Viscount Willie Whitelaw, Thatcher's last moderating influence, retires after a health scare
Viscount Willie Whitelaw, Thatcher's last moderating influence, retires after a health scare

Foregoing the fried breakfast for once, I used this Sunday morning to re-site the doves feeding table after the gales had just about destroyed it, then bribed Daniel to clean the Range Rover as I took down the balcony lights to store away until next Christmas. Fresh roast chicken eaten off of our best china and silver service at lunch and a sit-round tea together in the lounge later. Viscount Whitelaw is retiring from the House of Lords which will make Thatcher’s programme even more difficult to pass, more strikes in the health service over reduced allowances but the Yorkshire miners go back for talks.                                                           

Slept well last night and Di woke me with the morning tea after a lay in. Listened to the radio for a while and then got showered and dressed for breakfast. I had suggested to Diana that we forgo the fried breakfast for once, to slim me and rest her, and so we had cereal instead. I read today’s paper, which revealed little new, apart from the latest government privatisation idea – they want to sell off Britain’s nature reserves! Out to feed the doves and ducks on a bright and mild morning, but I found the dove’s feeding table just about destroyed from the recent gales and so started to make another one.

I dug a 2-3ft deep hole, let in a large oak post and then nailed the feeding tray on top of that. The doves looked on quizzically and then flew straight down afterwards for their breakfast. Then I started to prepare the Range Rover for a wash, but fortunately managed to bribe Daniel into doing this job for me. This meant that I could use the time to take down the balcony lights, which was a long process. Finished in time for lunch and so layed up the table in the dining room to make an occasion of it. We ate chicken off our best china and silver and enjoyed it immensely. It was a ‘fresh’ chicken (ie, had not been frozen) and it was much less dry and more moist to the taste. The washing up afterwards and then I went out to look at the Range Rover. Daniel had done an incomplete job on it and so I had to do a bit more, and then I examined the body closely and spotted some rust below the tailgate, which I must get seen to. I checked around the service reservoirs (oil, water etc, clutch & brake fluid) and only had to top up the radiator with water. By this time it was dark and so, after the ducks and doves were fed, I went in and sat in the lounge and waited for tea. I saw the last quarter of a televised football match and was sad to see Arsenal beat Ipswich 2-1 in an FA Cup tie. A sit-round tea together, with all in good humour, and then I retired to my office to compose and type out a number of letters on outstanding business affairs. The news today is of the decision by Viscount Whitelaw to resign as Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Lords, because of his health and I think he is a wise man to resist pressures to stay. It leaves Prime Minister Thatcher with a difficult situation, as Geoffrey Howe does not want to go to The Lords, as he retains his own political ambitions. Lord Belstead, the Lord’s Deputy, takes over as a fill-in candidate, but there is no replacement as Deputy Prime Minister. There will now be great trouble in tackling the problems of piloting controversial Bills through that House and he will also be missed as a Chairman of many government committees. Union representatives of blood transfusion workers have voted for industrial action, after their allowances have been reduced by the government. The week-long Yorkshire miner’s strike is over, as the Union intervened to persuade them to go back. They expect to allow 1 week for negotiations as a breathing space and will reconsider then. Two more deaths in the Gaza Strip, as more Israeli troops are sent into the area and the casualties seem caused as much by incompetence as malice. Another girl has died from meningitis.