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The end of British summer time – working on correspondence and publicity for my recent projects as Daniel spent most of the day on the Apple Mac and Debbie was also fascinated with the drawing capability. The news today of the Piraeus Greek shipping line sinking is that now both the missing teacher and pupil are presumed dead and the Russians are preparing for the launch of their equivalent to the US Space Shuttle.
The clocks were put back last night which was just as well as a whole family laid into 9:30am as 8:30am did not look so bad on our watches! A nice fried breakfast with Di much better after last night when she had to go to bed before tea. I opted against spending the morning cleaning the cars and did some inside paperwork instead. Indeed, I worked quite well today – mostly on correspondence and publicity for my recent projects. Daniel spent most of the day on the Apple Mac and Debbie was also fascinated with the drawings that came down from the 40 MB disk store. I did step out for an hour or two to cut my games lawn grass and noticed that the doves have spawned another brood due to the unseasonably mild weather.
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I stayed at home this morning, working on the lawn, as a plumber/electrician’s mate came this morning and laid electricity cable and then I took the family to The Bridge Hotel in St Neots for lunch and on to Willington’s Garden Centre. Later to accompany Michael Pope for his photo session as the day turned sunny. This evening, Daniel and I wrestled with the Apple Mac trying to understand PageMaker without manuals. The Greek cruise ship sinking has now believed to have killed a schoolteacher and a child. Hurricane Joan is devastating Nicaragua with at least 28 dead and some 140 missing.
A bit restless last night. At 10:30pm, I had a trio of youths outside our house and opening the gate to the Riverside Gardens and I had to go out onto the balcony to frighten them away. Poor Di hasn’t been well today. “griping” pains in her lower abdomen due to ovulation and then tiredness made her go to bed in late afternoon. I stayed at home this morning, raking leaves off the front lawn and preparing to resume top dressing. I then realised the builders would have to install a soak away and dig it up again so I thought better of it. The plumber/electrician’s mate came this morning and laid electricity cable and conduit ready for Monday’s concreting of the floor. Some time for lunch and then I drove the family into St Neots to the Bridge Hotel, first dropping off three jackets and trousers of mine to the dry cleaners. I enjoyed my fried plaice and salad as usual there. Drove over to Willington’s Garden Centre afterwards and Di and I decided that the terracotta planters would be the best for our conservatory. I also made a mental note of the hose reel and gardening tool make that I would want when equipping the conservatory. Home and then I called Michael Pope and we went off around St Neots to take several black-and-white photographs for forthcoming publicity purposes.
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Another nice day, after a colder night than of late, which enabled the gardener and builders to make progress, the latter bricklaying and back-filling foundations. Michael Pope was ill with a migraine so there was no chance for his photo session today but Percy Meyer was around for photocopying and I helped him prepare Delivery Information Sheets for all 13 of his Buckden Ward delivery walks. News items today is of Jupiter, a Greek cruise ship, sinking with 400 British schoolchildren on board after a collision with an Italian cargo ship, British Airways have decided to buy £1 billion worth of planes from Boeing rather than the European Airbus manufacturer, Israel has conducted air raids on the Lebanon today and ex-Philippine President and his wife (President and Mrs Marcos) have been charged with fraud
A rather colder night than of late but still quite mild for the time of year. Slept well, apart from an interruption from Della in the middle of the night who wanted a drink of water. Up on time and very pleased, for once, to see that the children had tidied their rooms prior to breakfast and put their lights out. Just wheat flakes and then to the lounge to read the papers and morning mail. The builders were here at 8:30am and worked all day bricklaying and dug out and backfilled with ballast one of the two main floor foundation areas. It was foggy this morning but then turned sunny. I tried to contact Michael Pope to help with getting his campaign photographs taken, but he was ill with a migraine this morning which is always a worry. Percy came over (while I was out getting the morning paper) to do some photocopying for a press release and, in work sessions morning, afternoon and evening, we prepared and produced Delivery Instruction Sheets for all 13 of his leaflet rounds, binding and sealing them in plastic for their protection.
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It was raining today, and it cleared up later, but not before I had to go out to measure up for the new pond liner before the supplier arrived. The plumbers were back, as was the conservatory designer and I just had time for some writing before my Parish Council meeting this evening. Draconian changes to the Laws of Evidence are being changed for terrorism to prevent those accused remaining silent and there is no compensation planned for Barlow Clowes investors, even though they had a UK investment license
Still late to bed last night but, at 11pm, it was not so bad as the previous night. Tired this morning as a result but was still up early enough to correct the children to get their rooms tidy it before breakfast. I was taking a cursory look at the newspaper and was pleased to note, at 8am, that the builders had arrived and were to continue bricklaying. I went out in coat and jeans in the rain and took a couple of hours to measure up to the fish pool liner, although it did clear up later. This was tricky with internal and external measurements being taken and the need to allow for further screed thickness as well. Then the rest of the morning making a clear and three-dimensional scale drawing with sections and elevations. The need is to make sure the manufacturers understand exactly what we are trying to achieve, as it is a complex three-dimensional shape to follow. No photography session for Michael Pope this morning and so I took an early lunch and then Steve Field of Avenue fisheries arrived and brought the rest of the pool equipment and took away the line drawings. He is being very helpful to me, though that I’m spending a lot of money with him!