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After a late breakfast of boiled eggs on a very cold morning, I was working on my bank statements, more of the Little Paxton history project and the painting of my Reliant van acquisition. More controversy over the handling of investigations in Ulster, some doubts over the outcome of Ford pay negotiations and a demonstration took place ‘for peace’ in London today
Slept soundly and it was very cold when I was woken with my morning tea. There had been a fair frost today, as the high pressure stays around, but at least it meant another bright and sunny day. A bit late to breakfast, but our boiled eggs were overdone anyway. Straight after, I sat in my office in the slanting sun and read today’s paper. Later, as there was nothing in the post, I sat at my desk and reconciled my bank account statements. Then, I eventually got back to my word processor. I started the editing of The Grove chapter and had to break off at lunchtime. Another salad to help my figure.
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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.
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HDC planning officer visiting unhappy about the scale of my conservatory, despite The Hayling View being a combination of two houses now, taking my Hayter mower to Ibbetts of Great Paxton, Rogers of Barford being too busy and then settled down to more writing and editing, Fords come to the negotiating table, Land Rover workers are due to strike on Monday, Austria’s Kurt Waldheim is under pressure and plans to make the emergency ‘Prevention of Terrorism’ measures permanent on the eve of the Anglo-Irish summit angers the Ulster Catholics and two Palestinians are beaten and buried alive by Israeli soldiers
A rather unsettled night. Diana was coughing well and moving around, introducing draughts under the covers! Slow to awake and get up as a result and so had to eat breakfast on my own. In the event, the post and paper had arrived and so I read the lot at the breakfast table. New licenses from Swansea DVLC for me and Di and a new provisional license for Daniel. The forms for the Registration Transfer – YXD1 – for my Rolls Royce also came and I dealt with these and some other matters for Diana to post on her trip out this morning. I then prepared for my visitor – Mr Carmichael from the Huntingdon District Council Planning Department. He arrived on time at 11.00am and I welcomed him to my office and tried to persuade him that my conservatory in its planned shape and size was a good idea. I explained my use for it as a place for leisure and a Koi carp pool, how the houses had been joined together permanently and the conservatory was at moderate size in relation to the building.
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Valentine’s Day – A card from Di this morning but had to say sorry as her was delayed. Some time on the Range Rover ahead of its new cherished number status arriving and then on my Reliant trying to solve its battery charging problem. The news today is of the hole-in-the-heart boy, Matthew Collier, dying after his operation had been put off three times due to nursing shortages, before it went ahead in January. The Ford strike continues, and Dover is still shut down. The Observer is very critical of my forestry tax relief scheme
Got to bed at a reasonable time and woke up quite early. Had to say sorry to Di for not getting her a Valentine’s card – but I just have not been near enough to the shops for days. She got me a nice one with a Rolls Royce radiator and number plate on it ‘I LOVE YOU’, which is very apt these days with my car and registration worries. Read the paper a little, whilst waiting for Di to finish cooking the breakfast. The Observer has featured Scottish Forestry and tax incentives again and had a big spread in their colour magazine, which was highly critical.