More work inside on a drizzly day, completing my Council data diskette copies and then working on the Offords & Buckden FOCUS’s when Pat and Percy Meyer arrived, but some time still to rake in the top dressing on the Games Lawn. Lunch with the family at the St Neots Bridge Hotel when Daniel returned from school and then an afternoon and evening on my Press Cuttings. the Welsh miners rejecting Coal Board’s plans for a six-day working week, the SLD conference goes well with jobs shared and the sad recovery of the body of the Ocean Odyssey radio operator, Timothy Williams, who had been unnecessarily ordered back on to the rig.
A little earlier to bed, but not very much, and I then slept very soundly until after Di had a lay-in this morning. Today continued a drizzly day, which meant not much could be done outside but at least I could get on with the backlog of paperwork without being too distracted. Later to breakfast and Daniel had already left for school, leaving behind a sheaf of notes that Di was quite horrified to read it seemed that he had been bored in private study (having already done his work at home) and, being told off for not doing anything, he then wrote reams of disgusting comments in quite foul language which shocked us both. There was a brief dry spell this morning and I went out to feed the ducks and doves and so I got out the rake and continue to rake in the top dressing which is still quite thick with the dips in the lawn our deepest. Started to read the papers and mail and then settled down to sort out all my Council work on diskette files so that I could have one full disc of important information to send off for copying onto a different media. Percy and Pat Meyer dropped by without warning and so I set down to review his newsletter with him whilst Pat looked at my Doomsday Book facsimile which quite fascinated her.
Then Nigel Smith phoned to ask me to go over to see some paintings on top of all that! Managed to get out of the house so I could take my family to St Neots for lunch at the Bridge Hotel, collecting Daniel from his school bus in the process. This afternoon and evening I cut out all the recent press cuttings and stuck them into my Little Paxton Scrapbook and Career Scrapbook each in turn. I also finished my Council Work organisation and prepared my diskette for sending off. Worked until quite late and then joined Di in the lounge, where she had been watching the TV and video all evening. News tonight of the Welsh miners rejecting Coal Board’s plans for a six-day working week. At the SLD conference, ex-leaders Steele and McLennan take the key Foreign and Home Affairs portfolios and Alan Beith is the new Treasury spokesman. This bodes well for party unity. The body of the radio operator from the Ocean Odyssey, Timothy Williams, was found on the oil rig and the Well Fire has gone out.