Della was recovering from her acute allergic attack but staying at home convalescing and was good company for me if a distraction. Sometime progressing my interest in Admiral’s Cottage and sending correspondence and then to prepare for a successful HDC Environmental Services Committee meeting this evening, where many of my proposals were accepted. Some estimates of the casualties of the Chinese unrest are as high as 7,000 people dead, 1,000 of which are troops and the train was hijacked and set on fire. Hong Kong are upset over Thatcher’s immigration and refugee policy
I slept well enough after a late night and was quite tired this morning. I was down to breakfast a little late and then Della helped me to feed the Koi carp. She spent another day at home convalescing. Her eyes are nearly back to normal, though her chest is still congested. She is nice to have around, though something of a distraction to be here all day. After clearing my papers up and doing yet more financial reconciliations, my task today was to pursue the arrangements for purchasing Admiral’s Cottage. I first used my computer scanner to plot the property boundary alterations and then wrote to solicitor, surveyor, Blake’s and the housekeeper to keep things moving. I then went out to post the correspondence first class. I hope that for certain it will get there tomorrow as the return post to hear is been very good with the Norwich to Cambridge railway system playing its part.
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After tea, I had to prepare this evening’s District Council Environmental Services meeting. I was ready for a fight to get progress on some issues but found this was not necessary. I was allowed to divert a discussion on medicine collection to the question of bottle banks and got widespread support. Then the officers were pre-empting my gripes on sewage problems with news of a plan to upgrade Little Paxton pumping station. A shortish meeting, but not as bad as it might be. I was home early and then had an early night for a change. The news from China and from Western intelligence sources is that 7,000 people may have died, with 1,000 being troops caught up in factional fighting or retaliation by protesters. An evacuation is well underway of diplomatic staff and half of the 900 British nationals have already left and the rest on the way. Troops had shot up the British compound. Chaos in government and communications is besetting the country as students spread the unrest. An entire train was hijacked and then set on fire with some passages skills. There was trouble also in Hong Kong where people are fleeing the country. Teargas had to be use there for the first time in 20 years. The Hong Kong people are upset the British government’s immigration policy and now Thatcher has said the rich and influential people may come here but not the others.