To St Neots for a tax planning meeting with Roger Brittain as Diana went shopping before lunch at The Little Chef before collecting and planting some replacement shrubs for those lost last winter. The US/Russian row over expulsion of Soviet ‘diplomats’ from the UN simmers on but still Shevardnadze arrives in Washington for East/West arms talks and The Stockholm Security conference agrees a formula for arms verification as the French terrorist bombings continue and UK unemployment tips 3 ¼ million again
Slept OK and was called a bit later than usual, as Di let the kids catch up on a bit of sleep, lost with last night’s fair visit. Dressed in sports jacket and trousers, ready for my trip to the accountants this morning, but got down to breakfast a full 20 mins late to find the family gone. Read today’s paper without finding much news. As Di walked the girls to Debbie’s school, I read today’s mail and prepared things for the trip, then we all set off in Di’s car. Parked by the Co-op, so that Di could get her shopping early, and I went on to the Post Office and posted a host of letters from my correspondence session yesterday.
Then to Whitmarsh Sterland and a longish meeting with Roger Brittain over my tax affairs. Also get his signatures to a number of investment applications for the children’s trusts, including TSB. Found Di had gone home after and, with no taxis and a queue in sight, phoned Di to collect me and I took her to lunch at the Little Chef. We both had slimming dishes – a diet burger (with cottage cheese) for Di, and a prawn salad for me. Home for some fruit to follow and then I finished certain of my TSB applications and rushed back into St Neots to post them. I also went via Fishers and bought some chicken wire and iron stakes to repair the duck pen. Also went to the garden centre for some shrubs to replace those that had died last winter. Spent some time with Debbie and Daniel tonight, but did not do anything else other than plant some of the shrubs. News tonight is of, first the Russians and then the United Nations, condemning the US for attempting expulsions of USSR, UN personnel, saying the move is against the rules under which the UN is based in New York. Despite this, Shevardnadze arrives in Washington for talks to progress the East/West Summit. Also, in Stockholm, the Security Conference has agreed a formula for mutual verification, after years of negotiation. The French Prime Minister, Chirac, speaks out against the terrorist bombings and pledges not to give in to their demands and also to strike ‘like lightening’ in retaliation when the culprits are identified. The French Military Attaché in Beirut was shot in the head and killed today. Unemployment is up to 3 ¼ million again and ICI will be laying off more than 1,000 workers. Sterling has fallen to a record low of 69.2 on a trade-weighted index of a basket of currencies.