Bank Holiday Monday – I drove the Butterfield family to Stanton for a day trip to visit Mum and, in a party atmosphere on a nice sunny day before showers later, we trimmed the hedge, cleaned Dad’s car and took it for a trip to see Stanton Windmill. It was sad to see my old Dad’s beautifully kept tools and fishing tackle, never to be used by him again, which I took home. We stopped off at Redgrave Stores for Freda to agree things with the vendor Mr Whitmarsh and show her family around the property.
News from home was of the family being better but Fiona being mean to Sarah Morbey and the other riders at Offord stables such that Debbie’s Sundance was the only pony allowed to go to the event. The Lady had now been sold subject to finance and survey. Gorbachev's internal rival, Boris Yeltsin, wins a key party ballot and is talking of a pact with the Conservatives to seize the Presidency itself and The IRA kill two Australian lawyers on Sunday in Germany, "mistaking them for British servicemen"
We were all up and ready early by arrangement for a day trip to visit Mum in Stanton. After breakfast, I drove Freda, Chris, Stacey and Sharn there whilst Alf stayed at Heronshaw as he did not fancy the journey (and probably the company as well if the truth be known). It started a nice sunny day and the journey went very well. Once we arrived, we chatted all morning, drinking coffee and eating biscuits etc and then had a sandwich lunch. This afternoon, I got out the hedge trimmers and started on the long hedge that Dad used to keep neat and tidy but it was some time before I could find the extension lead in the shed. Whilst I was looking, I was sad to see all his tools, beautifully kept, and the fishing tackle that was kept ready for a another trip that was never to come. I got Chris started on cleaning Mum's car and then Jane and John arrived so that all of the Butterfields (apart from Alf) were there.
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It became quite a work session as I got them to help erect the garden swing-chair and to collect up my hedge trimmings. Once we had finished and had a drink, I took Stacey and Sharne up to see Stanton Windmill. I took Dad's car to give it a run and fill the tank with petrol. Unfortunately, they had just shut up the windmill, but we were allowed to look at this lovingly-restored Post Mill from the outside and the weather and wind changed whilst we were there so that the fantail swung the mill through a full 90 degrees. It was funny that the breeze had been from a northern quarter for all these days and then it changed to the south east as we watched. However, with this came a sharp shower and so we had to hurry back lest the car got dirty again. The whole company had some tea and cake when we got back to Mum's and it was soon time to leave. I asked to borrow the hedge trimmer, extension lead and to look after the fishing tackle and so loaded it up into the car. As we drove back, we stopped off by prior arrangement at Redgrave Stores so that Freda could agree some details with Mr Whitmarsh whilst I showed the rest of her family around the premises.
This done, we eventually arrived back at Heronshaw and Jane, John and Chris then had to sleep on mattresses in the lounge. I left them to it and boarded my boat and then telephoned home. Daniel had recovered a bit from his cold and is now working better for his exams; Della and Diana were well and Debbie is better and went to her horsy competition today. The sad thing was that Fiona would not let them use the other ponies and so Sundance was the only one. The girls had to do their events on foot and, although they still enjoyed themselves, I felt that was particularly mean of her in view of all of the work that Sarah Morbey had put into organising "her first event". For me that was the last straw. Diana had heard that Sue Usher had liveries available at Great Staughton and we will try to get in there as soon as possible. News also today that The Lady is sold subject to finance and survey. Before the showers came it was a nice sunny and warm day and Mum thoroughly enjoyed her visit which was almost like a party. Still, we all missed Dad and Stacey shed a few private tears as she remembered not only this but also of being told of her other Grandad's death whilst once staying there.
The latest from the Soviet Union is that Gorbachev's economic adviser has said that the only way that the state can transform its economy is to call on the West for economic and technical assistance. This comes as Gorbachev's internal rival, Boris Yeltsin, wins a key party ballot and is talking of a pact with the Conservatives to seize the Presidency itself. The IRA kill two Australian lawyers on Sunday in Germany, "mistaking them for British servicemen" by their make and origin of car.