My Mum and Dad were both in such pain and discomfort today that they could not see us
My Mum and Dad were both in such pain and discomfort today that they could not see us

After arranging a taxi, Debbie and I arrived at Brundall, collected the Range Rover and drove home to arrive around midday for a briefing from Joan and Pete. Unfortunately, my mum and dad were too ill and in pain to receive a visit on our way. With Debbie at the stables, I dealt with the mail, book orders and payment receipts and then Debbie brought Helen Cranston home for tea as I arrange my papers for tomorrow’s council meeting. Until midnight writing my journal and hearing news of the latest descent within the Tory government at the end of another oppressively hot and humid day

I had a good night on board The Lady at Horning Ferry Marina. The nearby hum of the swimming pool heat exchanger pump did not disturb us, and we slept well. This morning we got ready quickly and, after I had phoned for a taxi, Debbie and I left for Brundall, where we extricated the Range Rover and started the car journey home. I stopped on the way and phoned my parents to try to arrange to pop in to see them, as I remain concerned about them, but they felt unable to see us as both mum and dad are in pain and out of sorts.

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It seems that the radiotherapy has not yet had a marked effect and certainly the excruciating ear pain has not eased. We were home at mid-day and I had a half hour debriefing with Joan and Pete before taking both Debbie and a mountain of mail to the Little Chef for lunch! I opened and read it all whilst eating and then was ready on my return to undertake a whole host of actions and phone calls to deal with urgent matters. Time was dragging on and so I dropped Debbie off at the stables and continued my work; this time logging a series of payments and new orders for packs of my history books to the trade. Then a rush to get these payments into the St Neots Abbey National and some essential grocery provisions before driving back to Offord to help Debbie make arrangements for tomorrow. The owner was there, and we sorted lots of things out and I was able to bring Debbie and a friend back for tea. It was Helen Cranston who came over and they made the tea and did the washing up. This evening, I got Debbie to bed, made preparations for tomorrow and then read and arranged my papers for the District Council meeting tomorrow. I am the only counsellor who was put down written questions and motions for debate, which is quite a responsibility. Then up later still writing my Journal before finishing at midnight. The news today is of the unprecedented resignation of the chairman of NatWest over the Blue Arrow scandal. City confidence is low, but even now the stock exchange rises. Rumblings break out in the Tory camp. It seems that Sir Geoffrey Howe was shocked at the loss of his job as Foreign Secretary. Thatcher was prepared to sacrifice Douglas Hume as Home Secretary if Geoffrey would take that job but he opted ‘with great reluctance’ for the job of Deputy Prime Minister. More hot weather is forecast after another oppressively hot and humid day