FORMER political refugee Viraj Mendis, who took refuge in a Manchester church
FORMER political refugee Viraj Mendis, who took refuge in a Manchester church

Another slow start, this time on a very frosty morning, to find one of my Koi carp had died. Di emptied the playroom and started its decoration as I worked on my Little Paxton Church history for most of the day before attending Southoe Parish Council meeting and given the Rev Peter Lewis sight of my work. An outrageously violent action by 50 police officers today breaking down church doors and cutting away a Sri Lankan refugee from a radiator, who had sought sanctuary, caused a crowd demonstration outside Manchester police station and a row in the House of Commons. Convict accidentally released from prison by ‘administrative error’ knifed a young woman to death in the London Underground.

I had the same trouble getting up this very frosty morning but still made the table with the others for breakfast. I stopped off at the conservatory on my trek around the house and was distressed to see my ‘dropsy’ fish dead. It had not lasted the night in the isolation tank full of salt water and I was hardly surprised. I really think we should have been treating it for a bacterial infection rather than dropsy. The fish man dropped off another ultraviolet light unit last night and I spent a couple of hours commissioning it this morning. Di had emptied the playroom, set up everything in the dining room for the girls, and started the decoration of the playroom first.  I started back on my church history but it was soon time for lunch, but I worked all afternoon to complete the chapter on St James’s church building itself.

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I was compiling information from past Victoria County History and Historic Monument surveys, adding to the information gleaned from pencil sketches and pictures as well as other information to hand. I worked out the various stages of the church building and renovation. I worked on after tea and set off late for the Southoe Parish Council meeting. I gave a copy of my draft chapter the Rev Peter Lewis, who was there, for his comments. There was not much discussed and so I was home early to relax with my journal and the bedtime Bournvita drink, and a look at the TV. The news today is of the government deciding to break the sanctuary of the Sri Lankan refugee who has been holed up in a church in Hulme. The police force the rector out of bed, dragged two women (one pregnant) from the church, broke down two doors and cut away the refugee from being handcuffed to a radiator. There were 50 police officers in the party and now Mr Mendis has until noon on Friday to find refuge in a third country. There was a crowd demonstration outside the Manchester police station and a political row in the House of Commons over this outrage. Following the recent salmonella scares, the government have introduced strict new food inspections at animal feed plants and output from contaminated locations will be banned. The National Consumers Council has criticised the government for giving conflicting advice on food safety. The trial today of a man convicted of knifing a young woman to death on the London underground revealed that he was released from prison by accident with an administrative error the reason! The weather was again frosty tonight but was quite sunny in between.