Mikhail Gorbachev announcing unilateral arms reductions at the United Nations December 1988
Mikhail Gorbachev announcing unilateral arms reductions at the United Nations December 1988

A day dominated and distracted by the conservatory builders activities but this evening watching Debbie in the Kimbolton School Pantomime. Gorbachev announced huge Soviet conventional arms cuts, The Armenian earthquake kills thousands, Mandela refuses privileges and Roy Orbison dies, aged 52

Slept well but was waiting for my morning drink and had to go searching for it. Typed out a lot more letters to printers in search of a quotation for my book printing. Then the builders arrived, and the rest of my day was seriously disrupted and distracted. They barrowed in a yard and a half more gravel and it was too small and too dirty and it took the rest of the day to wash in the pond. We switched on the circulation pump and later, the sand filter. The builders tiled round the shelf and plaster the door reveal and a few other small jobs. The plumbers were back, connecting cold water to the conservatory but were delayed on the underfloor heating installation by lack of plant and then a leak in the pipes which meant raising the floorboards again. This evening, Di and I went to the watch Debbie in the Kimbolton School Prep pantomime. They all did very well Mr Hunter playing the Dame. The main news this evening was of the Soviet Union cutting its armed forces, tanks, artillery and warplanes as a conventional arms cut. Gorbachev announced the measures as he visited the United Nations in New York.

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This means 500,000 less men which are to be accompanied by 800 less tanks, 8500 artillery pieces and 80 aircraft. A powerful earthquake struck Armenia in the USSR with thousands of casualties. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela has been moved from a clinic to a ‘secure house ‘but is reluctant to accommodate improved family access until other political prisoners are similarly treated’. Roy Orbison, the 1960s rockstar has died of a heart attack at 52.