Checking out The Lady's heating today
Checking out The Lady's heating today

Busy day supervising the building work and kitchen installation, insisting on the sink being plumbed in and the job being completed today and then running The Lady’s engines and heating system as The Labour Executive suspend the Liverpool Labour Party, the Anglo/Irish pact is supported in The Commons and South Africa’s apartheid puts blacks at risk

A very poor night, unable to sleep until 3.00am, worried about the kitchen progress and annoyed that the kitchen fitters were being difficult over the clipping of the sink to the worktop. Up a bit late to the lounge for breakfast, then quickly showered, dressed and out to sort through the kitchen materials. I had decided to retain a sample of each length of shaped oak to provide for future repairs/alterations to the kitchen. I finished by 8.00am and then unlocked the rest of the house and waited for arrivals. No decorators today, but the plumber and labourers were there. The carpenter was off work with back trouble and so Mr Cheeseborough took over the hammer and saw and supervised the new stud partitioning for the link hall and ironing room. I tackled the kitchen fitters on the sink securement and was upset further by their attitude in what had become a demarcation dispute.

I therefore phoned Smallbone and spoke to a Director and he in turn phoned back and insisted that the fitters did the work. This lead to a stony silence between them and the plumber. This morning all 7 doves fed together on the food tray and they made a pretty site. One egg from the ducks at long last. Then to settle down in the new house, calculating the tiles needed for the designs and producing an order list for Mr Cheeseborough, who will be fitting them. When Di had returned from her slimming (she had lost 3lbs this week and is now 10stone 5lbs) we went together to St Neots to do some more home shopping. First to ‘The Carpet Scene’ to chase up our kitchen tile order and enquire about carpets for the new bathroom, shower room and hall/stairs/landing. Then on to Brittains, where we secure a fitting date for our dining room and Daniel’s room carpets for this Friday or next Wednesday. On to the Little Chef for lunch and, when we get back, we find to our delight that the kitchen fitters have finished, the plumber is working on the water to the secured sink, and the new partition is well advanced. The fitters stay to talk us around the new features and, although a little strained, the final relationship was courteous and civil. It transpires that we are to be left with all of the materials remaining and so this morning’s exploits were not necessary. Di and Debbie were out for a swimming lesson and test late this afternoon and so Daniel and I ate sandwiches and then did his school work. I popped out to tend The Lady (starting the engine to warm things up and also putting on the heating at a low setting), feed the ducks and lock up the other house. We then brought all of the kitchen materials (food, cleaners etc) into the kitchen and worked late sorting it all out. Then up to bed for the TV news, whilst I updated my journal and Diana read the local papers after a good job well done. News tonight of the decision by the Labour Party National Executive to suspend the Liverpool Party, accusing them of corruption, bad organisation and extremism. There is opposition from the left of Neil Kinnock’s party, but he had an overwhelming backing on the executive and from the mainstream of the party. In the Commons tonight they were debating the new Anglo/Irish pact. Despite opposition from the right of his own Tory party, Tom King, the Northern Ireland Secretary, got a lot of support. But Enoch Powell launches into an attack on Margaret Thatcher and accuses her of bowing to US pressure. In a separate speech at the London Business School, Ted Heath attacks the government’s plans for tax cuts and fears the repercussions of this present incomes policy. Despite the news blackout, stories still run about the inequalities of South Africa. Medical services for blacks are a shadow of the provision for whites and more violence and deaths are reported in spite of the suppression and repression