A full day working on The Lady’s sliding mahogany roof channels and mowing our games lawn after Debbie’s friend Phillipa stayed with us overnight. Diana was shopping today but in pain. The IRA shoot and kill another British soldier abroad, in Ostende, as his car plates give away their identity. Jailed ANC leader Nelson Mandela is admitted to hospital with pneumonia, which frightens the authorities
A good night and then down to a nice fried breakfast, served today in place of tomorrow as we are due to go on our Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club trip then. Little Phillipa was with us last night and was picked up this morning. She is a bit juvenile and shy and it is interesting to see how much they are different at age 9. I went out this morning and continued my work on The Lady. I got Daniel to help me prop up the starboard side of the sliding cockpit roof this time and took off the door channel. I had obviously doubled up on the securing screws last time I worked on it, as it took a long time to undo them all. Lunch and tea at home today, but Diana went to Waitrose to buy some goodies for our picnic tomorrow.
She is suffering from period pains at the moment and she found the crowds and queues at the supermarket on a Saturday rather a trial. I worked all afternoon and evening, hardening, fitting and varnishing the window surrounds for both sides and further twice varnishing the starboard side runners of the boat itself. The weather turned showery this evening and I covered up the boat with my tarpaulin, which will also protect it overnight when heavy rain is forecast. I mowed the games lawn today, which is greening up a little after my watering, but it is increasingly bumpy. News today is of a man being held for questioning over the murder of young Tiffany, but no charges are yet proffered. The IRA have shot another British soldier in Ostende as he pulled up at traffic lights. It seems all the British soldiers have white numbers on a black background as a car registration and it marks them out as sitting ducks. Jailed ANC leader, Nelson Mandela, is taken to hospital with what seems to be pneumonia. If he dies without being released there will be big protests. Rather a lot of rain forecast overnight and poor weather tomorrow for our trip to Happisburgh.