Daniel with his sisters in July 1985
Daniel with his sisters in July 1985

Recovering by this afternoon after a further morning suffering in the heat and then some work and writing achieved before an evening watching a film with Daniel as Geoffrey Howe negotiates some progress with the Chinese over Hong Kong

A fair night’s sleep and awake at 6.30 with a headache and sore throat still. A turn over and snooze until 8.00am and eventually Diana gets up and brings the drinks and I take two paracetamol tablets which remove my headache. Breakfast of fried egg, bacon, mushrooms and bread brought up to bed. Then a morning behind shading curtains trying to keep cool in the stifling heat. I sit in bed with my briefcase sorting my papers and priorities into personal contract and BMMG and have a much better morning – the painkillers succeeding with my headache. Diana brings lunch of cheese rolls and tea to drink.

I managed to get up after lunch, shave, shower and go down to watch the afternoon television sport. The Los Angeles Olympic games opens with a show biz ceremony in equally stifling heat and I watch Northamptonshire beat a west country team in the one day Sunday cricket league. Later, more tired, back to bed as the temperature cools and Daniel arrives back from his picnic and swimming expedition to Houghton with his friend Paul where he thoroughly enjoyed himself. Tea in bed and then an evening with Daniel watching an American film on the Surfing-Sixties of American youth.

The weather today was in the 80s – probably higher – but after an even hotter day, tomorrow thunderstorms are forecast. News today of some progress for Geoffrey Howe in Hong Kong in negotiations with China on an otherwise thin day for news.