Daniel was beating the rest of us playing the computer game
Daniel was beating the rest of us playing the computer game

A restful family morning tending the ducks and doves, feeding the Koi and then phoning mum to ensure she was okay before visiting dad’s grave in the cemetery to check his flowers. Home for a nice lunch of roast lamb and then to play with the Commodore computer the children this afternoon until back to work this evening catching up with filing and my financial affairs.

The new Czechoslovakian government consisting of a majority of non-Communist’s has been sworn in as Alexander Dubcek stands in the wings. Mikhail Gorbachev has said that his Russian Communist Party must reform or lose power and in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, 60,000 people have been on the streets calling for reform

Another restless night but I got to sleep once the room temperatures had been correctly adjusted. Then I was awoken at 1.50am by some youths running home. This morning, I laid in a while but then so did most of the family. Fried breakfast was at 9am and, by the time I tended the doves and ducks and fed the Koi, it was 10am. I worked at my desk for most of the day. This morning, I phoned Mum, brought in the Christmas tree and then went up to the cemetery to check the flowers on Dad’s grave. They had kept well and Joan and Pete have added a couple of chrysanthemums. I just took off some paper and cellophane from those flowers that were getting too much condensation.

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Back for a nice lunch of roast lamb and then I played in the lounge with the children for quite a while. We had a Commodore computer game on which was a motor racing competition, but the rest of us could not compete with Daniel. This evening, at my desk again. More work, more letters and then a tray full of filing to do. At least I got my financial affairs up to date as a result. The news today: The new Czechoslovakian government consisting of a majority of non-Communist’s has been sworn in. The Cabinet is 11 to 10 and President Husak then resigned and Vaclav Havel, the playwright, has been sworn in to act until free elections take place. A bank clerk oversees the finance ministry. Alexander Dubcek stands in the wings. Mikhail Gorbachev has said that his Russian Communist Party must reform or lose power. In Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, 60,000 people have been on the streets calling for reform.