Arthur and Ivy used to visit Mum and Dad at Stanton
Arthur and Ivy used to visit Mum and Dad at Stanton

On a very wet and windy night there then followed a mild and windy day today as Di took Debbie to her horse-riding, I tended the birds and fishes usual and then received visits from Percy, Derek Giles and then my neighbour Chris. When I took Diana, Daniela and Daniel to see Dad at Addenbrookes today we found Dad’s Sister Ivy with her husband Arthur and children June and Keith and it was the first time we have seen them in 15 to 20 years. He seemed a lot brighter today after they had reduced his morphine again to 20mg night and morning and he sat with Della as she read a couple of books.

Thatcher was isolated on environmental issues at the Commonwealth Conference, there is progress in South Africa with an ANC rally now agreed and after four days, a victim of the Californian earthquake has been found. Now that the ambulance drivers cannot cover emergencies back home, police vans are being drafted in. Another air crash, this time in Honduras killed 111.

Di was up early this morning, but even so was complaining that she had laid in too long as she had to get Debbie to horse riding early. I had my breakfast and then tended the birds and fishes usual before I had a succession of visitors this morning which was a bit inconvenient. Percy came to do some photocopying of his press release and Derek Giles came to collect photographs and his copies of the election literature (but at least we got him to take our collection of cans to the Priory Park collection centre) but then our neighbour Chris came by for a chat. The main trouble we had this morning was over which newspapers to put out. In the end, Daniel helped me extract the Independent edition that had a picture of the Little Paxton floods, before the rest were put out. After lunch, I then set off with Diana, Daniela and Daniel to see Dad at Addenbrookes as we arrived Dad’s Sister Ivy with her husband Arthur and children June and Keith were there and it was the first time we have seen them in 15 to 20 years, I would think.

Poor Dad’s dressing was falling off and he was trying to cover his ear and so I got the nurses to dress it for him before we had our chat. He seemed a lot brighter today and sat with Della as she read a couple of books. They have reduced his morphine again to 20mg night and morning and this means he is less groggy and tired. Once home, this evening, I carried on working at my computer. Daniel and I had managed to archive all my history book files earlier so that it freed up 12 MB of disk space from an otherwise full hard disk. Later, I talked to Freda about things and she phoned back again. Unfortunately, by then, he had become disorientated and thought we were with him yesterday. He must have had a sleep this evening and hospitals can be very disorientating.

The news today was of the Commonwealth Conference where Thatcher was isolated on environmental issues as usual. Progress in South Africa with an ANC rally has now been agreed. After four days, a victim of the Californian earthquake has been found and rescued after having been trapped in the debris is of the collapsed roadway. Now that the ambulance drivers cannot cover emergencies back home, police vans are being drafted in. Another air crash, this time in Honduras killed 111. A very wet and windy night and then a mild and windy day today followed.