Some time with Diana first thing this morning for our belated Valentines Day before her day to see her parents in Cambridge and return to entertain her friends here for lunch. Daniel’s career advice looks good. More work on the book today and visualising the era when it was Heddings’s manor in our Hayling View spot overlooking the river. Nurses’ picket lines outside 30 hospitals, some movement on the Ford’s strike and more provocative moves against terrorism in Ulster, as Primary Fever starts between Dole and Bush in the US
I awoke very early this morning, turned over and found Diana still in bed, and celebrated a delayed Valentine’s day before getting up. I made the morning tea for me and coffee for Di and took it up on one of our tray/tables. I had also brought a spare jug of coffee, so that Di could have her morning ‘caffeine fix’, and we sat and chatted for a while. We do not usually get much chance without the children around. The children had their drinks brought and so Di could sit in bed with the girls for a change. Daniel did not appreciate being woken so early. I got a flying start to my shower and shave and was nearly ½ hr early for breakfast! Managed to read the newspaper before the meal. After the post had arrived and with it the forms for registration VXD1 for the Range Rover. I quickly tended to them, so that Di could post it back as she went out. It was her day to go to Cambridge and she came back early after lunch to entertain her friends – Pat and Helen – in the house, which was nice.
I worked away at my word processor. Today was the turn of The Anchor and it took me all day, but I completely revised its history. I went out just before tea to the riverside to tend the birds and enjoyed the peace and splendour of the river as the sun set. I was thinking of the 198ft of river frontage that Heddings Manor once had here and now we have 200 ft in the same position, which is an interesting thought. Tonight more word processing, until I was pretty tired this evening after an early morning and then a hard day spent in front of the VDU screen. I relaxed a little watching Czechoslovakia beat the United States in a close winter Olympics ice hockey match. I received Daniel's Careers Advice Report today and it seems to be helpful and confirm his ideas for his further education and career. I only wish he would work much more at prep. The news today is of a rumoured settlement for the Ford motor car strike, as the employers agree to just 2 years as a pay period, with 7% increases for each year. Also the strings on productivity improvements will not be imposed. An American was jailed today, William Joseph Quinn, for the murder of PC Tibble in 1975. Quinn was linked with an IRA gang in the 1970s, but it has taken this long to extradite him from Ireland and then San Francisco. It is a life sentence. At today’s Anglo-Irish talks, it was confirmed by the British Government that the Prevention of Terrorism Act will be placed permanently on the Statute Book. This has further strained relationships with the Irish, still fuming over the non-action against Stalker Report accusees. Tomorrow Haughey makes a statement to the Irish Parliament on the Anglo-Irish agreement. In today’s nursing day of action, there were picket lines at more than 30 hospitals in London and the South East. A man depressed by his long term unemployment set his car ablaze and killed himself at the end of Downing Street. He had used cans of petrol. Continuation of the primary fever in America, with Senator Dole and Vice President Bush neck and neck in the opinion polls for the Republican candidature.