Diana was off to Cambridge as I worked on The Hayling View, packing away Christmas lights and then tackling the hall/utility area alarm wiring. Visits from fellow-councillors Percy and Derek this afternoon to co-ordinate our activities and then this evening to chair a joint meeting of representatives from the Village Hall and Parish Council.
Later, the heavens opened with rain and gale-force winds making conditions very unpleasant and there was a fatal rail accident at Cannon Street.
Diana decided to go to Cambridge today and I was not invited to go with her! Got up in the normal way but I was a bit late and had breakfast in my dressing gown. Della was back to school this morning for the first time after Christmas and she was keen to go in and totally un-worried. Daniel, being unwell with his cold, stayed at home for the day and seemed to perk up later. As I was home, I decided to do my chores and then some practical work to the house. I got rid of the old Christmas Tree and then took down all of the lights from the balconies and packed away the lighting sets and bulbs for next year. Then I tackled the hall/utility area, knocking away the woodwork to reveal the alarm wiring which was the first task in re-organising things there for Diana. I measured the two areas and will draw up a plan of what we intend to do and discuss it with Diana before proceeding to get the tradesmen in.
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I had visits from Percy and Derek this afternoon to co-ordinate our activities and then, this evening after tea, I went out to chair a joint meeting of representatives from the Village Hall and Parish Council to organise the plan for providing additional facilities which went very well. The weather was calm earlier but later the barometer dropped, and the heavens opened with rain and gale-force winds making conditions very unpleasant. The forecast is for more of the same and I do not think that I will be able to do much outside for the next few days. At least we are secure and have no damage but Jack telephoned to say that the yacht had broken loose but he had secured it with a chain. There was another serious rail crash in London this morning that killed two passengers and injured 542 others. A train ran into the buffers at Cannon Street after failing to stop and one carriage concertinaed into another to cause the serious injuries. These structurally weak carriages should have been replaced with more robust ones but for financial constraints. The Gulf confrontation is continuing right up to the deadline with the USA and allies insisting there can be no negotiations, but France is making moves to intervene if tomorrow's talks fail.