I took a walking tour of Paxton Pits today, to see how the nature Reserve designation would affect them, after a slow start and chance to read the financial papers, and managed to complete it before another downpour this afternoon. I found places and paths that I did not realise existed. A concerted campaign of IRA bomb attacks is growing in effectiveness with the UDR sustaining deaths and injuries, The Iraq/Iran war peace talks founder as Iraq is in the ascendency and sees no need to compromise, UK gold and currency reserves were up $910m, as the Bank of England sold sterling heavily to try to hold the pound’s rise and violent floods have killed more than 250 in China, after a lengthy drought, and leaving more than 100,000 homeless. 18ins of rain fell in 12 hours – the most severe for centuries and this follows other extremes of weather in the USA and Greece
Slept well enough after a late bedtime and then lingered in bed this morning, reading yesterday’s paper and had to come to breakfast in my dressing gown. Slow to get showered and shaved as well and came down to find Joan already working away in the house. I instructed Pete on how to wash the windows and got him going, before settling down in my office to read today’s Financial Times. The publishers of this newspaper have split it into two sections and it is difficult to find all the items that I normally read. In mid-morning, I decided that, as the weather was dry, still and dull, I would go for a walk around Little Paxton gravel pits to see how the plans for a Nature Reserve affect them. I took a bag with maps, drinks and binoculars and my umbrella and set off for a walk that lasted four hours. Skirted all the pits and f. I had to leave for another day, the walk through Boughton to Diddington and stayed mostly in Little Paxton Parish. The sun came out for a while, then dark clouds gathered, but I was home before we had a downpour later in the afternoon.
Di made me a couple of mugs of tea and then I worked in my office, before and after tea, going to the riverside garden to tend the birds and put up a restraining wire to protect one end of the games lawn. The news today is of more IRA land mine and bomb attacks, in what is becoming an effective campaign of terrorist attacks. In Lisburn, a policeman and his car were destroyed. Then a full-time member of the security forces was shot dead. Six members of the UDR were hurt in the landmine blast. Now 2 people die and 24 more are injured. Iran has now warned that prospects for the agreed end to the Gulf War are now extremely doubtful in view of the Iraqi pre-conditions of a pre-war front; Iraq is in the ascendency and sees no need to compromise. The Lambeth Conference gave their time today to a call for the release of Terry Waite and other hostages in the Lebanon. It is now 18 months, or 561 days, since Terry Waite was kidnapped. On the economic front, the gold and currency reserves were up $910m, as the Bank of England sold sterling heavily to try to hold the pound’s rise. The US Defence Secretary, Frank Carlucci, was allowed to occupy the pilot’s seat on the Soviet Union’s latest bomber – the Blackjack. It is surprisingly similar to the US equivalent – the B1B! Violent floods have killed more than 250 in China, after a lengthy drought, and leaving more than 100,000 homeless. 18ins of rain fell in 12 hours – the most severe for centuries. This drought then flood has ruined farming land and the crop for this year. This follows other extremes of weather in the USA and Greece. Graham Gooch takes over as England Cricket Captain, the fourth choice this season. Such a turnover of captains has been unheard of in past cricket history.