Good progress typing up the Little Paxton Scrapbook after an unsettled night concerned about completing this difficult task. This whilst Diana is thus forced to go to Bedford on her own and I was also hearing from the Paxton Park Maternity Hospital Matron keen to help with my history and again from John about electronic publishing and before I spent some time with Debbie and Daniel; with me trying to improve Dan’s English. Reports about Terry Waite are more optimistic, Thatcher comes out in support of Chief Constable Anderton, an all-out strike of GPO engineers is on but the stock exchange rises up some 8% this month
A very poor night. Late to bed last evening and then, Di having had the electric blanket on during a mild night, it was uncomfortable. Mind also active, as I had typed in 3 parts of the Little Paxton School dispute and was laying with mind alert wondering about the outcome! As always, sound asleep when my morning tea came and slow to get up. Still, finish showering and shaving in time to be dressed for the later start of breakfast. After the meal, continued my labours on the Little Paxton history book, although Di was disappointed I would not go to Bedford with her. A long job today, hampered by two electricity power cuts, but thankfully, I was following good practice and backing up my computer storage diskettes at regular intervals and was not much put out.
Made my own lunch of vegetable soup and bread/butter, as Di and Della returned too late to be of much use. Again this afternoon typing, but had a call from John Lamb again, who was full of the ‘electronic publishing’ course he had been on at Xitan with Geoff Lynch and Russ Wilmott. Said that he thought the technology could be useful to me, but I doubt I shall want to take the trouble to do it personally. When Debbie and Daniel came home, I had fed the ducks and doves and so spent a lot of time with each of them on their school work. Am trying to improve Daniel’s English and Debbie’s sums and seemed to have made progress on both tonight. Worked again this evening and have the scrap book 2/3rds transcribed. I have now heard from Mrs Gladys Hazelton of Eaton, formerly Matron in charge of Paxton Park, and she is most willing to help me with my history, which is nice. It seems that Norman Tebbit, Tory Party Chairman, is gunning for the Guardian newspaper now, after previously attacking the BBC. Reports now reaching London say that Terry Waite is all right and still entangled in a process of trying to extract western hostages. Thatcher has spoken and in support of Chief Constable Anderton of Manchester and has no criticisms of him. This just confirms their jointly-intolerant and bigoted stance. There is now an all-out strike of GPO engineers and the outcome will be a battle ground for control of the initiative in a management vs union power struggle. The London Stock Exchange soared in London and Wall Street today (LSE is up 8+% this month) but then Wall Street fell heavily in late trading and we shall have to see what happens here tomorrow. The Sun newspaper has admitted blame for publishing Duke of Edinburgh’s private correspondence and has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to a charity of the D of E’s choice.