Di seems not to be able to cope with the children’s behaviour now that more of my time is occupied with my new history project but I find out the true picture of Paxton Park and the early village shape before hosting a riparian meeting with Tom Chaplin and Nigel Smith, who joined me. Reagan’s blustering interview seems to have burst his bubble ahead of the next election and Sir Nicholas struggles to justify deregulation after another investment company releases details of insider trading
Not a very good night and a rather grumpy start to the day. The less time that I have for the children, the worst behaved they seem to be. Was rather late down to breakfast and they had left their rooms in a terrible state and now Daniella is starting to copy their misbehaviour at the table. To my office this morning and a long time studying maps of Little Paxton, as I struggled to write the history of Paxton Park. Was surprised to make the discovery (when comparing enclosure awards with the pre-enclosure map) that a track came from the centre of Little Paxton right down to the river where we live, with ‘closes’ and cottages on each side. These were bought up by the Standleys and just a few of the cottages near the house left for domestic staff and one where we are for a fishing lodge. Had to edit much of the pre-enclosure passages as a result and I do not know how such a task could have been achieved without a word processor.
Soon it was lunch and Di’s mother had come over, as usual on a Thursday. I gave her some money for her petrol and trip to the cinema and she is going to deliver some documents to Vinters for me by hand. Back to it this afternoon, but not for long, as Tom Chaplin arrived early to survey the riverside work. We had another look at the task and re-measured certain dimensions, now that the plots have been joined into one garden, and then he took a variety of photographs for use by an artist to give a realistic impression of what the result will be like. We are planning a start to the work in early spring. We were still deeply engrossed in conversation over conditions of contract, when Nigel arrived without warning and I let him join us after getting him to organise some tea and biscuits. Once Chaplin had gone, Nigel told me how he had decided not to go in with these Canadian people, but ‘taking my advice’, he would raise money against the factory and outbuildings to finance the business; looking to go to the USM in 5 years. I am not sure that was my advice, or that I would like to be held responsible for such a decision, but I had pointed out that Kimbolton School had sat on priceless assets without using them satisfactorily. Some encouraging noises from his Monks at Buckden, who are getting their solicitors to search for documents. I updated him on my news and, once he had gone, it was time for tea with the children. I finished my salad early and went off, back to my office for the entire evening, to complete another section of research and typing and then to print out the entire result and show it to Diana before we went to bed. The news today is of reverses for the Government in Australia, where Sir Robert Armstrong, the Cabinet Secretary, is subjected to embarrassing questioning over inconsistencies in British Government action on security leaks. Reagan’s blustering and bumbling interview with the press is leaving him with less and less prestige and, with Congress now controlled by the Democrats, people are beginning to look forward to the end of his Presidency in two years time. Another investment company, a firm of Californian brokers, has received a subpoena to release details in an insider trading investigation. Sir Nicolas Goodison, the London Stock Exchange Chairman, puts up a spirited defence of de-regulation, but the tide is moving against him on this. At least the stock exchange makes a modest recovery.