All three kids having fun today
All three kids having fun today

Very eventful day starting with more time in the garden with Della, continuing with a fine Sunday lunch on our best china shared with Daniel and his two lucky friends before they embarked on a cruise upon Daniel’s boat Aquabean whilst I met Marilyn to talk about the history of The Haylings and then hear news of the official French government confession for the Greenpeace ship sinking and of the acute and widespread chaos and casualties caused by the Mexican earthquakes; the worst tale of which was the 700 crushed as a seven storey hospital collapses

 

A slow start, but presently to a fine fried breakfast in our Sunday tradition. I had weighed myself yesterday and found my weight under 13 ½ stone and so, provided I can avoid too many snack meals, I should stay thus lighter. Then to wash my hair, shave and dress so as to go out to make a start to the day. A warm and sunny morning at the start of what turned out to be a beautiful day. Diana’s mum phoned from Bar Hill to say that they had arrived back from Menorca last Friday and had found the high temperatures rather more suited to sitting and swimming rather than working. Daniella came out with me again to feed the doves and she really seems to enjoy my company these days. Later she watched me working and also joined in a game of arrow-chase with Debbie and a friend.

Then to the ducks, but only two eggs. I disconnected the power lead to The Lady having recharged her batteries nicely. Then to start work. I trimmed back the Hypericum in the back garden of No 7 so that the builders can see the wood for the trees when they start work on Wednesday. Then on to the side, raised boarder where I dug out all of the climbing and spreading plants to release a Rhododendron, an Azalea and a couple of Spirea plants. All of the mint had to go. Several barrow loads of foliage to cart down to Bill’s plot, but we were horrified when it burst into a smoky flame from the hot embers of Friday’s bonfire! Lunch of lamb on our best china and silver, but Daniel had two friends for the meal at short notice and they ate snacks from the same utensils in grand style. My Sunday turn to do the washing up, but Daniel traded an offer to do the same on three nights this week to avoid doing the same today. With his friends he was enjoying the river on his day boat and went off again for the afternoon as well. They went by boat to St Neots and had tea with Gary’s family. How fortunate he is to have so many things to do and friends to do them with. Back to work on the back garden after lunchtime washing up and gradually worked my way around the beds, but a long way short of finishing the job by the time darkness began to fall. Marilyn popped over and we chatted about the Haylings. She then joined us to look through Mrs Davis’s old photographs of The Haylings and their house Kaylomi. The gardens were once very lovingly tended and quite spectacular, but now are hopelessly overgrown and the fences attacked by vandals. She is now too old to look after things and even her son is in his 60s. Sad to see the creation of another river dweller deteriorate so. Late to clear up, feed the doves and ducks and put the latter away. Then in to look again through Mrs Davis’s old photographs before updating my journal. Then the TV news and at last the French Premier, M Fabius, admits that the French secret agents sank the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior and were acting under orders. There will be more to this story, I am certain about that. Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans are now homeless. Tons of goodwill gifts are arriving from abroad and task forces are in place from the US, Switzerland, France and one from the UK is on the way. Desperate efforts are still being mounted to rescue any survivors from the 700 people crushed as the 7 storey hospital complex collapsed. South African religious leader, Dr Busak, spoke out from his pulpit today after three weeks of detention and whilst still awaiting trial. The 62 year old entertainer, Dickie Henderson, died of cancer today after a kidney operation in July. The weather forecast, which seems to have been far too pessimistic lately, is of warm anticyclonic weather for a few days.