Debbie in the Kimbolton School orchestra concert on this day
Debbie in the Kimbolton School orchestra concert on this day

Diana was struggling to book a swimming course for Della and then came home to organise a Brownie bring and buy sale as the tiler resumed work on the conservatory and I worked outside clearing out the gutters, erecting our Christmas lights and then commissioning our pond lights. With Diana to the Kimbolton School Christmas Concert to see Debbie playing and then home to my journal. The first estimate is of 40 to 45,000 dead in the Armenian earthquake tragedy as all the multi-story buildings collapsed.

I awoke quite tired and with a sore throat today but managed to get going in spite of this. Diana had to go to earn off to queue for the girls swimming lessons again and, though there at 7:30am, she could still not get the right days swimming course for Della. The swimming facilities in St Neots are woefully inadequate for the people wanting to use them. I stayed at home, looking after Della as Debbie went to school to practice with the school orchestra. I took Della out to feed the doves and then she was ‘helping me’ until she hurt her chin and went inside. The tiler was back and finished the conservatory this morning, grouting between the tiles as well. There was no sign of the plumber who seems to have disappeared but I’m not too worried as it defers the building fee as we cannot yet use the underfloor heating.

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I worked outside, getting out the ladder and climbing up to clear out all the house gutters before sweeping up the balconies too. I had been left a meagre lunch of soup and bread, as Diana had gone out to lunch and I was too busy to make anything better for myself. The weather was so mild today – almost like spring or summer and it was quite unnatural. I then installed all our Christmas lights around the balconies. Di came home and set up her Brownie-organised ‘Blue Peter’ Kampuchea bring and buy sale in our garage. It was quite well supported with gifts and buyers and they raised £29. As dusk raced towards me; I got Daniel to help me set up the pond lights as I had built a rough bridge and installed all the internal lights, pumping and ultraviolet lights for killing the algae. The final effect was very good. Charles and Chrisula came around but I did not have a great deal of time for them. This evening, Diana and I went to the Kimbolton School Christmas Concert. Debbie was playing in the Kimbolton Prep Orchestra with her descant recorder and then came and sat with us for the rest of the performance. Helen Cranston, her friend, was with her and her mother had joined us for the evening. Home and to rest for a while after an active day as I caught up on these last two days’ journal. The news today is of Gorbachev visiting the scene of the earthquake and of the first estimate of 40 to 45,000 dead, which is a deep tragedy. The world’s emergency rescue services are being mobilised and thousands more Armenians are being pulled out of the ruins. It seems that all the multi-storey buildings have collapsed.