Guy the Gorilla statue at London Zoo, 1984
Guy the Gorilla statue at London Zoo, 1984

London Zoo visit with the family on Remembrance Day falling on a Sunday and then home to Paxton as politicians row over an Irish terrorist suspect

 

A better night’s sleep but still uncomfortable with the heat of the room and occasionally woken by the noise in the car park. In the end poor Debbie woke us all in the morning suffering with her cold and reminding me that my chest infection was improving but turning into a full cold itself. A fair lay in for the family, first waiting for our room service drinks (which had to be reordered and then double-charged!) and also to read an Observer which we ordered. Eventually all up, washed and dressed and down to breakfast whilst the baby slept. A rather large meal for all, self-served at the buffet and ate in the dining room overflow by the swimming pool bar – all the guests seem to have arrived down late at the same time! Upstairs to pack our bags and then down to settle the bill (and only pay for one room service order) and pack up the car before leaving for London Zoo with our free weekender tickets. As I parked the time approached 11.00am and we heard the cenotaph service on the radio and honoured the 2 minute silence. A pity that others did not, but the traffic did grow markedly just afterwards. Into the Zoo and Diana set off with Daniella for the nursing mother’s centre, whilst I took Daniel and Debbie to see the monkeys, lions and rhinoceros, but, strangely, no elephants were present. I noted the piles of leaves everywhere and felt that the old zoo was looking decidedly run down and showing its economic stress. Another example of this recession, I suppose, but surely it could be cleaned up and the equipment painted to look jolly. We rendezvoused with Diana in the lion complex and went off to the cafeteria for drinks – this had been remodelled but was still rather inefficient, though much more pleasant. After a few visits to see the gorillas and stroke the animals in the children’s zoo, my legs were giving out and we agreed to leave for home.

A good journey through quiet roads. I managed to fill up with petrol at Walters Station in Hatfield for £1.85/gallon (where prices are now commonly £1.89-£1.90 elsewhere) and the car’s condition was a talking point. During the night, red-coloured Sahara dust had been whipped up in sand storms in the Sahara Desert and carried across Europe before being deposited in heavy rain all over London. The cars heading north had a decided ‘blotchy’ look about them. Off to The Happy Eater in Sandy on the A1 and our normal fare for a late lunch. Home then for mid-afternoon and time before dark to sort out the doves and ducks. The doves had made a right mess but were in good condition. Two have paired off and started mating and all looked smart and well preened and far better able to get about the dovecote. They are still reluctant, however, to enter the cote and still sit on the roof, the ledges and the feeding shelf. The ducks were also fine, but hungry and I fed and put them away for the first time in four days. As darkness fell I went in to study the mail and journals of the last couple of days and after several hours, I had caught up and finished Computing, Financial Times, Investor’s Chronicle, Economist and Sunday Times – phew! Then to supervise Daniel’s homework and hold him to task before hearing the news. News today of the extent of security for the Royal Family and political leaders at today’s Cenotaph ceremony with even more area cordoned off from the public. Also of a row over the release of details in The Sunday Times about the imminent arrest of an Irish terrorist suspect, Evelyn Glenholmes, who would have been in custody already but for the incorrect spelling of her name on an extradition warrant and the insistence of the Irish judicial system on correctness. The weather today was dry and mild after the nights dust rain.