Sadly, switched off the pool heater for another season after girls had the last swim with Amy and Catherine Law
Sadly, switched off the pool heater for another season after girls had the last swim with Amy and Catherine Law

A drizzly day to start the new month on a more restful day, as I was not visiting my dad a trip to Willington garden centre to buy some tropical plants, a reorganisation of the conservatory and then, with Daniel’s help, covering the swimming pool and switching off its heater at the end of another season.

Trains full of East German refugees are allowed to leave for the West, making some 30,000 in the last three months. Archbishop Runcie criticises the government for lack of social concern and the Labour Party rejects proportional representation

The first day of a new month and of a new week. Today had been drizzly with a fine mist of rain in the air just about all day. I hoped that I could avoid getting cold as I did not want to give it to my Dad before his possible life-saving operation. For once, I was not visiting Dad today (as Mum was going) and so I could relax a bit more.

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This morning, we had a lay in and then a nice fried breakfast to start the day. Then I had a late coffee and took Di to the garden centre at Willington, where I managed to buy a couple of tropical plants including the ‘golden trumpet’ climber which I’ve been trying to find for some time. Home for lunch and then I reorganised the conservatory this afternoon, planting the new acquisitions and re-planting the others that had outgrown their pots. I put the underfloor heating on again, as the weather has turned chillier. In late afternoon, I got Daniel to help me put the winter cover on the swimming pool and then, sadly, switched off the pool heater for another season. The girls had the last swim with Amy and Catherine Law. Tonight, I watched a film with Daniel called ‘Gotcha’ which was a good spy thriller. Once I had written up my journal there was little time for anything else except to prepare and clear my desk for the morning.

The main news today is of many trains full of East German refugees being allowed to leave the West German embassy in the German Democratic Republic and travel to the West. Now up to 30,000 have left East Germany in the last three months. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Runcie, is in double controversy today as he criticises the government over a lack of social concern. The Labour Party executive meets to plan their conference next week and they reject consideration of electoral reform (to embrace proportional representation) by 20 votes to 4.