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Our best lay in for a long time on a mild day after a frosty start until the hunger of the children for breakfast got us up after which I tended to a few chores before going to see Dad this afternoon, dropping off at Cambridge Garden Centre for a break on the way. Dad is eagerly anticipating the decision on his future tomorrow but my sister Freda fears for him due to his poor recall and speech on the phone and I will try to get her up for a couple of weeks to help.
Tens of thousands of natives rejoice at the release of Walter Sisulu in South Africa and want Mandela next! Terry Waite is alive in captivity after 1,000 days as a hostage in the Lebanon. World and national banks meet over the weekend discussing ways of providing liquidity to avert the financial disaster when the stock exchanges open in London tomorrow.
A sound night’s sleep and our best lay in for a long time on a mild day after a frosty start until the hunger of the children for breakfast got us up at about 10am. I had a nice breakfast prepared by Diana and spent some time thereafter feeding the doves, ducks and Koi carp. The Hariwake Ohgon is now happy to take silkworm pupae for my fingers and the little Ginrin Koi takes 2 to 3 pellets 2 to 3 times a day and will not stay tiny for long.
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On a chilly autumn day of sun and showers with leaves falling, but no frost, I spent much of my time with sweet Della who joined me in the conservatory as I attended to our pets and then on The Lady as I worked on the heating and refrigerator ignition; Di having taken Debbie to the riding stables.
Apart from Debbie the family joined me for the trip to Addenbrookes to see Dad. Again his lip and jaw was swollen as he found eating, speaking and drinking difficult, but the nurses said that this was due to an anaemia, or build-up of fluid, rather than secondary cancer growth. Daniel and Della were very good and cheered him up a bit.
The Bank of England trying to allay fears in London of a share slump on Monday but there was of a collapse in the Taiwan stock exchange overnight. In South Africa, huge marches of people demonstrated in support of the release of Walter Sisulu
It started quite chilly today and a few more leaves began to fall but there was still no frost. It was sunny for much of the day but showers later. I had breakfast with Della as Daniel stayed with Paul for the night and Di was out taking Debbie to the riding stables. After this, I worked in the conservatory and fed our pets for a while before going out to work on The Lady. I fitted and tested the heating and then did the same with the refrigerator igniting mechanism. Sweet Della was with me feeding the fish this morning and also came down to The Lady and kept me company as I worked by playing in the forward cabin with the boat toys.
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I had a long day, visiting both Mum and Dad in separate hospitals after completing arrangements for the purchase of Heronshaw. I made sure that they had one another’s contact details and were reassured that they were being properly looked after. Mum seemed comfortable and Dad no worse, but I was left mentally and physically exhausted. The US stock exchange took a 190-point dive in the last hour of trading and deep fears grow for the London stock exchange opening on Monday
I was very cautious about powering on my computer on this day, as there were too many tales of computer viruses being about. These self-perpetuating pieces of code are transferred between machines and are activated by outside later events – such as the superstitiously rare date of Friday the 13th! Today I went to Norfolk, leaving Diana behind in view of my need to be back late; a journey, though, beset by rain. It cleared up by the time I got to Wroxham at 11:30am.
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After a slow start attending to my plants, fish and doves, I studied the large briefing document that had arrived concerning the HDC Finance committee’s local plans for the Poll Tax (or Community Charge). After an enjoyable cooked lunch, Daniel declined to join me to visit my Dad in Addenbrookes (probably being too upsetting) which probably was just as well is Dad was declining whilst experiencing delays. Bad news also from Mum as she is quite immobilised, in pain, and being admitted to hospital tomorrow.
I was joined by other Little Paxton people to speak up at the HDC Public Meeting on the New Local Plan this evening where DOOM chairman Derek Giles agreed to stand for us in the forthcoming Town Council elections.
I made a slow start to the day but, after breakfast, then spent most of the morning in the conservatory. I started by feeding the fish, watering the plants and feeding the doves and then continued by taking the dead and dying leaves off the conservatory and aquatic plants. It is quite funny to see the small Kahuku GinRin Koi who keeps coming to feed with the large carp even though they suck violently at the food. Funnily enough, they are not threatening it and take great care to avoid hurting it. Then the post arrived and with it a large document on the forthcoming HDC Finance Committee meeting and the working papers on the Poll Tax (or Community Charge).