A historic day marking excellent progress in the Nuclear arms talks with massive reductions on both sides now within reach and a test ban treaty to follow. I was occupied keeping the peace with Della this morning as we made our customary trip to Bedford and I was able to buy a new suitcase and video camera set for our forthcoming holiday in Anaheim. This afternoon collecting my newly-repaired rotavator from Gibbs and Dandy Gale in order to start cultivating my prospective games lawn area
Slept well enough, but awoke a little weary from the chores of tending to the children lately. Showered and washed my hair, then went down to breakfast in my dressing gown and was still too late to see the others at the table. We had croissants this morning and only Della was still there to help share mine. Soon dressed after and then ready for our shopping trip to Bedford. There then came the first of a series of outbursts by Daniella, who was to do her best to make the trip as trying as possible. Eventually away and arrived in our new coffee place in Bedford, but the drink was somewhat spoiled by the mite’s antics again.
We then trailed from shop to shop, looking for a set of suitcases for our forthcoming holiday and settled on the Stag range, which had all types, including flight and carrying bags as well. A little time also in Gibbs & Dandy Gale, looking for more shower curtains, whilst Della played in the Early Learning Centre. Then to St Neots, where we bought a new Panasonic video camera set and carrying case, before lunch at the Little Chef. After, we stopped off at Ibbetts of Great Paxton and retrieved our rotavator head, duly repaired, and at last home to try it out. I rotavated quite a section of the prospective games lawn, as the ground was moister today. Debbie and Daniel helped me by picking up stones and then I helped them with their homework. Later, Dan and I read through the video instructions together. The historic news today is of agreement for a Reagan/Gorbachev summit this autumn, to sign a deal scrapping all intermediate weapons. Shultz and Shevardnadze made the deal today and will meet again in Moscow next month to conclude the details. Now the cruise missiles at Greenham will go, along with all 332 cruise and Pershing 2 nuclear missiles in Europe. In return, the Soviets would destroy 462 nuclear weapons targeted on Western Europe and the 221 in Asia, pointed at China and Japan. NATO had planned to install 572 cruise & Pershing 2 missiles in Britain, France, Italy, Belgium & Holland by the end of next year. Britain was to receive 160 cruise missiles and will get rid of the 96 already on our soil. As well as this, negotiations for the test ban treaty and others on 50% reduction of long range missiles will begin on December 1st. At the end of the Liberal Assembly today, David Steel claims that the plans for merger will lead to the party coming to power. In the elections for the negotiating team, several radicals, including the young Liberal Chairman, were elected to negotiate with the Social Democrats.