Back to BST today – Printing out the Garthwaites interview notes and then feeding the ducks and doves on riverside gardens covered in sticky mud from the subsiding flood before taking a tour around Paxton to photo the historical sites that still exist before transcribing the Hall interview recordings as Diana was preparing for our Disneyland holiday. MOD police raid Marconi in Portsmouth, Reagan is considering a US trade ban for Iran after a silkworm attack on a Kuwaiti super tanker oil terminal. Both Thatcher and Kinnock face criticism from their own ranks on the eve of the Hong Kong stock market opening after a week’s suspension
After another late night, was the first to wake this morning and (as it was a better time of the month) rolled over to see Di. Went downstairs after and made the morning drinks myself, coffee for Di, tea for Daniel and I and orange juice for the girls. Left Di with the girls in her bed afterwards and then was the first to shower and dress for breakfast. A nice fried meal in line with our tradition. Before and after this, I read the Sunday papers – still full of the stock market crash – then wrote up my diary, as I printed out the 20 pages of typed script on the Garthwaites interview. All this took me well into the morning, and at 11.00 (summer time) I went out and fed the ducks and doves. The riverside gardens are covered with the sticky mud and the post flood smell is evident as it dries out.
Soon it will be a flaky residue and very easy to remove or deal with. A pile of rubbish from the flood had built up by our landing stage and then been deposited when it subsided. Soon time for a nice turkey lunch, then I went out for a while in the Range Rover. It was another cold, but bright and sunny day. In bed, Della had watched the red orb of the sun rise with me, above the mist across the Ouse valley. By now the conditions were good for taking some photographs of the Little Paxton developments. I took one of the Trimmings houses for reference (where the cricket bat factory was), then of the new extension building work at Riversfield Mill. Next ones were the new bungalow by the church and also of the extensions and alterations to the pair of brick houses nearby. A walk round and then home to carry on. Whilst driving, I also identified the remains of the Paxton Park garden Ha Ha across Park Drive and the weeping willow being the only remnant of Harold Boardman’s Lily Pond. I also took a photo of the old Paxton Park stable block, now in the Industrial Estate and could clearly see all over Little Paxton, the extent of the old Paxton Park garden walks from the remaining trees. Spent the rest of the day, after returning, transcribing the rest of the first Hall tape and typing it out. Still a full day’s work left to complete the remainder. Debbie had a sweet little schoolgirl friend round to play and for tea and Daniel was joined by Paul and Steve at various times during the day. Della was a bit left out, but determined to play with the girls whenever she could. Di was packing, ironing, and preparing for our Disneyland holiday for a lot of this afternoon and evening. News today is of a row developing over the MOD police raid on Marconi’s of Portsmouth. Accusations are in the air of excess profits and the matter is to be raised in Parliament. US President Reagan is considering a trade ban with Iran and is testing the extent of support for it. They are not going to retaliate in response to the Silkworm attack on the Kuwaiti super tanker oil terminal. There has been a rally of Labour Party left-wingers, under the leadership of Wedgewood-Benn and the mood was highly critical of Neil Kinnock’s leadership. Also Tory ex-ministers Leon Brittan and John Biffen, speak out against Thatcher’s policies of Poll Tax and health and welfare plans. Deeper thoughts are on tomorrows stock market trends, with a Hong Kong collapse the main threat, after the market had been suspended for a week.