- Details
Keeping a close eye on Daniella, who has had some antibiotics prescribed after a poor night but soon recovers during the day, as we tour St Neots banks and building societies, Clover Office Supplies and have coffee at The Rendezvous. Colin Howard returns Mrs Shepherd’s original photographs, as do I, and I brief Joan on the alarms and give her a key for our time away. The Government struggle to handle the financial crisis and resist pulling the BP flotation whilst US President Ronald and Nancy Reagan struggle with political and personal problems.
An unsettled night, as poor Della kept waking up and crying. Her problem remains that whenever she tries to cough, it hurts her sore throat and she is not one to suffer in silence. Debbie and Daniel went off to their last school day before the half-term holiday. I made it down late to breakfast again and satisfied myself with a bowl of wheat flakes and milk, without any sugar. Della comes back to the table to eat a slice of Marmite on toast and drink her apple juice with me afterwards. A little time reading the paper to keep her company and then I went back to my office to continue organising things for our holiday. Almost immediately it was time to take Della to St Neots Doctor’s Surgery and we did it together. She was quite good. Dr Wright examined her chest and pronounced it clear, then looked at her ears and found one eardrum a little inflamed. He prescribed a course of antibiotics, in view of the air travel involved in our holiday. Della had perked up and so we walked round to Boots the chemist to get her medicine and then did a few chores.
- Details
Tending to Della’s poor health & the children’s homework and making preparations for our forthcoming Californian holiday as more equity selling occurs in London and New York with Hong Kong down 33%. The Options market is supported with a support package of £1 ½ billion which was still was not enough to calm nerves and hundreds of US companies are buying their own shares! I was left complaining to Marshall’s for poor service administration, updating my investment schedules and reviewing my very muddy riverside gardens
Slept well and was on time to breakfast, so as to eat with the children before they went off to school. Poor Daniella is not too good today, having a chesty cough and temperature and the fact starts to worry us, with the holiday starting in California the day after tomorrow. Today I had to put my history interview work to one side and spent the time making our preparations for the trip. Only a small chance to read the newspaper headlines. Had also today to keep a weather eye on the stock exchanges, with Hong Kong & Tokyo triggering more selling in London and, later, New York. A long task paying bills and balancing my bank and building society accounts.
- Details
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.
- Details
Groggily up to my family breakfast on a sunny and dry day after the late night and to scan the financial papers and they offer little guidance in these uncharted and troubled times but the laissez-faire approach of free-market Thatcherism may have had its day. Transcribing tapes until very late this evening as it seems that the Russians are trying to get some last-minute concessions in their arms deal with the US. More attacks on Gulf oil installations and Marconi are investigated for contract fraud.
Slept soundly, but not for nearly long enough after my late night. Groggily down to breakfast in my dressing gown, having no time to dress or shower, and had a small bowl of cereal with the others. Daniel off to school after, but by his face and manner, I judge that he is going to bed too late as well! Di took the girls off to the shops again and I read the days papers, before washing and dressing. The Investors Chronicle and weekend Financial Times offer copious of rather useless advice to investors on the week’s events. Pity that they have really no idea where the markets will end up. At least the climate of opinion is swinging back to the moderating influence of government into wider control of the economy and away from the laissez-faire policies of belief in unfettered markets, which has been the religion of the Thatcherite era.