Up on time on a warm, showery and windy day and some time to work before taking Di and Daniel to Bedford, where I checked out Marshall’s new range Rover service facility and met my stockbrokers. After lunch in Bedford, I went with Daniel to view his new car and agreed he could buy it and also bought a video player mum to see a tape of Dad’s last time with Della. The new gardener has done well and will continue.
35,000 may have died in a huge Iranian earthquake and political differences are put to one side as international rescue teams assist. The Berlin ‘checkpoint Charlie’ border crossing was removed today, and threats of right-wing South Africans against Nelson Mandela being tightened
Up on time this morning on a day that was both warm, showery and windy all at the same time. I had a little time to do some work before and after breakfast and then I took Diana and Daniel to Bedford. We dropped Di off at her hairdressers and then Daniel and I drove on to see the new Marshalls Range Rover service facility in Goldington Road and to get a free safety check and car valet. We had a look at the new Discovery which is the manufacturer's latest riposte to the Japanese and is a very competitive product. By foot into Bedford where I went to see some stockbrokers and Daniel to the shops. I signed a deal to put £6,000 of Marks and Spencer shares into a PEP scheme and then we all rendezvoused at the hairdressers before taking lunch at Debenhams.
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Poor Debbie stayed home with a cold today and could not go to the Prep. sports day but she was well enough to go horse-riding later! This afternoon, I went with Daniel to go and see a used car he wanted to buy by trading in the Escort and using the money that had been realised from selling his boat. I agreed against my better judgement, but as a result of Daniel and Diana lobbying me as the new car is much more powerful and expensive. The deal was done and then I bought a video recorder which I am going to take to Mum tomorrow as her birthday present. We copied the videotape of Dad with Della (the last one before he died) and that will make a nice present. Mum is actually staying with Freda and Alf at the moment which is quite an excursion for her. I was planning to leave for Norfolk this evening, but now it will be in the morning and I will drop off to see them all at Redgrave on the way. I paid the gardener at the end of a good week's work and he is keen to carry on next week and do even more and so that is one less problem that I have.
Tonight's news is of the Iran earthquake where the death total may be as many 35,000 and a massive international aid programme is under-way. Mud-slides are blocking the roads and there is a shortage of earth moving equipment as victims talk of "the mountains moving". Political differences are being buried as well, and British rescue teams and planes of relief supplies are now on their way this weekend. The French were first off of the mark with tracker dogs and now others are following there lead. The old Berlin "cold war" symbol of the "Check-Point Charlie" border crossing was removed by crane today and the Soviet Foreign Minister used the opportunity to call for the removal of foreign troops in Germany step-by-step but the allies want none of this. There are death threats against Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid campaigners from the right wing South Africans and their security will have to be tightened up.