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Just the morning outside on the coldest day yet, carrying a few loads of ballast across the frost-hardened games lawn and completing the clearance of leaves from the gutters of The Hayling View. Then inside for Trust administration in front of a log fire ending up exhausted.
Britain has negotiated to opt out on both Monetary and Social issues from the Maastricht Treaty and is criticised by the opposition parties as being relegated to the slow lane of European progress.
Another cold day, the coldest yet, and gardener Bill Medlock only put in the briefest of appearances as he was "going south" to the milder climes of the Wyboston hot-houses to help a retiring market-gardening friend! I arranged with him to be available in the morning when I planned to use the frost-hardened ground to get Range Rover and trailer across the games lawn with a few loads of ballasts aboard. I had a bad headache for much of the day and struggled to sort out the National Savings investments for the Childrens Accumulation Trusts before taking a break later on.
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Another very cold day spent mostly inside sorting out property and investment files and arranging to meet Fountain Forestry George McRobbie in Birmingham next week to review Thormaid.
Then outside for a couple of hours checking out the Rolls Royce and clearing leaves from the gutters before progressing FOCUS and being interviewed by two radio stations. The news from the Maastrict negotiations is all about the Major government being dragged into closer European unity with great reluctance on economic and foreign policy.
The three largest former members of the Soviet Union (Russia, Ukraine and Bueno Russia) have spurned Gorbachev's proposals for a new federation and have declared the formation of a Commonwealth based in Minsk. The Maxwell empire is all in ruins with the latest deficits on the pension funds being estimated at £575million.
A day in the pattern of others recently; very cold but spent for the most time inside. I had been sorting out my forestry file and then extended this to my National Savings files when I found out more about the terms for re-investment presently available. Made a number of telephone calls to progress my affairs and received one from George McRobbie and arranged to meet him in Birmingham next week. I will be quizzing him on his company's plans for managing my forest in Caithness and then resolving with him what to do about improving the sporting potential. Still time to write and fax a press release on District Council affairs before Diana returned from her shopping and prepared the lunch.
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A day in my office in another bitterly cold weather making progress on my financial transactions and considering plans to go across the channel and through the French Canals next summer. Also hearing of the stress of the banking system which was over-committed in property and business loans and are in no position to play fair as their own future is at stake. The British Telecom issue came to the market at a slight, if disappointing, premium.
It was bitterly cold again today and the gardener put in a token appearance to feed the doves before going off again. Diana went to St Neots to do more of her Christmas Shopping and, her wanting to go separately, I got her to do some financial transactions for me whilst she was at it. Michelle was here to look after Della and, between us this morning and afternoon, we managed to get her to do some school work. She is getting quite irrepressible and difficult to keep quiet as she lacks the physical exercise due to her immobility.
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On an even colder day, where the doves water was frozen solid, I spent much FOCUS production and family of the day, working on the FOCUS final edits until, running into computer problems with PageMaker. I got the rest of the copy over to John Roscoe hoping he could help.
I was still suffering with breathing difficulties through my nose after my Scottish accident and might need advice. The news was all about the EEC negotiations at Maastrict
It was even colder this morning, and I was thus even more reluctant to get up. Diana eventually tempted me out with a cup of tea and I was showered and dressed for breakfast. I nice fried meal which I enjoyed and then I had to go out and feed and water the doves. Their water was frozen solid and they could manage no seed until I had given them water. Much of the day, working on the FOCUS final edits and then I found that I could not lay out the newsletter due to computer problems with Pagemaker. I got the rest of the copy over to John Roscoe who was laying out Eaton Socon and now I have to hope that he is able to do them or we will miss the deadline. I was hoping that somebody else would take over this job anyway and would be very happy if it gets done.
Watched football on TV this afternoon and then played with the girls and ate too many walnuts before returning to my office this evening to do some work. I am still suffering with breathing difficulties through my nose after my Scottish accident and, once my cold passes and if it still prevails, I will have to see a specialist. The news all about the EEC negotiations at Maastrict but I have little time and inclination to get worked up about them.