Working on my correspondence inside in my office for most of this rainy day, accepting that Council candidature and pursuing many other matters and then managing to get an undercoat on the balcony rails when the rain stopped before helping a local girl with her Little Paxton project and taking Debbie horse-riding again. The Shultz & Shevardnadze talks are extended as hopes rise for a bigger arms treaty and the Liberals vote overwhelmingly for merger with the SDP but the miners’ overtime ban is still on, the Gulf still burns and another UDR man is shot by the IRA
Slept well enough, but was awoken very early this morning, as Di ensures that we are all ready for breakfast. Cereal and fruit juice and Di took Debs and Dan to their bus stop, as the overnight rain was still continuing. This morning, I settled down in my office on some paperwork, whilst Di took Della to playschool. Little Della cried when Di tried to leave her again, but was all right once she had gone. She later brought me home a nice snail she had adorned with little pieces of paper stuck on. I had been reading today’s paper and then writing a whole host of letters. Acceptance of the SDP candidature for the Little Paxton Ward, seeking updating of conservatory quotes, making my claim for compensation over damage to the Blue Peter and other things. After lunch, Di went off to post the letters and I got on with the painting of the balcony again.
The rain had stopped and I managed to get the white undercoat finished before Debbie arrived home and it was time to take her horse riding. She was allocated Tango, a large black pony, for the first time and rode it well. A pity that most of the other riders were very young and so Debbie was not learning anything new. Home for a quick tea and then I spent an hour with a local girl who wanted help with a Little Paxton project, before the rest of the evening with my own children on their homework! News today is of the unexpected extension of the Washington talks between Shultz & Shevardnadze with hopes of an even bigger breakthrough. A Soviet spokesman says that ‘history is in the making’. The Liberal Conference in Harrogate voted overwhelmingly to endorse the plan for merger by 998 votes to 20-odd and this ends the day in a state of elation. Unemployment figures are the lowest for 5 years and, although these figures are still affected by manipulation and temporary job schemes, there are improvements in some of the worst areas. The miners are now committed to next Monday’s overtime ban and last minute hopes of conciliation are dashed. Another victim of the IRA, as a part time UDR man was shot in the head in Belfast. After more Iraqi attacks on Iran oil installations, the Iranians have responded with attacks on ‘economic targets’.