Working on more problems in the aftermath of Michael's bombshell
Working on more problems in the aftermath of Michael's bombshell

Tackling the problem of my undelivered Focus newsletters this morning, advising Derek about funeral arrangements for his mother and then working on more problems in the aftermath of Michael's bombshell.

Relaxing watching a couple of films and then finally updating my journal and hearing about the government launching into another educational reform; this time changing the course content of teacher's training, again without consultation

At least I slept well enough but then I was still worrying about the piles of FOCUS copies in my office that had not yet got delivered. As I was showering, I hit on the idea of writing to all of my deliverers and helpers in Little Paxton with a letter laying out all of my problems with FOCUS distribution and asking for help. I showed this to Diana who suggested some changes and then I got Debbie and her visiting friends to deliver them and Daniel to drive them to do so. I was rewarded later when Eddie and Stella Varley rang and offered help on Monday.

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Debbie had her friends to stay for a "sleep-over" last night and they had a whale of a time. Della also had Katherine Law here for much of the time and our other visitors wondered why the house was full of girls! Derek Giles came round this morning. His mother died over Christmas and her funeral is on Wednesday and he wanted advice. He has also had trouble with his sister in America not wanting to come over at the last and at least I am not the only one with sister problems. I got the chance to break the news about Michael, but I am not sure that I was much help to him as I was trying to find my book "What to do when somebody dies" but somebody had borrowed it and not returned it which is the very thing that annoys me most".

After lunch, I worked on more problems in the aftermath of Michael's bomb-shell, including a letter to him and to his leader on the County Council, Cllr Peter Lee, to warn him of what was going on as I would want to hear if our positions were reversed. Plenty of calls and not much crossed off my action list as a result. After tea, I was feeling tired and stressed and so forgot about my backlog of financial work and watched two excellent TV programmes; "War Games" about a teenage computer hacker starting a nuclear scare and an excellent detective thriller involving clairvoyants. Just time later to settle my conscience by updating my journal and making a start on my accounts but still very much work still to do.

The government launch into another educational reform; this time changing the course content of teacher's training, again without consultation. Panic as a large cloud of Aniline toxic gas drifts from a Grimsby chemical factory and a crew of a vessel are helicoptered to hospital - just where we were cruising this summer!