I had a restless night, with a cold coming on, but then spent the day scanning further images for my Paxton Park chapter and making my own salad lunch until I picked up Lisa Drake and then Debbie from school and then went with Fiona from the riding school to the Alconbury Weston Saddlery to buy some tack for Sundance. Unfortunately, he was troublesome when we used it but we hope he will soon settle down. Controversially, the government plans to make GPs responsible for budgetary control and to give hospital managers authority over consultants’ work and to encourage private health schemes. Wandsworth prison officers are still striking despite seven hours of talks, Sizewell want a third nuclear reactor and Col Oliver North is under trial and aims to call former US president Reagan to the stand for cross-examination.
I had a poor night, struggling to get the temperature right in my bed. Diana had electric blanket on for far too long and I also had a cold coming on, so was a bit difficult and had a restless night but I was still awake early and down to breakfast with the others. The fish remained all right and survived the night quite well. I managed to feed the Ohgon again today and painted its side and then changed the water for its penultimate dose of Steryzine against parasites. I spent the day scanning further images in my chapter on Paxton Park but the process is taking far too long. I made my own lunch of salad as Diana went to Cambridge shopping. At 3:30pm, I picked up Lisa Drake and then 4:30pm Debbie from school and we met Fiona at the Alconbury Weston Saddlery and bought several items of riding tack for Sundance. Back to the riding stables where we put on the new girth, rains and other things and then experienced some trouble with the pony who ran away with Debbie a couple of times.
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There were a few things that could have caused it – the new girth and reins, lack of exercise yesterday, its lack of its martingale from the rains or just the new regime of less riding and irregular care and attention. I will get Fiona to supervise Debbie on Thursday until she gets her confidence back. At least Debbie did not fall off, even though there was a very fast canter. The news today was of the government’s controversial proposals for the National Health Service. GPs will become responsible for budgetary control and doctors worry that there will be a disincentive towards prescribing necessary drugs and avoiding hospital referrals. The management of hospitals will have more power over the time and amount of consultants’ work. There is also to be tax relief for pensioners on private health insurance schemes, but the private sector will only cater for the fit leaving the chronically ill to the state to cater for. In today’s other controversy, Home Office Minister, Douglas Hogg, has claimed that Wandsworth Prison is quiet, but the prisoners are being given cold food, no exercise, bathing or change of clothes. Prison officers are still out on strike, police in place, and talks went on for seven hours without agreement. The CEGB has applied for permission to have a third nuclear reactor at Sizewell and hopes to avoid a public enquiry; although local authorities may have other ideas. The US former Marine Colonel, Oliver North, is now on trial at the District Court at Washington and aims to call a former US President Reagan to the stand for cross-examination which would be a spectacle.