More progress in rotavating and raking the games lawn today with a break to attend to some urgent administration as The Labour Conference change candidate selection methods and appoint Ken Livingstone to the Executive, a constitutional crises unfolds in Fiji with the Governor General refusing to recognise the latest army coup, 2,000 people die in a South American mudslide and 720 farms in Britain are still affected by the Chernobyl fallout 18 months after
Slept soundly enough and sat up wearily for my morning tea. Sat in bed reading yesterday’s Observer newspaper and then went down in my dressing gown and pyjamas for a cereal breakfast. Quickly shaved and dressed after and went out to see Pete about the day’s work in the garden. I explained the techniques I had been using to prepare the lawn bed and then made the snap decision to join him for the morning’s work. With me on the rotavator and him the garden fork, loosening the earth and remaining clay lumps, we made good progress. The barrow for the clay and two well positioned buckets for stones and other debris, we then both raked the rotavated soil and used a rake each to level the result.
At 12.15pm, I left him to it and came in for a beef salad lunch. Rested, watching the lunchtime news after and only returned after doing some paperwork in my office. I had got behind paying bills and I also needed to pay some money into the bank account, ahead of the month end standing payment orders. Then worked before and after tea, until dark – we have now finished more than half of the new Games lawn site and I am pleased with the result. Deb and Dan did a lot of homework tonight, but Deb’s essay was very long and full of silly mistakes. Our TV has now broken down. At today’s Labour Party Conference, delegates voted for a new way of electing Labour parliamentary candidates. They have chosen an electoral college that replaces delegates with party member votes and also allows the Trade Unions a say. The Conference also agreed a programme of new policy formulation and has elected Ken Livingstone (ex leader of the GLC, abolished by the Tories) and Bryan Gould to the National Executive. In Fiji, Colonel Rabuka has now fallen out with the Governor General, who has refused to recognise this military coup. Rabuka threatens to declare a Republic, but the Governor General refuses to stand down. The 49 Commonwealth states meet in 2 weeks, but they are against recognising this regime. The Hungerford inquest heard about a 45 minute delay before an armed policeman arrived on the scene, and also more torrid recollections about the ruthless murders and shootings by Michael Ryan. Former Tory MP, Keith Best, appeared in court today charged with deception over his applications for BT shares. He used five different addresses and as many bank accounts, which is something that professional stags do all the time. The British minesweepers make way through the straits of Hormuz and into the Gulf itself, to counter the wave of mine laying that is endangering shipping. A disastrous mud slide in South America makes 2,000 people homeless and engulfs and kills many people. Rapid deforestation of the hills is blamed for the phenomena. Nearly 18 months after the Chernobyl disaster, 720 farms in Britain are still affected by the fallout and the farmers are bitter over delays and restrictions on the terms of compensation.