Another full day of work decorating The Hayling view windows and doors but still time with Daniel and Debbie as the Reagan/Gorbachev summit preparation proceeds but is overshadowed by yesterday’s South African sanctions vote, the Channel Island Ferry strike tightens and Indian President Ghandi and his Chief of Police escape gun attacks two days running and assassin Karamijit Singh is arrested
Awoke rather late and soon was drinking my morning tea. Dressed after showering and shaving and then soon on my way down, tearing Daniel away from a video recording of a Kung Fu film on the way. Breakfast of wheat flakes and, as the fog showed signs of clearing, I opted out of the trip to Bedford and stayed at home to continue the painting. Fed the doves first and then opened up the large lounge window and went through my normal routine of preparing it for painting. Stopped then to drink my morning coffee, which I drank whilst sitting by the river and watching the doves feed again. It had been a cold start to the day and it was only now that the doves were active and feeding well.
The rest of the morning applying undercoat to this window and the gallery one and then it was time for lunch. Di was late back and so I made my own lunch of chicken salad and a pot of tea and took it down to the riverside patio to eat. The weather, fine and warm by now and almost no wind – just the hawthorne leaves falling gently and, very rarely, a stray wasp to wave away. A few minutes watching the TV news then, to complete my rest and then out to put the gloss coat of paint on as well. Worked right through until teatime and luckily, Di took Debbie to the riding school for me, having already got her to the dentist for a filling. After I had finished, I started to work on our bedroom French windows, which the carpenter had left in a poor state of filling. Tea with the family and then back to complete the job and get them to fit beautifully. Cleared up as darkness fell and fed and put the ducks away before locking up. Time with Debbie and Daniel with his homework, before watching a TV organic gardening programme. News tonight is of the posturing prior to the Reagan/Gorbachev mini-Summit and it is apparent that both sides do have different priorities. Two of the American hostages in the Lebanon appeared in a video, where they were critical of President Reagan for negotiating with the USSR to release Daniloff, but refusing to negotiate over their release. The last ferry service to the Channel Islands from the UK mainland is being cut tonight, after the industrial action spreads in sympathy. All day there were various reactions to the US sanctions Bill, with the South Africans and Reagan obviously against, but Arch Bishop Tutu and UK opposition parties delighted. They say Thatcher is now in splendid isolation. The UK Foreign Office dismiss any chance of reconsidering Britain’s sanctions policy. After yesterday’s murder attempt on Prime Minister Ghandi, the Chief of Police was also subject to an attempt today. He escaped, but his wife was shot in the leg. Both attacks are now confirmed as being the work of Sikh extremists.