New Years Day – Starting the day alone in my office on frustrating administration before joining the family watching television in the lounge as Reagan and Gorbachev exchange pledges and hopes for their future negotiations in New Year’s Day resolutions which also aim to garner their citizens’ support. Another MI6 officer tries to publish memoirs and is gagged, a Welsh house fire hills a father and four children and many violent incidents mar New Year’s celebrations with the worst was in High Wycombe, where a mob of skinheads fought with a gang of youths, with many injuries and a shot being fired
I was up until 1.00am this morning, printing out my investment summary and writing up my journal, and so I slept until 8.30am this morning. I awoke to find Diana elsewhere, called Daniel, who was also asleep, and poured us both a mug of tea from the pot that was full and waiting. Daniel joined me in the playroom, as the girls played and Diana took a long shower. No sign of breakfast and so I showered, dressed and then waited patiently, as there were no newspapers today. After, I worked in my office collating the printout of my new financial summary and then filling envelopes with copies for my financial advisors and doing the same with a dozen or more cheques for our monthly bills. Apart from a couple of outings to feed the ducks and doves, I then worked all day tidying up my office, writing correspondence to attend to all outstanding affairs, and clearing the decks for a serious re-start to my Little Paxton history tomorrow.
Daniel did some revision this morning and then he and the rest of the family watched TV this afternoon. I joined them for a little while before and after a sit-round tea in the lounge, but then worked on until 9.30pm. Diana phoned her brother Charlie today to make him our offer of the semi-permanent loan of the JVC video camera. I had reservations, but agreed to it in the end. It was windy today, but mainly dry. It is frustrating to experience the extent of the administration that I have to do properly to serve the needs of our heritage. I also had to spend an hour today going through the local newspapers for press cuttings. Still, I feel better now that all other matters are up to date, so that I can at last start my history and get the bulk of it out of the way in the next month or two and before the activity for the local District Council elections starts to build up. On New Year’s Day, Reagan and Gorbachev exchange pledges and hopes for their future negotiations and took the same opportunity to lobby each other’s citizens on their own views or treaty terms. Another Security Service case, as The Observer tries to publish the memoirs of another MI6 Officer, Anthony Cavendish (who recently circulated 500 private copies), but the government secured an interim injunction to stop it. A tragic fire today, as a council house in Merthyr Tydfil, mid-Glamorgan, was gutted at 8.00am this morning. The father and four children were killed. Around the country today there were a regrettably large number of violent incidents, as louts and youths clashed drunkenly in New Year’s celebrations. The worst was in High Wycombe, where a mob of skinheads fought with a gang of youths, with many injuries and a shot being fired.