Some shopping and financial transactions with Diana in Huntingdon after time with Della this morning and then some letters and plans for tradesmen until Daniel arrived back from UEA with some more video games and was very popular.
More Gulf War news with successes on both sides as Iraqi planes are shot down but some of their missiles hit home in Riyadh
I retired to bed at a reasonable time last night and so got up early this morning and got ready to be the first waiting for breakfast! I used the spare time to catch up with reading yesterday's newspapers and then starting this morning's. I enlisted the help of Della in feeding the Koi and watering the conservatory plants once we had finished breakfast and gave her a "tickle fight in the lounge", which is her latest fetish. Once Della was safely out of the way at school, I took Diana shopping in Huntingdon via St Neots. In St Neots, I bought some stationery and other things in Clover Office Supplies and then collected a half dozen bags of salt pellets for our water softener from Tebbuts.
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On to Huntingdon for coffee where I had to complete the withdrawal of money from a building society branch there and then transfer it to another. Whilst Diana was with me, I also opened new T.E.S.S.A. (Tax Exempt Special Savings Accounts) accounts for both of us. Home for Diana to make us some lunch whilst I caught up with my mail and messages. Ian James had drafted a proposal for a potential takeover of ONSITE by another company, and I telephoned back to make my comments and amendments and we hope for a good response. This afternoon, I typed up letters to local tradesmen, inviting them to quote for the business involved in making our hall/utility area modifications and then Diana delivered them. Later, I had a meeting with the builder/decorator who was keen on doing the work and a carpenter has also arranged to come over and see me on Sunday.
Daniel arrived back home this afternoon for the weekend and we were both pleased to see one another. He came armed with more computer games and was an instant hit with Della who played with him before he went out for the evening. I worked on this evening with the Liberal Democrat campaign plans and arranged for others to prepare things for my next campaign meeting. I also updated my journal as news came in of the latest Gulf War developments.
There was confirmation of yesterday's news that two Iraqi Exocet attack planes were shot down and of the skirmish where the US destroyed two Iraqi mine-laying vessels and took about 30 prisoners from them and a neighbouring island. Also of a tragic environmental disaster as crude oil gushes into the gulf from what the US say is a deliberately-open pipeline and what Iraq says was the US sinking of two oil tankers of the Kuwaiti coast.
The main day's news, however, is the Iraqi attack with 7 Scuds on Israel where at least two got through (military censorship prevents the details emerging) killing one person and injuring 66 others. At least two more rained down on Riyadh and at least one got through there too to land on a government building, killing one and collapsing the structure. From the television films, I am convinced that the US Patriots sent up to intercept them missed and crashed into the ground, exploding, but it is only admitted that "fragments are hitting the ground". It was cold and dull today again.