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During an unusually mild and wet month, we laid new games lawns, recovered The Lady and Little Lady ashore for winter maintenance and I also conducted an in-depth investment appraisal, researching river meadows and forestry as possible acquisitions but keeping most of my money safe in cash and government securities. My extended family have not in too bad good health, we have enjoyed a good Christmas with family visiting and lots of church services after visiting many attractions during the month My history research has been on hold but my candidature for Local Government has approved and much local paper publicity encouraged. Thatcher has been underfunding the NHS and running down public services, and now lays her Poll Tax Bill before parliament amongst great controversy, tries gagging BBC over Spycatcher and the Birmingham Pub bombing justice miscarriages. In Northern Ireland, serious violence leads to a Queen’s appeal for conciliation. World exchange markets, oil and currency drops, and the Gulf conflict and unrest in the occupied Palestinian territories threatens peace but Reagan and Gorbachev have now signed the 50% reduction treaty for Intermediate Nuclear Weapons. Bob Geldorf comes home to report an African famine threatening the lives of five million people
The amazingly mild month of December comes to an end, being almost autumnal rather than wintery, and holding out no prospect of a white Christmas. Just as well for the many old people that I know from my Little Paxton history studies, and who were giving me just cause for concern during the harsh winter of last year. The good weather came just in time to allow the games lawn to be laid, after the appallingly wet weather that had preceded it. The family are fine. Daniel’s catarrh is improving with treatment and only a normal collection of colds and infections keep us from perfect health. The same is true of our wider family, with my Mother managing our stairs on her own later during her visit, and my Dad’s kidney and bladder troubles seemingly of low priority. Diana struggles with coping with Della from time to time and has the occasional bad day when Debbie was also sick, for example.