Finishing off and then occupying the newly improved rooms in The Hayling View on another mild day and entertaining Daniel’s friends for meals after they help clean my Jaguar as further rioting takes place in South Africa and the tussle continues over Westland Helicopters.
A good night in our new surroundings. An earlier night as well and so woke less tired than in recent days. Down to breakfast in the dining room and then showered and dressed so as to get an early start on floorboards in the ironing room. A fair start on this, as I nearly got half way. The floorboards were really cut about here and Mr Cheeseborough had been using nails again and so I had to take great care. At about 10.30am, out to the birds on another mild morning with a slight s/south westerly breeze. The doves continue to feed well, but the new hens still look frail to me and have yet to build up a good store of flesh to last them the colder weather. No eggs from the ducks and their hutch gets daily more disgusting in the absence of fresh straw. Back to my labours after a mug of coffee and I just manage to finish the floor by lunch. Diana had prepared a nice chicken and choice meal using her new oven, hob, vision utensils and heated trolley and we each chose our vegetables from the dishes. Stephen Hicks was with us again for lunch and he, Jason, Gary and Paul had ‘helped’ Daniel clean my Jaguar in the morning – but I have yet to look at their handiwork.
All afternoon putting in more chub door security bolts to the upper link balcony doors and the guest room doors as well. I had to rehang the latter and cut the lock into the doors to get them to fit properly. The carpenter had complained about the hinges, but had not made the best of what he had got. Then more window bolts for the breakfast room, the baby’s room and box room and then the door viewers for the stable door and our main front door. That concluded my security lock fitting, although I have to look again after the building work in the New Year. Tea by this time, again in the dining room and this time with another of Daniel’s friends for company – Gary Skinner. Toasted tea cakes (which Della ate greedily) and then hot buttered toast and chocolate orange cake to finish. Back to my toils this evening, this time transferring my office desk, chairs, filing cabinets and equipment from one temporary site (the new baby’s room) to another (the old baby’s room). Then to put the old baby’s orange carpet into the ironing room. This had been intended as a temporary measure, but I made such a good job of fitting it to the airing cupboard and sides, that Diana accepted it as good enough for her new room. We have the rest of the curtains and the last ones for this room are due here early next week. By late evening, all aches and pains and ready for bed, but lay late in the chair drinking my Bournvita, searching for the news in teletext, and watching a photo biography of the singer, Vince Hill, on TV. Main news stories were the further rioting in South Africa, the incredible delays in returning water supplies to Leeds, where thousands have been without water since last Tuesday, of more efforts to keep the Westland Helicopter enterprise within Europe and of a continued verbal battle between Neil Kinnock and Norman Tebbit over the latter’s cutting remarks.