Mum was very pleased that I called by to see her for a couple of hours and gave me a meal and we talked about Dad
Mum was very pleased that I called by to see her for a couple of hours and gave me a meal and we talked about Dad

A late breakfast after a late night and then a concerted effort to finish the last two FOCUS edition layouts before something of a mad scramble to get packed and loaded up for my visit to Norfolk, collecting another cement mixer on hire from Cosy Corner on the way.

Mum was very pleased that I called by to see her for a couple of hours and gave me a meal and we talked about Dad as it was just about the anniversary of his funeral and a very poignant time and she rather strangely claims that she sees Dad glowing in her room on night-time occasions! US Defence Secretary, Dick Cheyney, advocated the use of immediate force to liberate Kuwait which was rather a frightening. It seemed to be getting colder than of late which was a rather worrying thing in view of my cementing plans.

I was late to bed watching the sport and then reluctant to get up this morning. In the end, I made it for a late breakfast and, after reading the paper and mail, settled down in my office to write up these last couple of days' journal. My chores, and then I was able to resume the last two FOCUS edition layouts at 10.00am, working all morning. Within an hour, when Percy telephoned and arranged to come round, I had completed Paxton and was working on the Buckden and Offord "Villages Edition". Lunch and then, with some relief, I had laid out the last by mid-afternoon and Percy took over the resulting artwork and undertook to get it to the printers for publishing later this week. There was then something of a mad scramble to get packed and loaded up for my visit to Norfolk. I can now get ready in half an hour or so and collected another cement mixer on hire from Cosy Corner on the way. It seemed to be a good idea to visit Mum this evening and she was pleased to hear from me via my car telephone and even more pleased that I was actually able to call by for a couple of hours in the evening.

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I found her quite well and she was rather naughty in getting me a fried meal to have when I arrived "of the sort that Dad used to have when he came in". There was no sandwiches to be had as the local site shop has now closed down and will probably never re-open again for economic reasons. We chatted for a couple of hours and talked about Dad for some of that time. It is just about the anniversary of his funeral and a very poignant time with the next and final event being the installation of his gravestone which must be happening sometime soon. Perhaps that event will lay matters to rest in more than one way as Mum rather strangely claims that she sees Dad glowing in her room on night-time occasions! Mum was then brought her own daily cooked meal by her neighbour, Marie, at 6.30pm and I stayed to keep her company whilst she ate it before leaving and saying goodbye.

I left in mid-evening and made my way on quiet and clear roads and so arrived at Heronshaw in the dark as usual. Just time to unload and settle myself in, make myself a bed-time drink and then prepare my papers before I turned in at the end of another hectic day. The news tonight was of US Defence Secretary, Dick Cheyney, advocating the use of immediate force to liberate Kuwait whilst the West has the initiative which was rather a frightening attitude to be hearing. It was a clear evening and seems to be getting colder than of late which was a rather worrying thing in view of my cementing plans.