The debris in the Martyrs' Square in the Lebanese capital Beirut during the Civil War
The debris in the Martyrs' Square in the Lebanese capital Beirut during the Civil War

After another unsettled night because of our bedroom temperature, I came down to find Diana tense over family issues and the return of Pete and Joan today. A little time for Amy and Catherine Law to come around and play with the girls, before I took Di and the girls to St Neots for our morning drink and then Debbie to go horse riding. My efforts to catch up with my paperwork made limited progress before I walked around the village for a couple of hours this evening.

Heinz are having to scrap thousands of cans of baked beans after malicious tampering with glass, there are more food bacteria and pollution scares and news of the fight to death in Beirut between Syrian backed Moslem and Iraqi backed Christian militia with mass rocketing of suburbs and killing and maiming of civilians.

I awoke quite early after a mixed night, first the bedroom was too hot; then too cold and I had left asleep in the spare room as a result. I came down to my morning tea and chatted to Di, who was tense over her sister-in-law and the stresses of return to the routine with both older children going off for their school trips early tomorrow morning.

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Joan and Pete were back at work today and Di prefers her privacy. As we finished breakfast, Amy and Catherine Law came round and there was only an hour or two for them to play with our daughters before they had visitors. It is a shame that events have conspired to keep them apart, as they are best friends. I then took Di and the girls to St Neots Rendezvous for a morning drink and then Debbie for her last chance to go horse riding in Offord, before her holiday will keep apart from Sundance again.

I tried to sort my papers out and do some work today but made limited progress. Daniel’s efforts on his boat were also limited – in his case by no friends coming around as free labour. Tonight, I went out for a couple of hours walking around the village to see for myself what had been happening these last few weeks and what the local youths had been up to.

The news today is of Heinz having to scrap thousands of cans of baked beans after malicious tampering by someone had been adding glass. More food bacteria and pollution scares over Listeria and imports of dangerous PCB chemicals for disposal here. A fight to the death in Beirut between Syrian backed Moslem and Iraqi backed Christian militia with mass rocketing of suburbs and killing and maiming of civilians