Suffering from a possibly-cracked rib and working with cold engine parts on a cold and snowy day but eventually getting the engine re-assembled before dark as it seems mine is the only complete 1939 model in existence. The doves are now tame and being hand fed as I try to isolate a stray usurper, Debbie still doing well with her horse-riding on Rumpold. Now the government are selling off the electricity industry with dogma winning over the logic of an integrated system as NHS protests continue. The USSR are withdrawing missiles from East Germany and US Secretary Shultz visits the West Bank
Slept reasonably well last night, but my chest is hurting from a possibly cracked rib and it seems to be getting worse. Snow on the ground when we opened the curtains after a cold and rainy night. Breakfast in good time today as I came down looking for my morning drink. Out to the Reliant quite early and suffered somewhat in the cold. It is really unpleasant handling freezing cold motor parts. This morning I was really biding my time, waiting for the postman to come. When he did he quickly put a packet card through the door and cycled off and I had to chase round the village to find him and retrieve it! In the end it was not the motor car parts I was awaiting, but only some very poor photocopies from Commercial Motor magazine. The rest of the daylight hours getting the engine reassembled and nearly ready to try starting it tomorrow.
Quickly to feed the ducks and doves before tea. I am feeding the doves by hand at the moment to try and isolate a stray that has arrived and joined the flock. After tea I took Debbie for her horse riding and she did quite well on Rumpold. We gave a lift to Linda, who is over 15 and nearly twice Debbie's age and not that much better than Debbie. Home to relax this evening. The news today is of the government announcing plans for selling off the electricity industry. Cecil Parkinson, the Energy Secretary, promotes the idea, but meets instant condemnation from Lord Marshall, the CEGB Chairman, and the political opposition who talk of dogma triumphing over the logic of keeping the grid together. The trade unions may yet combine to try to block the plans. The USSR is withdrawing the first of the SS12 nuclear missiles from East Germany, ahead of the final arms treaty ratification. There are still protests over Health Service funding, as the latest Tory scheme for putting commercial kiosks in hospital foyers is dismissed by Labour leader Neil Kinnock as a fringe gimmick. More Palestinian protests greet the arrival in the West Bank of US Foreign Secretary Shultz. I had an interesting couple of calls today searching the remains of another 1939 Reliant and discovering that I probably have the only roadworthy one in existence.