The very successful trip to The Broads for my case achieving compensation for the damage to my Blue Peter dinghy and then on to Cromer for a sea food before a trip to Wroxham and on to Brundall for boat discussions. This evening to study my Reliant registration documents and handbook. The Nacods pit deputy strike shuts down nearly all of the coal industry, Chancellor Lawson scares the stock market with a 1% interest rate rise, Britoil seems all set to be taken over by BP, more Palestinians are shot by Israeli troops and our own Ulster ‘shoot to kill’ policy is revealed by John Stalker
Diana had gone to bed very early last night, but I had sat with her for a while beforehand and made our peace. I was up later, getting things ready for this morning’s early start; clothes all hung up, briefcase packed etc. I was awoken at 6.15am, up by 6.30pm and sitting at breakfast for 6.55am. The long journey to North Walsham, Norfolk, took from 7.15am to 9.45am and I parked in the Police Station car park in time to be outside the Magistrate’s Court for 9.50am. Met the solicitor representing the Great Yarmouth P&IY Authority and went in before long for the case. The defendant had not replied to the charges, or bothered to turn up, and so the prosecution evidence went unchallenged. The Magistrate fined him £200 for his river offence and ordered costs of £75 for me, £175 for the River Authority and then ordered restitution for the £600-odd of my Blue Peter dinghy hull.
A very satisfactory outcome for me, but we have still to enforce payment. After this, I drove to Cromer and bought some sea food, nice and fresh, and then went to Wroxham to have a look round. They are now building right by the bridge, in replacement of a boat hire yard, which is a shame. Lastly to Brundall, where I met Tony Rose, Director of Bounty Boats, to discuss with him my ideas for boat design, but he was not able to help me a great deal. Stopped at a coffee shop in North Walsham for morning refreshment, bought two plaice pieces in Cromer for lunch, and then stopped at a Little Chef on the way home for tea. This evening I had received my Reliant registration documents and so I studied them. There was also a vehicle manual and, because it was deteriorating with battery acid, I photocopied it and made a little booklet by clever use of copier, marker pen and snowflake. This lasted until late and I then sat with my bedtime drink and read the ‘handbook’, until retiring late at 11.00pm again. News today was of almost the whole UK coal industry being shut down by the Nacods strike. Without the safety checks being done, the rest of the mineworkers are prevented by law from entering the pits. Chancellor Lawson orchestrates a one-half per cent rise in interest rates and the stock exchange took fright as a result. The sure sign of a ‘bear’ market is when good news is taken as neutral and bad news leads to share price falls. The government may not use its ‘Golden’ share in Britoil to prevent the BP takeover of the company, providing that National and Scottish interests were protected and North Sea exploration actively pursued. More Palestinians shot dead by Israeli troops and today’s Express newspaper gave details of the Northern Ireland RUC enquiry by Stalker. It seems that MI5 were involved and an active ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy present in deed, if not in intention.