Watching England win their latest cricket series on tour on a cool, dry but fine day here, we agree to take on some French exchange students and my mother hears from Mr Bracegirdle about her operation. Debbie does well at her horse-riding but I struggle with both her and Daniel to make progress with their school work tonight as the BT engineers vote to return to work, Cynthia Payne is cleared of controlling a brothel and the British Airways sell-off is hopelessly under-priced and costs the country £300m!
Not too bad a night and deep asleep when woken with my morning drink. Turned on the radio to try to get details of the second leg of the cricket finals and found out that England had only scored 189 in their innings. Showered, shaved and dressed in my comfortable house clothes and then breakfast with the family as usual. In to the lounge after and most of the morning watching the televised Australian innings. In spite of a good opening partnership, they fell behind the run rate by dint of economical English bowling and eventually lost wickets and the match. The England cricket team thus have won the Ashes, the Perth Challenge (including Pakistan) and thus challenge series (including W. Indies). They now leave for home after a gruelling tour in good heart.
Di was visited by the representative of an organisation who arrange French students to stay in England this morning and she has registered for two visitors in April. I had a little time left before lunch and I called my parents to find out how the meeting had gone with Mr Bracegirdle yesterday. Evidently, the operation for the fibre hip is scheduled for four weeks time, which is an awkward little wait, but at least they know what to expect now. Lunch of sausages and vegetables, then the first part of the afternoon going through the photocopies I had taken from the Little Paxton scrap book and referencing each one by number. Soon it was time for an early tea and then, after feeding the ducks and doves, it was time for horse riding. Debbie did well today, but she had the best pony in Barbie, who did everything that she asked of her. Debbie led a ride of three and enjoyed herself, winning a mint surprise in the process! Home to a difficult session each with Debbie and Daniel, with their schoolwork, with all of us tired and the achievements being hard to produce. Later tonight, I wrote up my journal and watched some more sport on a late TV programme. The British Telecom technicians have voted by a margin of 2 to 1 to return to work. A strange incident, as a man outside Kensington Palace was arrested for attempted theft. He then assaulted two police officers with a hammer and a knife. In a celebrated and highly public case, Cynthia Payne, a ‘Madame’ who has run highly sensuous and wild parties, has been cleared of controlling prostitutes and it is a popular decision. There is a growing row over the British Airways ‘privatisation’ sale. The partly paid shared issued at 53p, opened at an immediate premium of 65p at a price of 118p, which represents an immediate loss to the tax payer of £300m! Instead the Treasury will get ‘only’ £900m from the sale, which is purely a selloff of state assets for short term financial gain. Today was a cool day, but fine and dry.