After very late to bed and settling Debbie down to sleep, I took Di out on a cold and blustery day to an early lunch and some shopping afterwards as she had been rather depressed and was quite inconsolable at first and was still in tears later. When Nigel visited later, I helped him with some artwork for his sponsored Fun Run and then I decided to take Daniel and his car into St Neots to DAB Autos who generously offered to repair it for £300 and could start straight away. Some work in the conservatory later and an eaerly night with Diana who was still tired and depressed.
The US threatens the Soviet Union over Lithuanian intervention, South African police open fire on several thousand black anti-apartheid demonstrators and 8 were killed and many more injured. Lloyds of London have done well to avoid underwriting losses after London's largest U.S. liability underwriter has been banned by the DTI due to having overcommitted assets.
I had been very late to bed last night but had stopped by to see Debbie who was having trouble sleeping over the excitement over her school trip to Holland that starts this morning. In the morning I was late up, washed and dressed; undertaking the normal ablutions that are needed after a few days on the boat. I then had to have breakfast somewhat late as a result. After this, I took Diana out to an early lunch and to do some shopping generally and for Daniel's birthday presents. She has become rather depressed and was quite inconsolable at first. We had an early snack at the Happy Eater and did my shopping first. Duck food from Avenue Fisheries, large plant pots, peat and seeds from Bickerdike’s and then we set off via two other garden centres for seed trays before we got to Bedford at about 12.30pm. We shopped around for things for Daniel, bought him a Filofax diary and wallet and some revision folders and then argued over what else to get. I did not want to spoil him and thought of a calculator, but Di was convinced that he already had one and she ended up in tears again.
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Once home, I was ready for Nigel Smith's visit at 3.00pm. I helped him with some artwork for his sponsored Fun Run and then we looked at Daniel's car together. Nigel's estimate was that it would cost £12-1500 for a body shop to put right, but he offered to get an address of the cheapest place his company had found in a recent survey. After this, I decided to take Daniel and his car into St Neots to DAB Autos where I put ourselves into the hands of the garage and explained how we needed to do a safe but economical job for Daniel or the car would be put back into the garage at home and left for the months to come. I said we would not be going around other garages for estimates and were entirely in his hands. He then worked out a way of using second-hand panels from a breakers yard and, by doing the job as one and being rather generous with the use of his jigs and jacks for alignment, he offered to do it for £300 which was a bargain in anyone’s money. Moreover, he could start work straight away and so Daniel and I decided to get it done there and then. Daniel undertook to get down to his studying and to earn this money which was within his capability. Later today, I got Daniel and Gary to help me re-pot the banana and rubber plants in the conservatory which were becoming too large for their existing containers. Then I worked until dark clearing up the conservatory and preparing to sow the seeds tomorrow.
It was soon bedtime and I went quite early with Diana who was still tired and depressed but at least the car situation was not looking so hopeless anymore. As tension mounts in Lithuania over Moscow's intentions, the United States issues a stern warning that further actions by the Soviet Union could damage US-Soviet relations. In South Africa, police opened fire on several thousand black anti-apartheid demonstrators and 8 were killed and 300 injured. In the city, sentiment is a bit better but Labour's new plans for the water industry hit privatisation stocks. There were also rumours of large Middle East sales of Gold that sent the price of bullion tumbling and eased pressure on the pound. A significant story was that of London's largest U.S. liability underwriter being barred for further underwriting by the DTI due to having overcommitted assets. Lloyds has avoided this form of underwriting for years in view of the huge liability claims in America and that judgement proved to be sound. The weather was very cold and blustery again today.