The Bloom family arrived early this morning to collect Steve’s trailer and also to look at The Lady with a view to buying it when I sell it at Easter. I got Daniel to clean the car on a quieter day of weather as I organised my FOCUS deliveries, but I had to finish it for him. Late this evening, Daniel admitted that his Physics essay was a formal ‘A’-level assessment and, it reading so poorly, I sat up until 1am marking it and suggesting improvements.

Long-term Tory cabinet minister, Peter Walker, resigns, which is another morale blow to the Tories. The government are also now being forced to make concessions on reducing chemical and sewage pollution of the North Sea ahead of this week's conference at The Hague                                           

I slept well after all my physical exertions of yesterday and was slow to rise. The trouble was that Steve Bloom was obviously keen to get on and collect his trailer because he called at 9.00am to see if it was all right to drop in. This meant that we had to rush our breakfast and my bath and shave, but we were ready when just about the whole of the Bloom family arrived later. He surprised me again by asking to see The Lady as they might be interested in buying it. We went down and uncovered it from its winter slumbers and put the heating on and showed them round. They seemed to like it but I asked them to take their time as I was not planning putting it on the market until before Easter. I got Daniel down to cleaning the car despite his reluctance and I did a few outside jobs before lunchtime.

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This afternoon, I sat down and sorted out the latest FOCUS delivery. The leaflet and insert had arrived while I was away, and I had to put it together and fold it in quantity with Diana also helped me in the evening as we watched the TV. This evening, I called my deliverers and secured their help for yet another occasion and then I dropped a couple of batches round to those who were available and arranged to see the others tomorrow morning. Della went to Katherine Law's party this evening and I took her there and got Daniel to bring her back. Daniel had cleaned our car this morning (although he had done a poor job and I had to finish it off myself) and had Gary round this afternoon and then did some work this evening.

It was only very late tonight that Daniel admitted that this Physics Investigation and Report that he has been working on was actually a formal assessed practical for his Nuffield "A" level marks. And this week, we had been forbidding him using the computer without knowing this! At 11.00pm, I read his report, saw how poorly and hastily it had been written and then sat up until 1.00am marking a photocopy and suggesting improvements for him to key in the morning. What can you do to secure the understanding and confidence of the young?

The major news today is of the planned resignation of the long-term Tory cabinet minister, Peter Walker, which is another morale blow to the Tories. He was the world’s first Minister of the Environment. The government are also now being forced to make concessions on reducing chemical and sewage pollution of the North Sea ahead of this week's conference at The Hague. The weather was not too bad today and seems to be quieting down which is a blessing.