Taking Della back to the Hospital orthopaedic department on a quite mild and wet day for an examination with Consultant Mr Tim Vaughan-Lane
Taking Della back to the Hospital orthopaedic department on a quite mild and wet day for an examination with Consultant Mr Tim Vaughan-Lane

Taking Della back to the Hospital orthopaedic department on a quite mild and wet day for an examination with Consultant Mr Tim Vaughan-Lane and then for a visit to her school before some time for her in Physiotherapy. She was welcomed by Mrs Reeves and Della's helping friend, Harriett, and she had a good session getting back into things in a gradual way. Some work on my National Savings and helping Percy with press release circulation. US President George Bush panicked the press corps by collapsing during a state banquet in Japan and Sterling was under pressure today and at the bottom of the EMS permitted range. More bad news for the Tories as the privatised British Steel announces the closure this year of Ravenscraig steel mill in Scotland

It was a big family day and Diana ensured that we were all awake early to facilitate it (all, that is, except Daniel). Breakfast in time for Debbie to catch her school bus for her first day back and then we got Della ready for her hospital appointment. We arrived on time for 9.30am and had to get her along to X-Ray. Some little time there and I amused Della by showing her the fish in the aquarium. At my suggestion, we had made sure that Della had got herself ready to go today and also to get herself around on her crutches. She was managing well, such that I could show Diana that she would be all right to go back to school afterwards. When we returned with the X-rays, the orthopaedic department was crowded out and running a full hour late and so I took Diana and Della to get some refreshments.

** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **

Just in case, I returned with my paper to listen out for Della's call and, just as I sat down and began to read my paper, they called her which was quite a shock. I ran and carried her back and plonked her down in the examination room which got her there on time but gave me another strain in my back! Mr Tim Vaughan-Lane conceded that her right leg was one to one-and-a-half centimetres short but was expressed himself pleased with her knee movement and rotation and repeated his assurance that the legs would be equal within eighteen months. So much for the traction which we feel was a dead loss! They gave her a heel insert to help bridge the length difference (which will avoid a strain on her hip to begin with) and then we made our way down to the Physiotherapy section where they agreed to see Della this afternoon.

This left time for us to take Della to spend an hour and a half at school. We arrived to be welcomed by Mrs Reeves and Della's helping friend, Harriett, and she had a good session getting back into things in a gradual way. She was home for lunch and then Diana took her to Hinchingbrooke this afternoon and they taught her how to walk by putting her heel down before her toe now that she could put her weight on the mending leg. Despite all this, I finished some National Savings transactions today and then the Income Summary for the year end. I had some time this evening to take Diana out for the evening that we missed but she did not want to go and so I invited Percy round in the end to use my Fax machine to get his press release out.

The weather turned unsettled today and it ended up quite mild but very wet. US President George Bush panicked the press corps by collapsing during a state banquet in Japan and the US and UK stock markets dived but then his aids settled everyone with the explanation that it was gastroenteritis but we know not what to believe. Sterling was under pressure today and at the bottom of the EMS permitted range waiting for the Bundesbank meeting tomorrow. I do not think that they will let John Major off of the hook. More bad news for the Tories as the privatised British Steel announces the closure this year of Ravenscraig steel mill in Scotland which will just about finish off the Conservative Party north of the border.