Working on my steamer chair, visiting St Neots auction to sell our eggs and then working with Daniel on his homework for he is very upset and thinking of ‘running away’ as a bomb kills three in Frankfurt and the TWA hijack goes on
Awake slowly to my morning tea, the paper and then down to breakfast of boiled duck egg and buttered bread fingers to dip in it. The meal well enjoyed and then back up to finish my paper before ‘Yesterday in Parliament’ came on the radio. To the bathroom, shaved and then downstairs to shower. Dressed and out to the birds. 12 eggs today, which is good and the 13th duck continues to improve in health. The doves begin to look as if they are nesting again as the hen stays in the dovecote during feeding time and I truly hope that theory is correct. To the office, after looking at my varnishing of the previous evening. The steamer chair is looking and feeling beautiful and now needs a wax polish. A busy time until coffee, looking at my accounts and balances. Barclays then phone and remind me that the children’s £82,000 is back from Treasury Deposit and I call Nicholas de Zoete to review his advice. The coffee and then to St Neots with Di. We drop off 18 eggs to the auction (the egg customer had called over the last few days and bought the other 30) and look at the goods, but nothing of interest. On to Abbey National and another fuss whilst trying to get my book balances to my liking. Eventually I put about £90,000 on each of my higher interest and cheque save accounts and then about £20,000 in the Gateway, who give me no trouble. To the bank to sign a form putting another £88,000 on treasury deposit overnight and pick up a new statement. Then back to the car and, Diana not returned, I popped into the Priory antiques shop. They had an upholstered folding mahogany veranda chair for £55 and, although it had been attacked by woodworm, I liked the style and bought it to add to my collection. Evidently it had come with a number of other chairs from a lady’s house, who was the descendant of a local well-to-do family. There are two similar chairs in poor condition, which I could get for £20, and the antique shop owner will bring them into the shop and tidy them up for Saturday. Home to unload and drink afternoon tea, whilst examining my chairs and then to the office for the afternoon. The weather outside pouring with rain, getting heavier as the afternoon developed and ending in a torrential downpour. An inch of rain must have fallen. Calls from Martin Isherwood, proposing a BMMG feature for Management Today and then to and from Gerard Chadwick of Vinters, Roger Brittain of Whitmarsh and Nicholas de Zoete progressing the children’s trusts and investment plans. In the end not much paperwork done today and I must now look to tomorrow for progress. I rushed back into town before 5.00pm to buy some Rentokil woodworm aerosol spray and cascamite wood glue and also to try to intercept Daniel and give him his waterproof. I missed him and it seems he had first been sheltering and then had thought of “running away.” He is under pressure to behave and work hard for his tests next week and is in rebellious mood.
He says that he still intends to go tomorrow, which is a worry. Tea of pork chops and apple pie/ice cream to follow, then another evening’s work. First to put the ducks away and feed the doves, then to treat the new chair with woodworm killer, to polish the varnished steamer chair with beeswax, to glue and clamp wood repairs on another steamer chair and two dining chairs before relaxing for an hour on my journal and TV news. I also had to fit in Debbie’s bedtime story and check Daniel’s prep! News tonight of three people killed (two of them children) as a bomb exploded at Frankfurt and four more are critically ill. A second bomb nearby was found and defused. The TWA hijack goes on with speculation, but little news of any plans for the hostages release. Reagan has emphasised that there can be no deal with terrorists, which is his only approach and has also ruled out retaliation. Criticism continues of Athens airport security, but the Greeks in turn blame Cairo security and the matter remains a mystery. Labour lead the latest opinion poll with 36%, the Alliance second with 32% and Tories last with 31%,