a greater family and community use. Went across to join Di in the other bed for half of the night and she welcomed me readily, but I slept no better afterwards. At 5.00am, I got up and scanned the TV channels and soon Di was awake and making the morning drinks. After I had bathed and shaved & dressed, the family gave me a few presents and cards, which was nice. Off then to Coco’s on a fine and sunny day for a change, which boded well for the day ahead. Once back at our hotel room, we got a phone call from the Jetsave tour guide, wanting to know our travel plans for tomorrow. In view of the fact that we had a hire car to return to LA Airport, we had no need of her services tomorrow and we had rather wasted their offers of help. She was able to make us aware of one development – Marineland is now no more. The property developers have bought the site and started a housing development. Some of the marine animals were sold and many are now dead. We had planned to go via there to the airport tomorrow and are rather disappointed.
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An early morning discussing the London Stock market turmoil with my stockbrokers on a key settlement day which sets the market tone for the new month and then off in the Oldsmobile to Universal Studios for a fun day with the family, with breakfast at Coco’s and dinner at Denny’s as our dollars start running out!
Another routine night, apart from an unexpected interruption at 9.30am from the hotel housekeeper, bringing a pile of new towels. Slept in a bit this morning and I had to wake most of the family at 5.30am. Debbie was already awake, with her tape recorder and headphones on and always shouts her conversation when interrupted thus! I was afraid she would wake Daniella. I tried to telephone Peter Ray of Barclays de Zoete Wedd, to discuss stock exchange developments, but he was in a meeting, so I chatted with a colleague. London had opened easier today, being settlement day for the key account that saw the fall. Here, a lot of last week’s Wall Street recovery was on takeover and speculative stocks and the company activity to purchase their own shares has tailed off, with those left in the market bidding prices below market levels. It’s all a bit nervous and unclear and today will be a key day for the sentiment for the new month of November. All in the Oldsmobile and off to Coco’s for breakfast. About $20 again for the combined family meal. Time to spend an hour at the hotel before we set off north up the Santa Anna freeway, via Los Angeles, for Universal Studios.