The ex-president of the Philippines, Marcos, is reported to be very ill now that he faces charges of corruption
The ex-president of the Philippines, Marcos, is reported to be very ill now that he faces charges of corruption

I was concerned with the health of my larger Koi carp today but I had reassuring advice and remarks from Mr Field. Debbie’s friend Helen Cranston still being our guest, I took them both riding today and then this evening Daniel returned from his stay with his friend Gary and was preparing for his narrowboat holiday starting tomorrow. Semtex explosive has been discovered as having caused the Lockerbie air crash. Further controversy over the German air display crash, the Japanese corruption scandal and former President Marcos of the Philippines is both ill and facing corruption charges

I had a good night’s sleep and then got up in time for breakfast with the others. Debbie and her friend Helen Cranston were up and awake until midnight, but they seem to survive the experience. I was taken with concern for my Ohgon Hari-Wake carp this morning. It was lying on the bottom, then flicking and swimming in a bent way. Upon reading the Koi carp books and telephoning Mr Field, I deduced that the condition is due to it transferring to a warm environment and eating too much for its own good. The funny thing is that the carp experts acted just like a doctor; saying that I should stop feeding it and let it rest and recuperate and if it wasn’t better by Sunday morning to call him and he would come over to see if you could give it a salt bath to ease its constipation! It sounds like the care due to a precious child.

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I returned to my history project a little today, editing the pre-historic chapter to accommodate the photos from the Norris Museum curator. I also completed all manner of correspondence and was thus up-to-date and ready to continue. This afternoon, I took the girls riding at Offord. It was a lesson for small girls, but Debbie was the best rider and showed the others how to canter. Helen managed okay but was a bit rusty after six months out of the saddle. This evening, Daniel returned from his stay with Gary and was in a dither over the things he will need and should pack for his narrow boating holiday starting tomorrow. We are all watching the last two-hour episode of ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and he was feeling we did not have an interest in his plight. I gave him my captain’s hat for the trip. The news this evening is of the government giving £150,000 to the Lockerbie air crash appeal fund which I think is a poor amount. The explosive type has been analysed as the plastic explosive, ‘probably Semtex’, which is a Czechoslovakian type without traces for identification. The spotlight is on by whom and where the bomb was placed in the British and West Germans each think that the other sides security was to blame. The enquiry into the Ramstein, Germany, air display crash has decided the accident was due to ‘pilot error’ but that does not explain why the display flight path was over the spectators. The Japanese corruption scandal deepens as first the cabinet secretary and now the Minister of Justice are set to resign after admission of receiving money through share corruption. This element, amongst others in world financial affairs, must now trim the markets in Tokyo when they open in the New Year. The London stock exchange, strong for days, closes up by 10 points today. The ex-president of the Philippines, Marcos, is reported to be very ill now that he faces charges of corruption.