Robert Maxwell before his death
Robert Maxwell before his death

As the flood water subsides on a mild but foggy day, leaving a thick layer of silt everywhere, and the children back studying, I could get on with some work before Diana demanded lunch out, for which I took her to Brampton Garden Centre which was most enjoyable.

The news today is of the Maxwell Brothers refusing to answer questions of the Commons Select Committee looking into the matter of the Mirror Pension Fund and on the tenth anniversary of the Falklands War, a TV documentary highlights the failure of British Foreign Policy that led to the conflict

The flood water subsided today, and the gardener was able to see the resulting silt everywhere. I was slow up and had to have breakfast in my dressing gown again to be able to eat with the girls. It was 9.30am before I was on station in my office but, with Diana out, Daniel back at college and the girls at school, at least I could get on. Della has quite settled down now and is not shy or afraid of school. She was frightening her teacher Mrs Reeves today by racing around the playground on her crutches and touching the others on the back to play chase! Even school dinners seem to hold no fears for her but then she is being treated as a celebrity.

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Debbie is preoccupied about planning her birthday party which is not until May! I spent the first part of the day cataloguing my outstanding action items and trying to determine some sort of priority as I had far too much to do. Then some telephone calls before making myself some coffee. I had just started a host of correspondence when Diana arrived back from a morning's shopping and demanded to be taken out to lunch after helping me with the Southoe FOCUS delivered the other day. I did not want to go to a children's restaurant again and so tried to get her along to the Chinese Bridge in Godmanchester but this was closed on Mondays. We settled for a meal at Brampton Garden Centre which was most enjoyable. By the end of the afternoon and evening, I had cleared most of my mail; replying to letters from October, despatching financial information to my advisers and then expediting a range of things to do with my proposed boat trip to France this summer.

Nigel agreed to come to Norwich this Friday to see about Heronshaw, but we will not be able to get some shooting lessons in Thetford on the way as the instructor has Fridays off! Quite a mild day but with plenty of fog across the country first thing. The news today is of the Maxwell Brothers refusing to answer questions of the Commons Select Committee looking into the matter of the Mirror Pension Fund. Their lawyers claimed immunity for them in view of forthcoming criminal proceedings. On the tenth anniversary of the Falklands War, a TV documentary highlights the failure of British Foreign Policy that led to the conflict, and this draws criticism from the more nationalistic media.