The Olympic Games and their positive drug tests was again forming a distraction, as I supervised the disposal of the spoil from the excavation of my new koi carp conservatory foundations and also received a couple of Local History students. The USSR withdraws from Afghanistan amidst a government re-organisation, the UK exchanges diplomatic expulsions with the Czechs, the US Space Shuttle seems all set to resume launching and Thatcher visits Ulster.
Went to bed very late last night because I was watching Daley Thompson in his first day’s decathlon events and it also enabled me to calm down after the tension of this evening’s meeting. I was awake early as well this morning and went straight to the lounge to watch the TV Olympics. After yesterday morning’s narrow defeat of the British lady’s hockey team, this morning the men were playing and beat their principal rivals – the Australians – three goals to 2 in the semi-finals. Very exciting game indeed. Later to breakfast and later still to get showered and dressed. This morning I had great difficulty in settling down in my office and so went out to help with a soil disposal from the excavations. Pete was away today, and the builders were not putting the spoil in the best places and so I took over the job of receiving and distributing it.
This afternoon, the building inspector came and approved the footings and the concrete lorries, three of them, came later and shot 8 m³ which was quite a volume to get in. This evening, I started writing my history speech notes and receive two visitors in the form of GCSE geography students who were doing their Little Paxton projects are needed my help. The news today is of some USSR foreign policy developments; the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in retaliation against the ceasefire and withdrawal violations. Then Foreign Minister Edward Shevardnadze was hastily recalled home from the United Nations assembly and a government reorganisation may be on the way. Czechoslovakia has ordered out some British envoys in retaliation for the Czechs recently expelled from the UK. The US space shuttle seems clear and ready for its first resumed flight tomorrow after a long break following the accident last year. America holds its breath. Thatcher visited Northern Ireland today for her annual flying of the flag and the trip was organised at short notice and with maximum security. More Olympic athletes have been caught in positive drug tests at the games and the athletics community remains very nervous.