Marilyn shown (centre) in happier time
Marilyn shown (centre) in happier times

The trip to Cambridge on a showery day with the girls today and on to my manor at  Chilford to visit the Zoo before home to find a sad and distressed Marilyn waiting for us. This evening a Little Paxton planning meeting to carry on encouraging them to write a village plan. News of a huge drug-ring bust, more fighting in the Middle East with towns taken by the Iranians and details emerge of the break up for ideological reasons of the DHSS as Thatcher tries to drown out the controversy over her European Commissioners sackings

I slept well enough, but the night was chilly for Diana again. Took a little while to get my eyes accustomed to the light and then read yesterday’s newspaper, whilst sipping my morning tea. On hearing that Di had planned to take the girls out for the day, I decided to join them and so got showered, shaved in time for breakfast. It was a bright and sunny morning, if a bit cool, and we tried to get Daniel to come with us, but he wanted to stay at home. All off in the Range Rover, arriving early in Cambridge by 30 mins in the Eaden Lilley coffee place, where we eventually met Di’s parents for a chat and drink.

Then Debbie went to the library with her Granddad, whilst Di and her Mum took Della downstairs to the toy department and then on to do some shopping. I eventually went off to the Cambridge University Library and looked in vain for a book on the care and husbandry of peacocks. All together again at the Copper Kettle for a traditional English roast beef lunch and then we left for Linton Zoo. It is a quaint family establishment, with the welfare of the animals of obvious higher priority than that of paying visitors. There were plenty of people there, but they still maintain that the admission revenue does little to contribute to the costs of keeping the animals. Since I became Lord of the Manor of Great and Little Linton (with Chilford and Michaelotts), we have been more interested in the area and one day planned to visit the Zoo, which is growing into quite an attraction and amenity. We enjoyed our stay and the weather was kind to us and then, after an afternoon drink there, we drove home via the M11 to avoid the Cambridge town congestion. I did a little work this afternoon, but not much. We found Marilyn hanging around the place, crying, on our return. Since her marriage with David McGuiness broke up, she has been quite devastated and is away from her friends and animals. I find this quite depressing, particularly after also experiencing the death of one of my history ladies, Edie Smith, but I should not try to shoulder the worries of the world, as I have enough to do. After tea, I tended the ducks and doves, rescuing one of my dove chicks from being stranded on the ground. Then I got washed and changed, ready to write my journal and go to an evening Planning Meeting of Little Paxton Parish Council. I had persuaded the Council to consider producing information for a village plan and tonight we considered how to do it. News today is of the arrest of the largest ever international drug-smuggling rings. 12 people from Britain, Spain and the USA were caught and the leader, Mr Howard Marks, is from this country. The fighting still goes on in the Middle East, with two Iranian towns claimed taken by Iran opposition guerrillas, the Mujahedeen. The Iranians praise the UN talks and privately pray for an end to it, as they are undoubtedly the losing party at the moment. The Cabinet changes are more far-reaching than at first thought, with the DHSS split down the middle and the NHS put in the hands of Thatcher’s ‘Young Turks’ who will, no doubt, try to get renewed support for the government’s radical plans for it. Lots of other Tory Government announcements, to retain the publicity initiative, and they seem to have achieved the aim of removing the spotlight from Thatcher’s European Commissioners sackings. Showers later today, but it ended with sunshine.